A new Scientology church opened over the weekend in Chicago, with its gold and white logo displayed prominently in the middle of a seven-story building in the South Loop. But not everyone in the new neighborhood is laying out the welcome mat.
Bari Berger, a spokesperson for the church, said the new location is called an “Ideal Church of Scientology,” meaning it provides the “ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their ascent to greater states of spiritual awareness and freedom.” She said it also serves as a headquarters for humanitarian initiatives, such as drug and crime prevention and human rights education.
“The Church is thrilled to be open. We have had an avalanche of good wishes welcoming us to the community. Many new neighbors have told us how happy they are to see the Church finally open in its new home,” she said in a statement. “We look forward to working hand-in-hand with our neighbors and many community partners in a collaborative effort to uplift this great city.”
But the church in recent years has been a magnet for criticism by former Scientology employees and members, including actress Leah Remini, who have gone public with accusations of harassment and abuse. Scientology was recently in the headlines during the Danny Masterson rape trial, with prosecutors alleging the church suppressed victims from reporting the “That ’70s Show” actor to police. A judge sentenced Masterson in September to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women.
Its opening in the South Loop has unsettled some residents, as well as Columbia College students. Dwight, a residence hall, is right next door.
Devin Schwieters, a freshman, said she believes the Church of Scientology has every right to exist in Chicago. However, she said she feels as though the location will attract young students to the church, something she finds “disturbing.”
“The first week of school in September when we got here, they did have all these tables set up in front of our dorm with their free stress testing, and they were auditing for students, which was always kind of weird,” she said referring to an activity that Scientologists describe as “spiritual counseling.”
“When they first started setting up on Saturday, they had all these tables set out again, where it was like, ‘Hey, Columbia, like thank you for being our new neighbors.’ They were giving out free doughnuts and stuff, and it was just a weird taste in my mouth about it,” Schwieters added. “It’s very obvious what they’re trying to do.”
The brick building in the Printer’s Row neighborhood, 650 S. Clark St., has replaced the church’s previous location in Lakeview, Berger said.
Inside sits the church’s public information center, featuring displays explaining the beliefs and practices of Scientologists, according to a news release. There’s also a cafe for visitors, a chapel for Sunday services and weddings as well as rooms “auditing.”
According to its website, Scientology is a religion offering “a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one’s true spiritual nature and one’s relationship to self, family, groups, Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the Supreme Being.”
Founded in the 1950s by L. Ron Hubbard — and inspired by his book “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health” — Scientology is well-known for its celebrity members, including Tom Cruise. There’s been a congregation in Chicago since 1974.
A few dozen complaints after grand opening
The Church of Scientology of Chicago hosted its grand opening ceremony Sunday, blocking access to most of the 600 block of South Clark Street. According to a news release from the church, about 2,000 showed up to the celebration alongside a variety of guest speakers, including David Miscavige, Scientology’s controversial leader.
“While before that Windy City ribbon comes cascading down, this is also the moment to recognize what you already know — how just as Chicago was once reborn, so today there is room for a new beginning,” Miscavige said. “And thus, room for restoring to individuals the ability to live a better life — in their own estimation and with their fellows and the playing of a better game.”
Other speakers included former Ald. Bob Fioretti, who is running for Cook County state’s attorney as a Republican. Fioretti said the church’s work to restore the South Loop building proves that they are a “prized and trusted custodian of this city,” the release said.
Berger called the restoration process on the more than 100-year-old building a “labor of love.” She said they repaired or replaced the red Chicago-style brickwork, original pink Tennessee marble staircase, cast-iron balustrades, oak handrails and the Arts and Crafts stained glass windows.
She said the COVID-19 pandemic slowed renovations, holding up the project. The church also faced zoning challenges after it bought the property more than a decade ago, according to the Columbia Chronicle.
“We take great pride in meticulously restoring these treasured landmarks to both preserve sites of cultural significance and provide a meeting place for the entire community,” Berger said.
When Schwieters woke up Sunday, she said the front lobby of the Dwight was barricaded with a temporary fence, leaving only about two feet of room to get out onto the sidewalk. When she left her apartment building, she said she was escorted through the crowd, which she said “didn’t feel right.” She then filmed a TikTok with more than 400,000 views about the encounter.
Columbia sent an email to students in the Dwight informing them the street would be closed March 2 from 6 to 10 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m. to midnight, said spokesperson Jacqueline Partridge. She said Columbia also sent security for the event and there was restricted access to non-Columbia guests and visitors for “additional safety precautions.”
“Columbia College Chicago is committed to working with the Church of Scientology as a neighbor,” Partridge said. “Our team plans to meet with representatives in the upcoming weeks.”
Roisin Darby, a sophomore at Columbia who has lived in the Dwight since fall, thought the grand opening was “entirely disrespectful to the residents.” Darby said they don’t want the church in the neighborhood.
“Not only were we as students blocked from our building, having to sometimes physically push past people, but most every business on our street had to close that day,” Darby said.
Ald. Bill Conway, 34th, said his office received a few dozen complaints about the event. Some came from protesters who wanted more space for their demonstrations, while others came from residents and students with sidewalk accessibility issues.
Conway’s office had acknowledged the permit for the event, but it was ultimately processed and accepted by several city departments. The permit had been rejected twice by the Police Department before going through, he said.
Conway spoke with church leaders and told them future permits will face “significant scrutiny” because of the complaints, he said.
“They were saying, ‘This was our grand opening, we don’t really plan any more of these,’ so it was kind of a one-time event,” he added.
Conway acknowledged that the Church of Scientology has many critics and often draws protesters.
“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure the community maintains access to everything and everybody is safe,” he said.
Berger said the church complied with instructions from the city and Police Department, and “went out of our way to make sure all those with apartments or businesses on the street had access during the street closure.” She said they had more than a dozen volunteers assisting residents so they had “swift and easy access” to their homes.
