Contractor , father leads restoration of Clinton ' s oldest Catholic church
BY JENNA BLOUNT
Matthew Gabbard of Thomson , Illinois , drove by St . Irenaeus Church on North Second Street one day in March 2021 , two months after he and his wife , Elizabeth , announced her most recent pregnancy .
As a general contractor who ’ d established The Specialist , Inc . in 2008 , Gabbard ’ s attention was immediately drawn to the church ’ s deterioration and exterior damage still evident from the previous year ’ s derecho .
He contacted Clinton city officials to find the owner of the building and was subsequently offered the opportunity to buy it , an offer he didn ’ t immediately accept .
Five months later , on Aug . 19 , 2021 , Gabbard ’ s son , Maximilian John Pio Gabbard , was born premature at 34 weeks . Like two of the Gabbards ’ sons before him who were by then deceased , Maximilian was born with a genetic peroxisomal disorder in which the cells of all of his organs and systems weren ’ t able to properly function .
Maximilian was give a life expectancy of less than one year .
For the weeks following his birth , Maximilian stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit undergoing tests , procedures and surgeries . He was able to finally come home for five days during that September before returning to the hospital . It was during Maximilian ’ s first , short time at home that Matthew decided to take on the project of St . Irenaeus Church .
That November , Maximilian returned home for the final time . Matthew , having come down with Covid-19 , stayed isolated .
That same month , the church was acquired by “ St . Irenaeus Chapel ,” a new non-profit that Matthew heads as its president .
When December came , Maximilian ’ s condition began to worsen . His temperature indicated a fever , his heart raced , and he required oxygen .
The church ’ s chapel doors were opened on Dec . 11 for initial tours and prayers . A youth group cleaned the building .
The next day , Maximilian died at 8:29 p . m . His funeral would be the first Mass to be held at St . Irenaeus since June 2008 .
Matthew continued to move forward on his pursuit to renovate the church , a project he then felt inspired to do as a memorial for his son .
The interior of St . Irenaeus Church in Clinton is undergoing a transformation from floor to ceiling , brightening the worship area with fresh paint and lighting .
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