Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It's been a few weeks since our last update, and a lot of progress has been made in our church renovation. Please see the highlights below for all that has been happening!
Sanctuary Platform Takes Shape
A tremendous amount of work has gone into forming the new sanctuary platform. In the photos below, you can see the steps and platform taking shape over the last few weeks. The final portion to be poured is the accessibility ramp located behind the new reredos.
Artists Have Begun Their Work
While the construction crew is working in the church, artists in Wisconsin and Italy are working on the new sacred art that will adorn our renovated church.
The photos below are the preliminary conceptual sketches for the painting of the Crucifixion. These initial pencil sketches provide us with a starting point while allowing for modifications and changes to be made before the final design is executed. Please pray for Anthony, the lead artist from Conrad Schmitt Studios, that the Lord will inspire him and guide him as he continues this work!
The photo below comes from the Stuflesser wood carving studios in Italy. Their craftsmen have begun hand-carving our statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which will be placed in the new shrine area on the Ritchie Highway side transept. Pope Francis recently wrote a new letter on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus commemorating the 350th anniversary of Jesus' appearances to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Jesus revealed his Sacred Heart to her and commissioned her to spread devotion to his loving and merciful Heart. “This is the heart that so loved human beings that it has spared nothing, even to emptying and consuming itself in order to show them its love,” he said. The heart of Jesus is especially revealed in the Gospel of John, making our new shrine a fitting and powerful focus for our prayer as a parish family.
Opening Up the Shrines
Crews have started removing the low ceiling that hung over the Blessed Virgin Mary Altar and Shrine. The new design will open the side shrine up, making the shrine to our Blessed Mother more visible and approachable for the faithful. The new Sacred Heart shrine will also be opened up in the same way. The confessionals will remain in the same place on either side of the shrines.
Mechanical Work Has Begun
The work of replacing our original 1964 boiler and our decades-old air conditioning system has also begun. Crews have dismantled the large outdoor air conditioning units and are now working on replacing the boiler in the church basement.
Ensuring Everything Is Done with Care
Our construction crew produced life-size mock-ups of the altar, ambo, and tabernacle table to ensure that everything is exactly the way it should be. Our architect, engineers, and project manager have been using them to ensure that everything is laid out properly for us.
Thank You!
Thank you for your generous gifts that are making our renovation possible! Thank you also for your patience as we make the Parish Activities Center our home this year during construction.
If you would like to make a gift to support our renovation or have questions about your pledge, please don't hesitate to reach out to our finance team at the parish: Jennifer Harbauer or Trisha Corbi via email or a phone call (410-647-4884).
Please Continue Praying!
As our renovation work progresses, please know how important and vital your prayers are! Your prayer has a huge impact and makes a real difference, creating room for the Lord to work. Thank you for stepping out in faith and continuing to commend our renovation work to the Lord. All of this is for His glory, so our prayer remains at the center of everything we are hoping to accomplish. And so, through the intercession of St. Joseph, we pray:
St. Joseph, patron of craftsmen,
through your intercession,
may the Holy Spirit guide all who work to renovate our church.
May God provide them the grace to safely transform our sanctuary into a lasting, beautiful, and holy place of worship.
May they experience the presence of Jesus working alongside them,
as surely as you did in Nazareth.
St. Joseph,
patron of families and workers,
be with us as we undertake this journey together.
Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
through your intercession,
may the Holy Spirit guide all who work to renovate our church.
May God provide them the grace to safely transform our sanctuary into a lasting, beautiful, and holy place of worship.
May they experience the presence of Jesus working alongside them,
as surely as you did in Nazareth.
St. Joseph,
patron of families and workers,
be with us as we undertake this journey together.
Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
God bless you all!
Sincerely in Christ,
