The BVM statue saved from the choir loft of the former Barat College Old Main building’s chapel was temporarily placed in The Chapel of the Sacred Heart upon arrival at its new home, Woodlands Academy.
She began her effort by consulting with Irma Patricia Reiss, RSCJ, who was at Barat College at the time. Then, with the blessing of Sister Patsy, as she is belovedly known to so many at both Barat and Woodlands, Sczygielski-Anders said she had the BVM statue moved to her parents’ home in Waukegan, where it remained for 15 years. “It was quite a conversation piece, as my parents had it lovingly displayed in their living room,” Sczygielski-Anders added. “It remained
Sacred Heart Family Statue of Mary Returns to the Woodlands Campus
T
hanks to the determination of former Barat College Director of Residence Life Lauren Sczygielski-Anders, an artifact from Old Main was
spared and now is back with the Sacred Heart family – this time at Woodlands Academy. Its journey across the ravine took a detour through nearby Waukegan, Illinois, and about 15 years to complete. When Barat College closed in 2005, a beautiful, old statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in excellent condition was left behind, abandoned in the chapel’s choir loft. Woodlands Academy did not claim it at the time, and no one from Barat wanted it. In addition, the future of Old Main, which opened in 1904 as Woodlands Academy’s original Lake Forest home, was uncertain at the time. These factors prompted Sczygielski-Anders to ensure the statue would not remain in the building should it face demolition (Old Main eventually was razed in 2013).
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in its same excellent condition during that time.” After both her parents had passed away, Sczygielski-Anders felt it was time for the statue to return to its Sacred Heart family. “I hoped Woodlands Academy would like her, as she was part of the Barat community for decades,” she said. “During a recent mini-estate sale at my parents’ home, the statue was the most popular item. I could have sold her 10 times, which I would never do. She rightfully belongs to the Sacred Heart community.” As she began arranging for its return to the Woodlands Academy campus, Sczygielski-Anders fondly recalled how having it in their house brought so much joy to her Catholic parents. “Both of them were afflicted with serious health conditions and they would pray to the BVM daily. We were glad to be Mary’s caretakers, but I was happy to reunite her with her Sacred Heart community,” she said. When the statue arrived at Woodlands Academy late in the 2020-21 term, it was placed temporarily in The Chapel of the Sacred Heart and then removed prior to the traditional year-end events held there. Meanwhile, various locations for the statue’s permanent home at Woodlands were being considered over the summer. One strong contender is the area of the Susan Saint James PAC and choir room near the entrance to the 100 Wing, which would provide a presence like that of the Mater statue near the 400 Wing. However, a final placement had not been made as of this writing.
