My parish may finally be embarking on a restoration!

Gnarwhal · Jun 8, 2019

I first heard about this several months ago from my former RCIA coordinator. She said the architect who drew them up has gone to my parish his entire life, so he remembers it before it was "renovated" (read: ruined) in the 1960s. This week they hung the sketches along with some pre-renovation photos and explanations of the changes being made along with some rationale. I managed to snap some quick pictures of those earlier today and I thought I'd share them here.

Please pray that my parish follows through on this. It would be such a wonderful thing, but since my last priest departed I worry that it could be torpedoed. There aren't many traditionally-minded priests in my diocese, and our current administrator is a good young priest, but he's not traditionally-oriented.

This is what it currently looks like:

*I had to swipe someone's wedding photo off Google (awkward) to show the rear/vestibule as it is now

So as you can see in the above photos, the flooring is a combo of laminate (it's an ugly light brownish color) and carpet. Our high altar is just a tiny little thing, the pillars are encased in this ugly 70s wood paneling, and there are nasty old ceiling fans hanging from the buttresses that I'm pretty sure don't even work.

Here's how they want to restore everything:

Now we just need to bring the Tridentine Mass back! I'm not sure which is the taller order, that or this restoration.

lambofgod43985889 · Jun 8, 2019

what is the meaning of the mass? explain

Gnarwhal · Jun 8, 2019

lambofgod43985889 said:
what is the meaning of the mass? explain

Please ask your question in your own thread, thanks.

Tutorman · Jun 8, 2019

It looks like your parish will be beautiful when finished

lambofgod43985889 · Jun 8, 2019

Fenwick said:
Please ask your question in your own thread, thanks.

it's perfectly in context, a parish is to practice mass

Gnarwhal · Jun 8, 2019

lambofgod43985889 said:
it's perfectly in context, a parish is to practice mass

What's your point? I made this thread to share that my parish is restoring the architecture.

chevyontheriver · Jun 8, 2019

Fenwick said:
I first heard about this several months ago from my former RCIA coordinator. She said the architect who drew them up has gone to my parish his entire life, so he remembers it before it was "renovated" (read: ruined) in the 1960s. This week they hung the sketches along with some pre-renovation photos and explanations of the changes being made along with some rationale. I managed to snap some quick pictures of those earlier today and I thought I'd share them here.

Please pray that my parish follows through on this. It would be such a wonderful thing, but since my last priest departed I worry that it could be torpedoed. There aren't many traditionally-minded priests in my diocese, and our current administrator is a good young priest, but he's not traditionally-oriented.

This is what it currently looks like:

*I had to swipe someone's wedding photo off Google (awkward) to show the rear/vestibule as it is now

So as you can see in the above photos, the flooring is a combo of laminate (it's an ugly light brownish color) and carpet. Our high altar is just a tiny little thing, the pillars are encased in this ugly 70s wood paneling, and there are nasty old ceiling fans hanging from the buttresses that I'm pretty sure don't even work.

Here's how they want to restore everything:

Now we just need to bring the Tridentine Mass back! I'm not sure which is the taller order, that or this restoration.

The 'original' is a wreckovation, probably done in the 1970's to 80's. They probably tore out something beautiful to put that stuff in. The new look is much better than it is now. Shows someone is on the ball.

For a Tridentine mass I think it would need a communion rail for communion to be received while kneeling. Not sure if that is an absolute requirement or not.

My parish continues to undergo a creeping Latinization. We have done the Agnus Dei in Latin for a few years. We are now learning the Gloria in Latin. Maybe next the Our Father. I like this version and could see the parish doing it. I almost cried listening to John Paul singing it, I miss him so.

Gnarwhal · Jun 8, 2019

chevyontheriver said:
The 'original' is a wreckovation, probably done in the 1970's to 80's. They probably tore out something beautiful to put that stuff in. The new look is much better than it is now. Shows someone is on the ball.

For a Tridentine mass I think it would need a communion rail for communion to be received while kneeling. Not sure if that is an absolute requirement or not.

My parish continues to undergo a creeping Latinization. We have done the Agnus Dei in Latin for a few years. We are now learning the Gloria in Latin. Maybe next the Our Father. I like this version and could see the parish doing it. I almost cried listening to John Paul singing it, I miss him so.

That's great man, I love the Agnus Dei and Gloria. We do them occasionally, albeit unpredictably so. The communion rail would be great, maybe it can be added in eventually. For what it's worth, we did have the Tridentine Mass at my parish until 2014 so they made it work...

ChicanaRose · Jun 9, 2019

Beautiful design...happy for you and your church

Stabat Mater dolorosa · Jun 9, 2019

Nice church, but that watch at the far end is just tacky isnt it?

Rhamiel · Jun 9, 2019

St Patrick’s in Columbus Ohio has a similar style confessional as the one proposed in the sketches, a great combination of modern design being an actual update of older designs and not a total break

chevyontheriver · Jun 9, 2019

Fenwick said:
That's great man, I love the Agnus Dei and Gloria. We do them occasionally, albeit unpredictably so. The communion rail would be great, maybe it can be added in eventually. For what it's worth, we did have the Tridentine Mass at my parish until 2014 so they made it work...

Our church had a renovation about 25 years ago and they kept the communion rail with some modifications, but we still all receive in line. The place was not wreckovated. The freestanding altar can be moved out of the way to use the high altar, with or without Tridentine mass. Our last priest sometimes did that. Our present priest brought back the prayer to St. Michael and briefly tried kneeling for communion. Found out we need a slight modification of the communion rails again to make it work well again. I think that is coming.

lambofgod43985889 · Jun 9, 2019

Fenwick said:
What's your point? I made this thread to share that my parish is restoring the architecture.

indeed the parish has a beautiful architecture, how beautiful is what it's practiced inside? it's a question

Gnarwhal · Jun 9, 2019

lambofgod43985889 said:
how beautiful is what it's practiced inside? it's a question

Extraordinarily beautiful.

AvilaSurfer · Jun 9, 2019

lambofgod43985889 said:
indeed the parish has a beautiful architecture, how beautiful is what it's practiced inside? it's a question

Just stop.

Michie · Jun 9, 2019

Just fabulous! I wish all Catholic Churches that were stripped of their original sacred beauty would go back to the way it was. My Church is stripped bare. When I go out of town to more traditional Churches, it makes all the difference in the world. It really is a point of inspiration.

Gnarwhal · Jun 9, 2019

Michie said:
Just fabulous! I wish all Catholic Churches that were stripped of their original sacred beauty would go back to the way it was. My Church is stripped bare. When I go out of town to more traditional Churches, it makes all the difference in the world. It really is a point of inspiration.

Too true. Sacred space is not just some intellectual concept, it genuinely is this active tangible thing. We need to distinguish the sacred from the profane, otherwise we run the risk of mistaking the profane for the sacred—and I think we already see that in so many cases.

Michie · Jun 9, 2019

What a great observation. I completely agree.

Fenwick said:
Too true. Sacred space is not just some intellectual concept, it genuinely is this active tangible thing. We need to distinguish the sacred from the profane, otherwise we run the risk of mistaking the profane for the sacred—and I think we already see that in so many cases.

eastcoast_bsc · Jun 9, 2019

Sounds like your church is going to be beautiful.

eastcoast_bsc · Jun 9, 2019

This was my original parish growing up. It was burned to the ground by an arsonist. They rebuilt but couldn’t match the original architecture.

My parish may finally be embarking on a restoration!

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