Special Letters

April 27, 2026

From: Martha and Anthony Belluschi FAIA

Pietro Belluschi's Son and Daughter-in-Law 

Architect Pietro Belluschi was known for working with parish leadership and members to understand their spiritual needs and religious symbols. He listened and took what he heard to design spiritual spaces specific to each parish. His buildings make use of local materials and fine craftsmanship to create eloquent but subdued places of inspiration and peace. He designed 42 churches and synagogues around our country that are timeless in their style of elegant simplicity. The structures are still loved, appreciated and revered through the years.

In our travels, we have spontaneously stopped by several Belluschi-designed churches. We are amazed but humbled by the significance each congregation gives to the importance of their sacred and inspirational space, and to their architect. Often a church will even have a table with articles and materials about Pietro set aside to show their appreciation for their Belluschi design.

It is heartening to see the Testimonials on this site, with parish members describing the meaning, history and legacy for them of Christ the King Church, including their participation in its creation and their specific fond memories. The story of the parish members working to create the beautiful stained glass starry firmament and Cross is meaningful. The artist, Gyorgy Kepes, also designed the cherished stained glass for Portsmouth Abbey in Rhode Island, the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco and numerous other Belluschi-designed churches.

The current proposed "beautification" plans, ignore the significance of the legacy, history and heritage of CTK. The plans ignore the talent, expertise and vision of architect, Pietro Belluschi, the only Oregonian to ever receive the National Medal of Arts and the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. The plans ignore the value of the Pacific Northwest style of architecture and use of local materials which are part of history for both the Archdiocese of Portland and the state of Oregon.

We encourage careful and serious consideration of the issues brought forth on this site for truly preserving CTK. 

Martha and Anthony Belluschi FAIA

Pietro Belluschi's Son and Daughter-in-Law

July 15, 2026

University of Washington, Professor of Architecture 

To: Committee to Preserve Christ the King Church

Fr: Ann Marie Borys, PhD, FAIA

I am a Professor of Architecture at the University of Washington, and I did extensive research on

mid-century church architecture while writing a book, American Unitarian Churches, published in

2021. Among other things that I discovered in this work, I was inspired by the passion and

commitment of mid-century congregations that worked closely with significant architects to realize

a meaningful and beautiful design to inspire all who may visit and to leave a lasting legacy.

I visited Belluschi’s Unitarian (now Unitarian Universalist) churches in Bethesda MD, Syracuse NY,

and Rockford IL and studied in detail the documents that recorded the congregations’ vision and

subsequent attachment to the churches that they fostered into being. In each case, Pietro

Belluschi was praised for his responsive attitude toward open dialogue with church members on

their values, beliefs, and vision for the design of their church, and how he succeeded in honoring

their unique character in the final design. It seems that the post-war Catholic congregation of Christ

the King was similarly deeply involved and must be credited with achieving such a worthy goal. To

erase their whole-hearted gifts of money, time, and labor would violate the trust that those donors

expected from the congregation and the Catholic church that they cared about so profoundly.

Belluschi’s buildings in the Pacific Northwest have cultural significance beyond the beauty that they

provided for the clients that commissioned him; they are central to the establishment of the PNW

design ethos that has carried through to this day: working with natural resources, preserving

natural features of the landscape and fitting a building within; and understanding the unique effects

of natural light in this region and its role in elevating the experience of building interiors.

We are now in a time of renewed appreciation of the value of natural wood in our built

environments: it brings the soothing, even therapeutic, presence of a walk in the woods to our

interior spaces. Many renovations are being undertaken to replace masonry and metal finishes

with the warmth and texture of wood. It would be a shame to abandon something so valuable that

Christ the King has enjoyed since its founding.

The post-war period was a time of spiritual renewal; it is speculated that the horrors of World War II

stimulated the church-building boom in America. Many churches of all denominations were built in

the 1950’s and 1960’s. Their simplicity and clarity of space and construction together express an

awareness of technology’s dangers and a desire for optimism leavened with humility. The design

of Christ the King was conceived in a national moment of spiritual focus on community over

elaborate material embellishment. Any renovation needed should preserve the evidence of this`

important period of the history of religion in America.

July 4, 2026

Architectural History Professor Emerita and Author of “Spiritual Space: The Religious Architecture of Pietro Belluschi” and “Pietro Belluschi: Modern American Architect”: 

To: Save Christ the King Church in Milwaukee, Ore (1978-80)

Meredith L. Clausen Professor Emerita of Architectural History, Univ of Washington

4july26

Dear Save the Christ the King church Committee and the congregation,

As a professor now emerita of architectural history at the University of Washington and author of Spiritual Space: the Religious Architecture of Pietro Belluschi, I urge you to do what you can to preserve Christ the King church in its original state. Eminent architect, renowned for buildings around the world, Belluschi began his practice in the Pacific Northwest, then moved to Boston to become Dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at MIT, meantime designing prominent buildings such as the Pan Am (later, MetLife) Building in New York, the Julliard School of Music in Lincoln Center, Bank of America in San Francisco, among many, many others. Despite these major accomplishments, he was known especially for his small, seemingly hand-crafted churches in the Pacific Northwest. 

Christ the King was one of his personal favorite among the later churches, as it had a serenity, a peace and unity about it only occasionally have architects been able to achieve. With overtones of his St Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco, the centralized plan bringing  the congregation around the altar in a more open, accessible manner than the traditional longitudinal nave of the Catholic church, the inspiration of magnificent churches such as Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, with its high, ribbed dome raised on a ring of lights at its base so that it seems to hover overhead, and the Pantheon in Rome with its brilliant, light-emitting oculus overhead, the whole structure capped by a great pyramidal roof inspired by traditional Japanese architecture that gives a sense of shelter as well as unity  -- all this and more brilliantly synthesized and translated into the language of the Pacific Northwest with its legacy of  indigenous Native American traditions.

All this would be lost with the proposed mutilations, most especially painting over the stunning woodwork that does so much to evoke the natural world so important to Oregonians. The unique character of the church will be destroyed, and once gone  it can never be replaced – the natural world, the sense of community and oneness among members of the congregation, the serenity and sense of spiritual peace and harmony.

Do your best, please, to save it as it is, as it is a priceless, irreplaceable jewel.

Meredith L. Clausen

Professor Emerita, University of Washington

July 4, 2026

Painter Preservation: Historic Preservation & Urban Design; Owner/Principal Architectural Historian:

To: Committee to Preserve Christ the King Church

I am writing to express my dismay at the interior changes that are planned for Pietro Belluschi’s Christ the King Catholic Church in Milwaukie, Oregon, as well as my support for the Committee to Preserve Christ the King Church. Milwaukie, the congregation of Christ the King, and the Portland metropolitan area have an absolute treasure in this beautiful, intact church by Belluschi, who was one of our country’s finest modern architects. The visually stunning colored glass cross by renowned designer, artist and visual theorist Gyorgy Kepes is equally significant.

Pietro Belluschi is recognized for his modern churches in particular, having designed 42 churches and synagogues in his career, the most well known likely being St. Mary of the

Assumption Cathedral in San Francisco (Kepes also designed the stained glass for this building). In reading the history of Christ the King Church I was additionally impressed by the involvement of the parishioners in the development of their church, which speaks to its

importance to the people it serves.

Creating a Romanesque interior desecrates the design of this church and will result in a jarring, incongruous design statement. The comment by pastor John Cihak that the wood

grain showing through the planned painted ceiling (it is natural wood now) will recall the building’s Northwest roots is a feeble reference. The Northwest Regional Style, which is

reflected in this building, is a style developed by Belluschi and his colleagues characterized by natural materials, natural finishes, and simplicity of form and detailing. The fact that the planned changes will mean that the building’s interior and exterior are no longer consistent is also deeply problematic.

The Hungarian Kepes’ seminal Architecture of Vision was highly influential to me in my undergraduate education in design. I am an architectural historian whose 1990 PhD focused in part on modern design. I have specialized in modern architectural design in the Pacific Northwest, which is where I am from, and on the west coast for the last 24 years. I also had the privilege of writing the National Register nomination for Pietro Belluschi’s last residence (also designed by him), in which Belluschi’s son Anthony and his wife Marti now reside.

I sincerely hope that the church will reconsider their design plans and make any maintenance-related updates in a way that honors the design and history of this beautiful building that is also an integral part of this neighborhood and parish.

Sincerely,

Diana J. Painter, PhD

Owner/Principal Architectural Historian

May 2, 2026

From: Bill Tripp, Local Architect who has worked on Pietro Belluschi buildings

Letter of Support for Preserving Christ the King Catholic Church

Our firm was the architect for an extensive renovation and remodel of Pietro Belluschi’s Central Lutheran Church in Portland. I am very familiar with Belluschi’s architectural language and the process of working with a parish to undertake such a major effort.

What strikes me about the renderings of the remodel is that it proposes to remake the walls of the building out of stone. Since the existing building is made of lightweight wood construction this would require substantial structural changes to bear the stone’s weight and seismic loads, an enormous undertaking.

The architectural qualities of a church, or any building for that matter, are not decided by the architect alone. They grow out of the circumstances that create it: the hopes and dreams of the people, the goals and finances of the parish community, and the place in which it is built. Belluschi and the Parish decided upon using local materials and building traditions which are both efficient and economical. Have the circumstances of Christ the King parish changed so much that a stone church is now the best option?

Of course, if the intention is to create an interior constructed of lightweight materials made to look like stone, then this approach forsakes the integrity and authenticity of Belluschi’s architecture for mere applied imagery. The human senses of sound, temperature, weight, and even the smell of stone would be denied and the space experienced as false, uncomfortable, and disconcerting.

Preserving the architectural integrity of Christ the King church is important out of respect for all the hard work that parish members dedicated to its design and construction and the memories and family stories that reside there.

This does not mean that the church is forever frozen in time. The question of how to accommodate change while respecting the existing building lies at the core of the process. What is currently being proposed is from another time and place altogether. What is needed is a design guided by respect and an ongoing dedication to authenticity, the very essence of Pietro Belluschi’s architecture.

Sincerely,

Bill Tripp

April 9, 2026 

To:  The leadership of Christ the King (CTK) Parish and the leadership of the Archdiocese

From:  Frank Altenhofen, a concerned member of our diocese

To provide some context for my comments…

1. I am a member of a large Portland Catholic family, born and raised in Portland.  Many generations of our family have, and still do, participate vigorously in parishes in the archdiocese. 

2. I am a long-term member of the Portland Catholic community, and currently our family are active members of an adjacent parish, and other local parishes.

3. I am a graduate of our local Catholic grade school, LaSalle High School, and the University of Portland.  

4. Our family members include priests, deacons, and religious, who were trained locally, and many assigned to local parishes and ministries.  

5. My family members were long term members of CTK parish, and several of our children were educated at CTK.

6. I am a former member of the CTK Administrative Council. 

7. I am currently an active member of our parish and the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Portland. 

As a former member of the CTK Admin Council, I cannot imagine that spending millions of dollars for adding a high school at CTK (LaSalle HS is next door!) is the best use of resources.  There must be many, and much more appropriate, uses for capital funds!  Does the school not have capital projects in need of funding?  I know that our parish is always in need of funds for typical maintenance projects.

The current CTK church is beautiful!  It is my strong belief that the proposed projects for K-12 expansion and church "Beautification" are unnecessary and wasteful.  I’ve had conversations with other CTK and former CTK parishioners.  The feedback from them has overwhelmingly been that this is truly wasteful and a disgrace. 

Our Pope Leo would surely wonder why these initiatives are being proposed, especially when he has come from parishes that had very meager funds to manage their mission.  (Perhaps, we can send excess funds to more needy dioceses in our world?  Or, perhaps use funds to provide tuition assistance to existing schools in our area?)

What would Jesus think?  What would Jesus say?  What would Jesus do?  These are the questions that I believe we should reflect upon. 

I certainly hope for a reevaluation of the proposed massively expensive expansion and “Beautification” proposals. 

~Frank13

July 4,2026

Former parishioners:

My wife and I want to thank you for your coverage in the Oregonian of the radical makeover being proposed by the pastor of Christ the King Catholic Parish for the church altar, sacristy and educational program.  As former CTK parishioners, we are appalled that such an elegantly simple and beautiful church would be "romanized" to the tune of several millions of dollars.  About 10 years ago, we were donors to the much needed new parish center built under the guidance of Fr. Paperini, and in fact, our 50th wedding anniversary celebration was the first event to be held in that building in July of 2017.  Shortly after that, with the arrival of a new pastor, we sensed a noticeable change in the church's openness, inclusivity, and welcoming atmosphere, so we, along with several other family members, left for a different parish.  It was not an easy decision, as six of our grandchildren had attended CTK over the years, but the change of emphasis in the elementary school curriculum led our daughter to leave CTK and enroll her girls in a new parish school.

Several months ago when we received in the mail a donation appeal for the proposed makeover, we were shocked and appalled, not only at the proposed changes, but the amount of money requested for the altar remodel ($2.45M), remodel of sacristies ($2.75M), and the expansion of the school to a K-12 academic program ($500K).  Beyond the needlessness of these changes to a perfectly functional, humble, and historic house of worship, is the obscene cost of the plan. Just 3 miles north of the church on 82nd Ave. is Francis Center, a Catholic charity that provides food, clothing, and living assistance to local residents in desperate need.  Almost every time I have gone to this charity to donate clothing, I have seen lines of people waiting to get food, household goods, or clothing, all assisted by volunteers from other local parishes.  We are absolutely mystified by the notion that a church that purports to feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the needy can see fit to squander over $5M to gussy up a church for some wealthy patrons.  We are equally incredulous that, in the face of the rampant homelessness in our community, the Catholic Archdiocese could put its stamp of approval on such a self-indulgent venture.  The project and process represent everything that is wrong with the institutional church in this country. today.  Francis Center is a model of what Christianity ought to be and where Christ would be serving his flock.

As for the $500K to expand the K-12 curriculum, the CTK parish property abuts that of La Salle Catholic College Prep right next door on the same street!!  With three large Catholic high schools in the metro area, what possible purpose is served putting another high school (grades 9-12) adjacent to a highly regarded Christian Brothers facility?

We sincerely hope the Christ the King Preservation Committee is successful in stopping this needless "Romanesque" makeover of an elegantly simple and historically significant house of worship.  It may also save the archdiocese the embarrassment of having approved the lavish makeover of such a church in the face of glaring poverty and homelessness in the surrounding community.ter 2