Altar Renovations
One of the largest projects involved in getting our new church ready was the altar renovations.
The crew from Sacred Heart Church Art under the direction of Eileen Ratigan has worked tirelessly over the last few months preparing the altars for installation. These altars were purchased from a church in Pennsylvania and are over 100 years old! They had to be disassembled, retrofitted for the new sanctuary, stripped, primed, painted, gold leafed, and reassembled. The process was very tedious but the final result looks marvelous! The main altar was installed last week. I’ll be posting a video of that soon. In the meantime enjoy these photos of the altar renovation.
Balcony Flooring, Painted Sanctuary, Stained Glass
This week saw the original stained glass windows reinstalled in the nave. Also, the final coat of paint is going on the back wall of the sanctuary. The balcony railing is finished and the flooring in the choir loft is being laid down.
The stained glass windows were removed when construction began and sent off for cleaning. Now they are back. These windows are the original windows that were installed in the church when it was built in the 1940’s. Although it was a Lutheran church, you can see many traditional motifs of Catholic theology present in the windows. A chalice and host surrounded by wheat and grapes, the three theological virtues next to the anchor of the Church, a baptismal font, the pelican representing Christ who feeds us His flesh, the two tablets of the law, and the book of Life.
Drywall, Electrical, and Wainscotting
Interior renovations moved along last week with construction crews doing most of the drywalling for the downstairs classrooms, choir room, and mothers and babies’ room.
Also, the drywall was installed for the confessionals. The balcony choir railing is currently underway and the sanctuary wainscotting gets its first coat of paint! Electricians are finishing up the wiring both upstairs and down, including adding the electrical for the new pendant lights that will be installed in the nave.
Making Progress
Construction continues on the interior renovations. We are getting closer!
The sanctuary and choir balcony are beginning to take shape. Framing has been done for the confessionals and the downstairs mothers’ room and classrooms. The major repairs to the heating and air conditioning systems are completed and the electric work is almost done. Drywall crews begin this week to start drywalling. Our new church is taking shape!
Construction has begun!
Constructions has begun on the interior renovations for our new church!
Construction crews are currently on site working on all the various interior renovation projects we need to accomplish before we can move into our new church.
The major elements include a complete remodel of the basement, adding bathrooms, a mother’s room and classrooms, repairing and reconfiguring the air conditioning and heating units and ductwork, extending the choir loft, installing the confessionals and baptistry, remodeling the sacristy, decorative painting, stenciling, and tiling the nave and sanctuary, elevating the sanctuary and installing the new altars and communion rail.
As with all construction projects it is difficult to estimate exactly how long these renovations will take but we are hopeful that we can have them completed before the end of the year. Please keep this project in your prayers that all continues to go smoothly.
We Have a Church!
A newly constructed cross sits atop the recently rebuilt bell tower and newly blessed bell.
We have wonderful news! We have a Church! Having sought an appropriate property for some 18 months and having asked the intercession of Our Lady of Good Remedy, we were blessed to find our future home (formerly the Westwood Lutheran Church) this past Easter. We are very pleased to announce that we purchased the church on July 22. Archbishop Naumann has indicated that the new church will be placed under the patronage of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne. Renovations are beginning. Through the generosity of benefactors, we have purchased a lovely set of Romanesque altars and a solid oak communion rail. Information about future needs will be forthcoming.
The church is in the lovely Spanish Mission style and comes complete with rectory. We are most grateful to God, Our Lady of Good Remedy and our benefactors who made the purchase of our new home possible. Necessary work to the grounds, house and church are expected to cost about $700,000. We very much need ask your continued prayers and generosity. We are praying to St. Joseph and St. Rose Philippine for the success of the project.
Prayer from the Missal for the Feast of St Rose Philippine Duchesne (November 17):
O God, who didst pour forth the gifts of charity into the heart of blessed Philippine, grant that, by her prayers and intercession, Thy faithful may accomplish with perfect love those things pleasing to Thee. Through Our Lord. Amen.