Renovation Update

When I began my tenure as Director of Liturgy & Spirituality in July of 2001, one of my first “assignments” by then pastor Fr. Matthew Stanley was to take on the task of renovating our church. A committee was formed and town hall meetings were held to discuss possibilities and the wishes of the community (what is important to keep, and what has served its time). A complete plan was developed to gradually renovate and improve the worship space over a period of years.

Funding for the wished-for renovation was a major issue and the committee was required to raise the

money for any and all of the projects we wished to complete. We held wine tastings, concerts, dances, and other community building events over the years and were blessed with gifts such as Ruth Spencer’s legacy.

Other groups, including our Simbang Gabi and St. Josephine Bakhita communities also worked for the

cause of renovation. Many parishioners made special donations, some on an on-going and regular basis, to allow us to do as much as we have been able to do over the last seventeen years.

It is good to remember and celebrate all that has been accomplished since we began:

Our first project added projectors and screens to aid in our worship.

We installed new and more efficient speakers and an upgraded sound system.

We installed a new crucifix in a central location above the Altar and furniture (Presider’s Chair and Ambo) in the Sanctuary.

Our stained glass windows have been re-framed, refurbished, repaired and installed in a way to more fully appreciate their beauty.

We re-carpeted the Sanctuary and the aisles of the church (previously bare concrete) . . . . . . .

. . . . . . and installed new lighting in the musician’s area, over the Sanctuary, . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . and on the Stations of the Cross and Baptismal Font.

New exterior doors throughout the church were installed . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . and we were able to provide glass doors from the vestibule . . . . . .

. . . . . . . and chapel (which allowing people to more easily see the Tabernacle’s location).

We also created a greatly improved Reconciliation Room . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . and refurbished the space for families and children to gather during Mass; also adding

needed storage for our Art & Environment ministry.

Finally, we were able to design and install the immersion Baptismal Font, one of the high points of our accomplishments.

We are now in the final phase of our renovation process. After seventeen years of working on this project, and with all that has been accomplished, we are able to address the issue of our worn out pews and kneelers as well as complete our flooring project. Under the leadership of Fr. Andrew, and with the generous financial support of many of our parishioners, we are excited to report that we will be installing flooring throughout the church and replacing all the pews and kneelers to give our worship space a beautifully upgraded and functional appearance.

Our new flooring will be all-encompassing. Our sanctuary platform will be finished in a combination

of an exquisite faux-travertine vinyl with wood trim finish to set it apart as a distinctive location in our church. New carpeting will be installed in the aisles and musicians’ areas, and new high quality vinyl flooring will be installed under the pews, in both the Sacristy, and in the vestibule to upgrade and revitalize our worship spaces.

The new pews will give our worship space a new, more polished look. Our current straight pews

accentuate the many angles in our church. We will be installing curved pews that will encircle the Sanctuary (see the illustrations included with this article), allowing substantially more seating and better sight lines to the Altar. New spring-loaded, noise-reduction kneelers will also be installed.

We are also taking advantage of this time of change to upgrade our sound and projector system. The removal of the pews in preparation for the new flooring will allow trenching in the concrete slab to allow installation of better wiring systems for both. It will also allow us to have a space that can be used for the sound board when we need to control sound from the back of the church.

All of these changes are scheduled to take place in January. The installation will necessarily require

a period of time worshiping in our Community Center, details about which will be forthcoming. As we look ahead to completing the renovations, we will also be looking for new homes for our old pews. Your suggestions are welcomed.

We are grateful for all who have contributed funds to make all of this possible. To complete this

project to the fullest of its potential, some additional funds still need to be raised, and we are diligently working to acquire those funds to make our church a beautiful, engaging, and comfortable worship space that draws us into the holy presence of our Good and Gracious God.

Susan Lee Olsen, Chair, Renovation Committee.