Designed by Pietro Bellushi:

During his career, Pietro Belluschi designed over 42 churches and synagogues in the United States, including the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco, included as part of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage. For his lifetime of work, Belluschi received both the National Medal of Art and the American Institute of Architecture Gold Medal. CTK not only represents the work of a world-renowned Oregon architect; the church itself rose as a labor of love from parishioners, who not only contributed financially but also volunteered considerable labor towards its construction. These efforts included carpentry and interior finishing as well as the installation of an Altar Cross designed by noted Hungarian-born artist György Kepes. The Kepes Cross consists of hundreds of colored glass pieces which shine behind the altar. Kepes works can be found worldwide, including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate in London. (Images below credit: Terza Wiest)

Challenge:

A new CTK $6.5 million capital campaign includes plans to essentially replace and erase the original Belluschi sanctuary interior with a Romanesque style design that paints over much of the exposed woodwork, while installing numerous decorative arches featuring liturgical art, as well as removing the Kepes Cross. The church describes the project as “a cosmetic interior renovation that works within the existing footprint while significantly improving the sacred environment”—a characterization that understates the scope and irreversibility of the transformation.

While the capital campaign’s plans address programmatic needs—including church school expansion—the primary investment targets interior design.

Community Voices:

While numerous architectural practitioners and historians from a wide geographic area have weighed in support of preserving Belluschi and Kepes work, the most impassioned responses come from longtime CTK parishioners:

This church is more than just a building to me — it’s where I grew up. From kindergarten through 8th grade, it was a place that helped shape who I am today. Generations of my family have dedicated their time, energy, and love to this community. We’ve put in our blood, sweat, and tears to support it in any way we could, because it has always been a place that meant so much to us. Seeing what is happening now is incredibly heartbreaking. This church represents memories, values, and a sense of community that cannot be replaced. It has been a home not just for my family, but for so many others over the years. I truly hope we can come together to preserve something that has had such a meaningful impact on so many lives. Saving this church means preserving a legacy, a community, and a place that has brought people together for generations.

Visit preservectk.org for more testimonials.

Preferred Outcome:

Retain the original Belluschi sanctuary interior while engaging architectural and liturgical design professionals to identify creative solutions addressing the church’s programmatic needs—including expanded educational space—without fundamentally diminishing the original design or removing the Kepes Cross.

Timing:

Urgent. Planned “improvements” are scheduled to begin as soon as Fall 2026.

Property Owner:

Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

Decision Maker:

Monsignor Cihak, S.T.D., pastor

Action Needed:

Sign the petition at preservectk.org

Write to the Archdiocese at archbishop@archdpdx.org, urging them to recognize the building’s significance.

More Information:

• Committee to Preserve Christ the King Church: https://preservectk.org

• Oregon church by Pietro Belluschi faces controversial interior renovation by Harrison Design, Trump’s triumphal arch architect The Architect's Newspaper, By Ilea Wunder • September 17, 2026.

• At a Pietro Belluschi-designed church, an architectural schism Oregon Artswatch July 9, 2026.

• Modern Milwaukie church is getting a controversial Romanesque style makeover The Oregonian updated September 19, 2026.

• Pietro Belluschi’s Oregon Encyclopedia Biography Link

• György Kepes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/György_Kepes