I'm excited to share more photos of our church renovation with you.

As you can see in the photo below, our new coffered ceiling continues to take shape. Woodworkers are now completing the last sections of the beams closest to the dome. Meanwhile, the painters are coming behind, as you can see, with the coats of paint in various stages. The final detail will be the new decorative stenciling that will be painted on the underside of the central beams (seen in the second image below).

Here, you can see a close-up photo of the dome. The drywall is being finished on the outside, while the interior fiberglass sections of the dome are being prepped to receive the canvas on which the image from Revelation Chapter 5 has been painted. (Below, see the image shared in an earlier update of the concept sketch of the scene from Revelation that will be in the dome.)

Three new pieces of art will be installed behind the main altar: Christ on the Cross in the central panel, the Blessed Virgin Mary at the foot of the Cross to the left, and St. John at the foot of the Cross to the right. 

Below, you can see a detail of the left panel depicting Mary looking up to her son on the Cross. Mary leans towards the Cross, her hands grasping her heart while tears fall from her eyes.

In the right panel stands St. John at the foot of the Cross. John is looking out at us, the congregation. His left hand is touching his heart, while his right hand is gesturing toward Christ on the cross. John's posture is one of invitation. As our patron saint, he is inviting us, beckoning us, to draw near to Jesus, to share in this mystery of love that he himself experienced so deeply. John's posture depicts his role as our intercessor and makes visible the words from his first letter: "What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us." (1 John 1:3)

Thank you again for making our renovation work possible!

Everything remains on schedule for our August 20 dedication Mass with Archbishop Lori. We will have officially moved back into the church following that Mass, and our first full weekend of Sunday Masses will be August 23 and 24. 

Thank you again for your patience during this year with all of the various inconveniences and changes it has brought! In these last months of work, please continue to pray for the workers and the artists that they will bring the Lord glory through their skilled hands and the use of their gifts.

Sincerely in Christ,