Diary of a Parish Priest

Illuminated Church Doors

We've taken down the screen and the projector used to illuminate the life-sized Advent Calendar from the open church doors. Happily, the setup worked faithfully during almost every night of Advent.

Amazingly enough, the screen (a stretched piece of white cotton spandex) withstood some pretty strong winds and rains for the entire Advent season. It was a little more tricky maintaining a steady supply of electricity to the projector, since the standing structure is not waterproof from the wind, rain and snow. Additionally, once the doors were closed off by the fabric, the only way in and out of the building was through the open side of the standing church, oftentimes through deep mud. 

Thanks to those who noticed and commented. Your thoughfulness is appreciated. The lights at the base of the foundation and in the choir loft will continue to be lit as long as it is feasible during the Christmas season.

 

The Shape of Things To Come

Today workmen nearly completed the entire interior shell of steel for the new church. We haven't yet located the beam parishioners were able to sign on Sunday, but it's in the structure. 

The steel trusses will be delivered after the new year and affixed to the upright beams. They will give the building a roofline to match the existing church and finally give us a preview of the finished shape of the new building.

The orange beams are already standing. The shaded areas in yellow represent the trusses which will be attached early in the New Year.

Live Cam from Beyer Stained Glass Studio

Check out the work being done on our windows from the former St. Francis Church on Beyer Studio's webcam! Click on the link below:

Beyer Studio Webcam

Signatures on Steel

The weather cooperated briefly after the 8 AM mass for parishioners to sign one of the steel beams which will support Holy Cross Church in the years to come. The rains came by the 10:30 and noon masses, but some intrepid parishioners still managed to wipe away puddles from the steel for their names. 

If there are steel beams lying on the 
 ground by next weekend and the weather is more favorable, we may repeat the opportunity. 

Internet Service Interruptions

Our parish webpage has been intermittently down over the past two days, but appears to be working this morning. However, our parish email server also went down yesterday afternoon sometime.

We are working to resolve the issues as soon as we can and hope to restore full service soon. 

 

 

Spire to Spire

Outside the Church on the Parish Field Looking Toward the Sanctuary

Narthex and Choir Loft

Workmen erected the steel for the westernmost portion of the church today, the narthex and the choir loft in its second story.

This picture was taken from the old choir loft looking into the new entryway and choir loft.  Some supporting steel for the deck (i.e. the floor of the church) was also installed.

The yellow crane is parked in the Prayer Garden, the red and blue lifts are parked in the Handicapped Access parking spaces.

Welcome Brian Rooney to Holy Cross School Faculty

 

Our principal, Mr. Belluzzi, announced this morning that Brian Rooney, a Holy Cross School graduate, will be joining the faculty when we return in January.  Brian had been substitute teaching at Holy Cross primarily for 4th and 5th grades. In selecting Brian Rooney, Mr. Beluzzi noted that he stood out among the other candidates for understanding our mission and vision at Holy Cross School.

Please extend a warm reception to Mr. Rooney in his new assignment and pray for all our students to grow in wisdom, age and grace.

 

 

 

North Transept Rises

That's a Tall Crane !

It's not attached to the cross, but I snapped the picture from a perspective where it looks it to give some sense of how high the crane is which brought to the site this week. Within a week or two, however, the cross will be removed for repair and re-guilding. 

More truckloads of steel arrived today and work continues on erecting the columns and supporting steel framework. 

The site was graded and more fill was put around the building's foundations allowing easier passage for the heavy equipment around the periphery of the building.

 

2014 Faith Seeking Understanding: Adult Formation Enrichment Series

First Meeting Tonight at 7 PM in school's St. Michael Media Room

 

Join us for a discussion of  "The Church: Unlocking the Secrets to the Places Catholics Call Home" by Cardinal Donald Wuerl and Mike Aquilina on Wednesday evenings beginning January 8th. Meetings will take place in the school's St. Michael Media Room at 7 PM.

As our own new church takes shape, we have a unique opportunity to discuss the basic parts of a church building and the sacred objects with which it it furnished. We'll proceed at a lesiurely pace through the book, spending as long as we need on each part, so beyond setting a start date and an assigned reading for the first meeting, we'll set the pace once the group convenes. Fr. Manning will clarify the text with additional photos.

The Parish Office has a limited number of copies for a $ 15 donation. Kindle editions of the book are available at $ 9.99

For the first meeting, please read the beginning chapters up to and including, "Churches and Other Worship Spaces."

 

Blessed Christmas

Vatican Christmas Manger

Blessed Christmas to all parishioners and their families. 

Spirits were joyful and the masses were well attended. We thank all those who helped decorate our gymatorium for the liturgy and the choirs, both adult and children's for helping make the liturgies more festive.

 

 

Christmas Mass Schedule

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

3:00pm-4:00pm-Mass-Fr. Manning-gym

4:30pm-5:30pm-Mass-Fr. Manning-gym

6:00 pm - Mass - Fr. McGowan - gym

10:30pm-11:30pm-Christmas Caroling-gym

11:00pm-12:00pm-Mass-Fr. Manning-gym

 

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

10:30pm-11:30pm-Mass-Fr. Manning-gym

12:00pm-1:00pm-Mass-Fr. Manning-gym

 

New Memorial Brochure Available for Download

A new Memorial Brochure for the church is available for download which lists the new windows we may commission and emphasizes our need for donations for the new Main altar and Church Organ. Please take a look and consider a donation to help beautify our new church building.

Last week, the order for new pews was authorized. 

More steel is on the way, although a good amount is already on site and some erected. The roof trusses are set to be manufactured by the first week in January.

Today some additional grading was done on the site between the rectory and the new foundation. The inclement weather precluded steel work for the day.

Download Memorial Brochure

Holy Cross Stained Glass Sale Success

Thank you to everyone who purchased one or more panels of the stained glass from Holy Cross Church. Our sale was a great success and was completed after today's noon mass, when a generous buyer purchased the last several remaining pieces.

Proceeds from the glass sale will help complete the stained glass window collection for the new church and its many windows.

Thank you to parishioners and staff who volunteered to host the sale, learned how to use credit card machines, carried the glass from place to place, took photos of the all the glass for the catalog and even wrapped the glass for purchasers. 

 

All In A Day's Work

Woo Hoo II

Thank You to Rumson Police

Thank you to the Rumson Police who posted the east side of Ward Avenue with No Parking Signs before last night's Christmas concert. They were a good reminder that there is no parking allowed on that side of Ward Avenue and helped our parents and guests be considerate neighbors!

 

Christmas Tree on Rumson Road

The Parish Live Christmas Tree on Rumson Road donated and decorated by Shady Tree

Silent Night

The church foundation between school and rectory waits for morning.