There has been so much positive feedback on our newly renovated church! Over and over we have heard that you love the new acoustics, that you're happy with the quieter and more comfortable kneelers, that you're amazed with the artistry of the stations, that you're glad that some of the black marble was re-purposed. You love that the organ has a beautiful sound, that people are using the new handicapped chairs, that you weren't sure about the new font but now you think it's great, that you like the clean and bright look of the paint and the tile floor. Many of you have said that you never noticed the clerestory windows before or the incredible beauty of our historical stained glass windows. Many of you have said that it's a heavenly and meditative place to pray. It's a wonderful thing!
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BEFORE
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AFTER!
When you look at the "before" and "after" photos of the church looking toward the sanctuary, there are a few things that we'd like point out for you to examine and see. Both of these photos were taken from the loft during a 9 a.m. Sunday Mass. One of the comments that we're hearing a lot is that the church "seems bigger". You can see in these photos that the new decorative paint and stenciling help to fill the vertical space and brings your eye up, expanding the visual area. The new music area faces the choir toward the congregation (rather than to the side) to encourage better sound and participation. The organ is now down in the front of the church so that it can be accessed easily in addition to our beautiful piano, creating the opportunity for a variety of music. The altar and the side altars are the same actual pieces of furniture (and same size) but have been covered in wood. The old speakers (the square one over the altar and the holes in the alcoves) that were obsolete were removed and patched. The old carpeting absorbed the sound while the new tile floor creates more "live" acoustics. The frames added to our stations really highlight Christ's journey to the cross. The reredos behind the altar was actually re-purposed and had some decorative wood pieces added to it to create more volume. The new stained glass window over the altar dramatically brings in more light and focus. Mary and Joseph are our same statues, only painted to bring out their beauty. You might have observed that Mary has been moved back to the east side of the church. This is traditionally where she belongs with the other "ladies"...notice that all of the saints in the stained glass windows on that side are women, where on the "Joseph" side they are all male saints. There is so much to see and to learn about in our historical church. While our parish was founded 175 years ago, this actual church building was built in 1892 which means that it turns 125 years old this summer! In honor of this unique time in history, some special celebrations have been planned for Sunday, August 6. There will be a 3 p.m. rededication Mass by the Archbishop. It promises to be a beautiful liturgy with some of our former pastors coming back to concelebrate, and music with our choirs joining to sing together. This will be followed by a gala dinner at Geneva National, with cocktails at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person and are on sale now after Mass or in the parish office. Please join in on this very special occasion in the history of our parish!
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