Building up the church, one Lego and prayer at a time

For the past twenty-five years, John Kraemer has shared the Catholic Faith in a unique way: through LEGO bricks. I recently had the opportunity to ask him about his “Lego Church Project” and why he does it year after year.

CWR: Tell us a little about yourself.

John Kraemer: I’m based out of Saginaw Township, Michigan, which is about two hours north of Detroit. I’m an active member of Christ the Good Shepherd Parish, which is also in Saginaw. I also happen to have a disability. In this case I was born with a mild form of cerebral palsy.

CWR: How would you describe the LEGO Church Project?

Kraemer: What I do every year is I build a giant parish of my own design out of LEGO. It usually measures around 47 x 25 x 25 inches. This massive build also has a full interior with many details inside.

CWR: If you had to guess, how many bricks are in this year’s build?

Kraemer: I would say that I have close to at least 25,000 parts inside. Which also includes the mini-figures at around 300.

CWR: Where did the inspiration for the Project come from? How did you start?

Kraemer: Growing up I was always fascinated with LEGO and by my friends who could build large spaceships. However building ships was never something that I was good at. I was good at doing basic buildings and over time those became churches. Given how important the Church was to us growing up, this shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. How this turned into The Lego Church Project is I started doing public displays. Going out to a few locations and allowing people to see my work in person.

CWR: So the Project is an outgrowth of your personal faith? What is your goal with the Project?

Kraemer: With the Project, I’m showing that no matter what challenge or disability you face God can still use your talents. I would like to think that in some small way I’m giving hope to those who are struggling with their own challenges. That they can realize that God does have a purpose for them no matter what they are facing. I know this to be very true of my own life.

CWR: How would you describe your first build?

Kraemer: The first builds were very simplistic. They came out of a child’s idea and slowly developed over time. When I started turning this into a ministry I started adding more details on the inside to make it more reflective of a church. With each passing season the builds became more detailed and expansive. To the point it takes a bit of time to build one start to finish.

CWR: How long did this year’s build take?

Kraemer: This year’s build took me about a month and a half, which is on par with recent years.

CWR: You’ve done the Project for 25 years now. What keeps you motivated? How do you keep things fresh and interesting every time? How would you say the Project has changed over the years?

Kraemer: I think what keeps me going year after year is this deep desire to share the Faith by what I am doing. God has given me this very unique talent. I feel called to this. You have to figure that I’m not trained in any kind of building design. This is coming from the top of my own head. So a lot of challenges come with it. Which I welcome at every step because it allows me to grow and to learn. We never stop learning and my work is something that shows this.

As for keeping this fresh and interesting? It goes down to the story I feel I’m called to tell with the bricks. Each year I’m able to build a parish and while the main story remains unchanged, the building itself. The people inside are always changing. Just like a typical parish. With build I am able to add new parts. New figures. I’ve also gone out of my way to show more people with visible disabilities and to point out that some sitting in the pews may have a disability that isn’t easily noticed. Such as myself.

Another thing that has changed over time is this platform that I have. I sometimes will write articles that people gain information from. Either reflections on how I live the faith or issues that need to be looked at more closely. Such as the issue of transportation and the church.

CWR: You give presentations with the Project when asked and you’re able to arrange transportation. What do you talk about in these presentations? How are they received?

Kraemer: The displays are an important part of my work. It allows people to see this in person. The pictures I post on social media don’t do this justice. When I’m at a parish and can give a talk it is usually centered around my mission statement: “The mission of the Lego Church Project is to show no matter what challenge or disability that you face. God can still use your talents in amazing and creative ways.”

From there I can sometimes do a Q&A session where people can ask me more direct questions. The children will often ask some very amazing questions that require me to think. Those are the ones I tend to look forward to the most.

CWR: Can you give any examples of questions children ask? Have you ever gotten any surprising reactions?

Kraemer: The children always ask some of the most important questions. Sometimes it is related to how I build something. Other times it’s why I did something in a specific way. Or, much to the parents’ embarrassment, “How much does it cost?”

When it comes to surprising reactions? A few tend to stand out. The biggest one is that “The church is full of people!”’. This is done on purpose. It is not a reflection of the past. Rather it is an important prayer for our future. That more people would return to the Church and make Mass (and God) a priority. The other surprise is that I have a mild form of cerebral palsy. Even though it is not easily noticed.

CWR: When you talk about the Church and people with disabilities, how is this part of the presentation generally received? In your experience, what are American Catholics doing right in welcoming people with disabilities in their parishes? What can we do better?

Kraemer: Whenever I get to visit a parish, either one that is new to my work or one that I’ve been to a few times, I’m always well received and liked. As far as talking about issues related to disability, I think that what I do is helpful because it gives people a chance to think about things they may not notice or realize.

The biggest roadblock I feel that we (those with disabilities have) is the overall mindset in how we see disability in general. As a society at large there exists a lot of broad assumptions on what is considered a disability and what isn’t. Not taking into consideration how those views affect us. I think that there is still a lot of work to be done to be more inclusive as it relates to disability.

It’s not always about making this more accessible. It is about being open to the idea that everyone should have a place inside our parishes.

CWR: What’s the farthest you’ve ever been able to travel with the Project? Do you have any dream places you’d like to visit with it?

Kraemer: Farthest I’ve traveled is to parishes in Redford and Troy, MI which are down near Detroit. I’ve also been to other parishes within an hour’s drive from me.

As far as dream parishes to visit? Top of that list has to be Holy Family over in Grand Blanc, MI. They recently did some major renovations and part of the back wall looks like something I could have designed and built. Another parish would have to be St. Anastasia in Troy. I’ve visited them in the past and would love to come back for a visit. I also would love to go back to St. John XXIII parish over in Hemlock, MI. I’ve been there a few times in the past and always feel welcome when I come for a visit.

I will go where the Lord is willing to send me. I’m praying that the Lord would open a few locations for me to visit. Because I don’t drive, that always adds an extra level of challenge to my work and tempers my own desires. Though if a parish is willing to help provide the needed rides? I’m more than happy to come out.

CWR: You disassemble the Project every year to start from scratch the next season. Why?

Kraemer: Teardown happens for a few reasons. This work is subjected to a lot of force as it is moved around. So over time bricks wear out or break. Those have to be replaced. Plus by building a new parish every year it allows me to visit the same parishes again with the current season’s work, such as bringing out The Project to Christ the Good Shepherd, a yearly display I’ve been doing since Season 4.

CWR: What do you think about when you’re taking apart one year’s Project?

Kraemer: As I’m working on the tear down, my thoughts are focused on preparing for the next build. I’m also going through to see what has to get replaced or rebuilt. Looking into what kind of changes I may want to make to the interior details such as the organ.

CWR: What do you think about when you’re assembling the current project?

Kraemer: My work is a prayer. I am putting all of my troubles before the Lord into my hands. Issues within my own life. Things going on in the Church. As I am building, I am praying. Oftentimes when I’m hard at work, the only sound you can hear is the clacking of the bricks as I’m looking for parts and assembling sections of the build. I feel that with what I am doing I am asking God to show me the way on so many things going on.

CWR: How can people get in touch with you or find out more about the LEGO Church Project?

They can look for me on Substack via “Praying At The Bricks” or on FaceBook under Lego Church Project.