Dear Friends,
Happy Labor Day weekend! I hope that you were able to enjoy some rest and relaxation over the summer months. With this weekend, things really pick up as schools are in session, the fall activities ramp up, and we settle into working routines that will be marked by less daylight and the losing of the leaves of trees and colors of summer flowers. But of course, this is the season for apples ~ who doesn’t like a home-made apple pie or apple crisp…
The work on refurbishing our confessionals began this past week. I believe we started planning for this pre-Covid. We are installing two additional doors to have a priest entrance and a penitent entrance. Also, there will be a dividing wall interiorly to provide privacy, a place to kneel and a place to sit for confession as well as screening. An upgrade on the interior will be included and greater soundproofing. We have funds dedicated for the Chapel to accomplish this work. While this work goes on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will take place in Church.
We have been very blessed with several scouts asking us to do projects here to achieve the status of Eagle Scout. The Stations of the Cross and refurbishment of our Lady’s grotto outside of Chapel were two recently accomplished projects. We now have three scouts working on projects. Two are projects at school and the one is re-landscaping the entry way from the back parking lot into the narthex by Chapel.
There is a beautiful statue of the Sacred Heart hidden almost out of sight in the corner which we plan to move out into the oval shaped flower bed. The scout will be working on the landscaping as well as building new benches for seating in that area. Once completed this will be a beautiful entry into Church.
Something from our history. In 2015 – 2016, we embarked on our Tabernacle and Sanctuary Restoration. We moved the Tabernacle back to the center of the Sanctuary and acquired the present Tabernacle from Saint Helena Church, Philadelphia. The next phase was installing marble tile on the Sanctuary floor. Around that time, we also acquired marble statues from the closed Mater Dolorosa Church, Philadelphia which look like they were made for our Church.
While looking for some old bulletin items from that time, I came across this update published March 27, 2016 ~ “One additional project, we discussed last summer and which is longer term goal, is to enlarge and renovate the two Sacristies into more functional and working Sacristies. These spaces support all the worship and liturgical celebrations within our Church. We will see how that works out.”
That project, as noted, a longer-term goal, has not happened and I do not see it as a priority. This summer we had the one sacristy and the two hallways painted. We will also paint the other sacristy. There are other needs within and around the Church of higher priority, so after talking with the Finance and Pastoral Councils, and with their concurrence, we will repurpose the remaining funds from the Tabernacle and Sanctuary Restoration, $34,000, for other Church needs as they arise. I am profoundly grateful for the generosity and support of our parish family in these projects to enhance our full worship of God and the beauty of God’s House. If you have any questions, let me know.
God bless you, God love you,
Monsignor McCulken
