ST. LOUIS – Shannon Horstmann is a member of St. Alphonsus Liguori “Rock” Church in north St. Louis. 

For the past several years, Horstmann has submitted requests for a grant through the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.

“I’m in awe and shocked,” she said when discovering the news that this year’s request was granted.

The church will receive $500,000 to help restore its original stained-glass windows.

The church’s acting pastor, Father Rodney Olive, was amazed to hear that his church was gifted with the grant.

“I almost had a heart attack,” Olive said.

According to Olive, the church is one of the oldest Black Catholic churches in the country. 

“When you see things like this happen, that people who appreciate art and the preservation of churches are investing this kind of money into it, that should tell all of us that the value of it is a whole lot more than we probably even believed ourselves,” said Monica Huddleston, a longtime church member.

The other recipient of grant money surrounds the effort to restore a church built by emancipated individuals in New Haven in the late 1800s. 

The New Haven Preservation Society will receive $200,000 to restore Anna Bell Chapel to its original form.

“This chapel is part of our history, and we certainly want to keep it rather than lose it,” said Nathan Bailey, board member.