County
Salt Lake
Year Built
Cornerstone laid 1913, opened 1914
Architect
Dart & Wardrop
National Register?
The church is a contributing property to the Salt Lake City East Side Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Status
Endangered
Status Explanation
As of May 2026, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church faces uncertainty. The Judge Memorial campus is still for sale. In December 2025, the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City announced a grade realignment starting in August 2026. Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School will become a middle school for grades 3–8, while kindergarten through second grade will move to Kearns–St. Ann School. The school has a plan for the near future, but the church building’s long-term status is still unknown. If the campus is sold, diocesan updates suggest the parish would merge with St. Ann's. The church remains active, offering weekend Masses in English, Korean, Filipino, and Spanish. There are no local protections against demolition, so a new owner could tear it down.
About the Threat
The church is currently facing two main threats. One is the possible sale of the campus, which could lead to demolition by a new owner. The other is the potential consolidation of the parish into St. Ann's if the sale goes through. As of May 2026, neither outcome has been decided, but both are still possible.
The 7.7-acre Judge Memorial campus, which includes Judge Memorial Catholic High School, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, the church, and the rectory, has been on the market since 2022. The Diocese has said that selling the property depends on its value and the success of Judge Memorial's Capital Campaign. If the sale goes through without any remaining debt, the Our Lady of Lourdes parish would be combined with St. Ann's Church and Kearns–St. Ann School.
The grade realignment announced in December 2025, which will take effect in August 2026, is an organizational change but does not answer what will happen to the campus in the long run. Keeping grades 3–8 at the school helps maintain some stability, but the future of the church building still depends on if and when the campus is sold, and who buys it.
There are no local protections to prevent the building from being demolished. It is not locally designated or individually listed on the National Register. If someone buys the campus, they could choose to demolish the building. Being a contributing resource in the Salt Lake City East Side Historic District does not stop a private owner from demolishing. However, Preservation Utah noted in a January 2023 letter to the Diocese that this status could entitle a future owner to tax rebates if the church is retained and converted to another use. This could be a powerful financial reason to consider preserving the building.
Access
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is an active parish with daily Mass and several weekend Masses in English, Korean, Filipino, and Spanish. The church is open for worship. The larger campus at 650 South 1100 East will continue to be used for education at least through the 2029–2030 school year.
History
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is an active parish with daily Mass and several weekend Masses in English, Korean, Filipino, and Spanish. The church is open for worship. The larger campus at 650 South 1100 East will continue to be used for education at least through the 2029–2030 school year.
What can be done? What was learned?
Since Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church does not have local demolition protection, its future depends mostly on decisions by the diocese. If the campus is sold, Salt Lake City's usual planning and zoning rules will apply. Right now, there is no formal local preservation review required before demolition can be requested.
The best thing to do right now is to stay involved with diocesan updates and the campus sale process. If a buyer is announced, that is when advocacy matters most, before any development application is submitted. Parishioners, alumni, preservation advocates, and community members should be ready to act quickly if a sale is announced.
Seeking local historic landmark status for the church could be one way to protect it, no matter what happens with the campus sale. The church meets Salt Lake City's criteria for architectural and historical importance, and its role as a contributing resource in a National Register district makes the case even stronger.
What is the timeline?
The grade realignment will start in August 2026. There is no public timeline yet for a campus sale. Community members and preservation advocates should keep an eye on diocesan updates for any news about a buyer or sale agreement. That would be the most urgent time for preservation action.
What has been the public discussion?
Since October 2022, the possible sale of the Judge Memorial campus has raised ongoing concerns in the community. After the Diocese first shared the news with school and parish members, parishioners responded quickly. They sent about 1,000 postcards to the Diocese, supporting the idea of selling the larger property but asking to keep the church building. Yard signs also appeared along 1100 East to raise awareness. News outlets like KSL, KSLTV, and the Salt Lake Tribune reported on the community’s response in 2022 and 2023. Kathy Scott, a parishioner and former Diocese employee, spoke out for preservation, telling KSL the church "is a treasure that belongs really to the state of Utah." The Diocese did not give interviews at the time and said there was no sale, only a possibility. In January 2023, Preservation Utah sent a letter to Bishop Solis, urging him to preserve the church and, if it could not remain a place of worship, to sell it with preservation covenants. When the Diocese announced a grade realignment for December 2025, it received some coverage but little new media attention.
Links to more information and articles.
City Weekly, November 2025 — Judge Memorial relocation plan update: https://www.cityweekly.net/culture/big-changes-on-deck-for-salt-lakes-judge-memorial-school-and-tower-theatre-f0ec8993
Diocese of Salt Lake City, December 2025 — grade realignment announcement: https://dioslc.org/news/utah-catholic-schools-announce-major-grade-realignments-for-2026
KSL, June 2023 — "Parishioners pushing to save 110-year-old Utah church from possible sale": https://www.ksl.com/article/50673954/parishioners-pushing-to-save-110-year-old-utah-church-from-possible-sale
KSLTV, June 2023 — parishioner advocacy coverage: https://ksltv.com/local-news/parishioners-pushing-to-save-110-year-old-utah-church-from-possible-sale/562254/
Salt Lake Tribune, February 2023 — "Worshippers hope — and pray — to save SLC church next to Judge Memorial HS from wrecking ball": https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/02/13/worshippers-hope-pray-save-slc/
Salt Lake City East Side Historic District — Living Places summary: https://www.livingplaces.com/UT/Salt_Lake_County/Salt_Lake_City/Salt_Lake_City_East_Side_Historic_District.html