INDIANAPOLIS -- More than $2.4 million is being dedicated to restoring historic churches throughout the Hoosier state. Indiana Landmarks launched the Sacred Places Indiana Fund last year. Since then, with support from Lilly Endowment Inc., the fund has helped dozens of historic houses of worship across the state. This year, 17 congregations will see the impact. They include: Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Indianapolis. $60,000 will be dedicated to restoring stained glass at the 1927 church. First Christian Church, New Castle. $125,000 will go toward repairing the 1958 church’s bell tower. Gobin United Methodist Church, Greencastle. $260,000 will replace the original slate roof on the 1928 church. Irvington Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis. $180,000 will repair the exterior masonry and heating and cooling systems at the 1929 church. Mount Zion Baptist Church, Indianapolis. $100,000 will replace the roof and repair heating and cooling systems at the 1960 church. New Circle Church, Indianapolis. $50,000 will be dedicated to roof, masonry, and other exterior repairs at the 1921 church. Roberts Park United Methodist Church, Indianapolis. $75,000 will go toward roof repairs at the 1876 church. Sisters of Providence, Terre Haute. $150,000 will replace the fire suppression system in the 1891 Church of the Immaculate Conception at the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods campus. Saint Benedict Cathedral, Evansville. $200,000 will replace a heating and cooling systems air handler in the 1927 church. Saint Joseph Catholic Parish, Mishawaka. $400,000 will replace the original slate roof on the 1891 church. Saint Mark’s United Church of Christ, New Albany. $67,000 will repair masonry on the church’s 1968 education building. Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, New Albany. $70,000 will repair the foundation of the 1895 church. Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, Haysville. $135,000 will go toward repairing the heating and cooling systems and boiler piping in the 1948 church. Saint Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Indianapolis. $80,818 will rehabilitate the 1929 church’s bell tower. Saint Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Catholic Church, South Bend. $125,000 will go toward structural repairs under the 1900 church’s sanctuary. Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Wayne. $275,000 will be dedicated to masonry and structural repairs at the 1866 church. Trinity United Methodist Church, Lafayette. $100,000 will help restore the 1872 church’s stained glass. The work ranges from roof and chimney repairs to Roberts Park United Methodist Church in Indianapolis. “We are very lucky because I love this church and I know it needs repair,” said Rebecca Seifert with Roberts Park United Methodist Church. “We are delighted to be a recipient of the grants that are being awarded,” said Rev. Dr. Andrew Scanlan-Holmes. “This has been a real boost in giving us the opportunity to begin, and I stress that we are beginning what will be a long period of improvements and work.” Other churches will see some restoration work done on stained glass windows like the Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. “When a community looks beautiful, you want god's house to look beautiful as well and that's what they decided to do,” said CharlesFontaine Macon, the pastor at Allen Chapel. “Allen Chapel sits on a hill. So when you see the hill is shining bright the community has an opportunity to shine just as bright.” And some of the other recipients will see some much-needed repairs to historical structures outside like the bell tower at First Christian Church in New Castle. “It's been leaking every Easter,” said Beverly Matthews, an elder at the church and the lead grant writer. “It just needs some shoring up, so it's deteriorating and it is historic.” “Back when we were growing up, you could hear those bells going on Sunday morning all over the whole community,” said Duane Matthews, another elder at the church. “Our long goal is once we get it secured where we don't have to worry about water problems, we are hoping to get a new set of electronic bells to put in there so we can start ringing them again." And when the Matthews first heard they were one of the recipients of this grant, they were thrilled. They are hoping to get started on restoration work next spring. “We are so thankful,” Beverley Matthews said. “We had everyone in the church praying about this after we applied for it.” Indiana Landmarks is hoping to finish up these projects and get to helping more churches soon. “I look forward to them adopting other churches in the community as well so we can all shine bright,” Macon said. Applications for the next round of grants from the Sacred Places Indiana Fund will be accepted in mid-January 2025. To learn more, click here.