Diary of a Parish Priest

All Stained Glass Windows Subscribed

Thank you to all our generous donors who have donated every stained glass window in the new church...something which seemed, like the church, only a dream months ago.

Many of the windows from St. Francis are already restored and reconfigured and all of the newly fabricated windows are in various stages of production.

Thank you, thank you!

Don't be disappointed if you were thinking about a window but didn't pledge, there are many, many noble gifts available for the church and we still need everyone's support to complete the project in a beautiful and fiscally sound way.

Please pick up a brochure from the Parish Office or call for more information. Watch your mail and email for a September mailing as a final invitation to make a pledge before our winter church dedication.

 

Project Timeline

Just for the encouragement of those who are frustrated at the slow, but steady pace of the shingling, the work is scheduled to continue until December 1st!

 

Getting Cleaned Up, Organized and Ready for the Inside Skin

"The Pit of Despair" (How many times have you watched the Princess Bride?) Actually a trap door under the old stairway to the choir loft. I think it will finally be boarded up, since the sacristy floor will cover it.

The new choir loft is looking a little cluttered

 

Beginnings of the choir seating

 

The spire is on the left foreground and the pieces of the elevator are still in the middle ground

Most of the eastern Narthex on Ward Avenue is shingled. This is how the church first looked when it was built!

The work on the inner wiring, pipes and duct systems of the church building is proceeding well, and soon the insulation in the roof will be installed along with drywall in the body of the church. 

The spire infrastructure is still being fabricated and/or awaiting delivery, but it will be exciting to see the new silhouette of the church when it finally rises!

Work on shingling the smaller false buttresses on Ward Avenue will be delayed until some strenthening and straigtening of the interior beams can be carried out; they have tilted noticeably since being exposed to the weather for the last year.

The church pews will begin being manufactured on Friday. In addition to the pews themselves, we have added two kneelers and an altar server bench to our order with New Holland.

The antique lectern from "the original" Holland arrived for some strange reason at the architect's office in Washington, D.C. Perhaps James needed it for a speech before it was delivered to us? In any case it will be on its way here soon.

Our liturgy planning committee has scheduled a meeting with the Diocesan Director of Liturgy, Msgr. Sam Sirianni to begin planning for the bishop's visit to consecrate/dedicate the church and altar and to celebrate Eucharist with us.

 

 

 

Marble Statues Restored, Work Begins on Altar

Artisans at Rugo Stone have completed the restoration of our three marble statues for the church interior - St. Mary, St. Joseph and the Sacred Heart. 

They have now begun work on the altar and have sent this picture showing the preliminary mock up of the colored marble designs on the front of the altar in cement board.

 

A color design sketch of the altar is below:

 

Christ, Head and Teacher, is the true altar, his members and disciples are also spiritual altars on which the sacrifice of a holy life is offered to God...Christians who give themselves to prayer, offer petitions to God and present sacrifices of supplication, are the living stones out of which the Lord Jesus builds the Church's altar.

...But it is in keeping with the eucharistic mystery that the Christian people erect a permanent altar for the celebration of the Lord's Supper and they have done so from the earliest times...In every church then, the altar is the center of the thanksgiving that the Eucharist accomplishes and around which the Church's other rites are, in a certain manner, arrayed.

Dedication of a Church and An Altar, USCCB

 

Church Bell

Original standards from Meneely Church Bell

 

I didn't realize until I took the picture, that each standard is shaped like a bell!

We have the original wooden wheel from our bell.

The parts we have pictured are C - The Standards on which the B - Yoke and R - Bearing were supported. This original support mechanism rusted and fell through many years ago, leaving the bell resting on the G -frame suspended high in the church steeple. The F - toller, had been replaced by an electric striker which no longer hit the bell.

The bell has been rehung in the steeple and the electric striker is being reconditioned. It should soon be heard calling worshippers to Holy Cross Church once again as it has done for over 125 years! (Remember that the bell is many decades older than the church itself; we have not been successful in locating its original home!)

Here is an article published in the late 1800's about the necessity for a church bell:

We tolled our orginal bell for the Church's 125th Anniversary and can't wait to toll it again for our dedication!

 Clip about Meneely Bells from NatGeoTV channel:

Abandoned, Episode: A Conneticut Ghost Town

  

 

Framing the Reredos and Thermal Window in Sanctuary

Frame for Reredos and Thermal Window

Rectangular frame at very top will be outfitted with the thermal window

 

Mary is still watching

 

Finally a church ceiling with insulation...more to come.

View From the Sanctuary

Windows from transept crossing. It's a lot quieter in the church with the glass installed.

Ramp into Sanctuary for delivery of construction materials

Exterior framing of windows

Sanctuary Slowly Takes Shape

It's good to see them working in the old part of the church building as they begin to fashion the  sanctuary and sacristy floors and walls and prepare the base of both altars, the Altar of Reservation and the Main Altar.

Steps into Sanctuary

 

Working Sacristy (North)

Priest's Vesting Sacristy (South)

Monday Monday

Facelift for An Elegant Lady

 

Preview of the Steps into Sanctuary

Holy Cross At A Glance

Hmm. Nobody Said Careful was Quick

End of the Week Progress and Promise

Sanctuary with worktable approximately where the new altar will be

New framing elements into the old church for upper sanctuary

 

Insulation and duct work progress in upper nave ceiling

 

Basement Meeting Room. Light streams in from the door to basement which will be located in the outside stairwell

 

Meeting room. Taken looking from the door to the storage and utility areas of the basement

 

One of the basement restrooms. Sink area with partition to the toilets ahead

 

Basement door from elevator to staircase to first level

 

Choir Loft

 

Opening in the roof for the spire to be attached

 

Choir loft with framing for the rail in the loft

 

Air conditioning unit in loft

 

Straight down the middle of the nave

As you have read, an antique oak lectern is being shipped from Holland by air and should arrive soon. All of the stained glass windows have been ordered and many are finished. The dome for the spire is being clad with copper. Our antique green marble baptismal font and three marble statues for the interior of the church have been restored. Our outdoor statue of Mary is being carved.

We have begun accepting memorial donations for Hymnal bookplates. Our permanent hymnals will take their place alongside separate recyclable missalettes containing the Sunday readings. 

We received our first online order today for a brick paver in the Holy Cross Prayer Garden. Reservation forms will be availabe in the Parish Office, after all the masses in the gymatorium and can even be completed and paid for online. Requested donations are $ 400 per brick. Those who have already completed pledges for a larger brick to be placed surrounding the Virgin Mary have been sent Memorial forms to complete with inscription information.

A short-list of needs for our new church has been prepared and will be available after the masses this weekend. It will also be part of a mailing to all parishioners and an insert in the Parish Bulletin at the end of the summer. This in in preparation for a final push to complete the new church and furnish it worthily for our first liturgies. Please consider a donation to the capital campaign if you have not already made one, or even an additional generous pledge if you have already completed your previous pledge(s). Several new church pews remain, along with many liturgical items in a wide range of pledge investment. 

 

 

Beautifully Restored Baptismal Font

The skilled artisans at Rugo Stone in Virgina have outdone themselves with restoring the used baptismal font we purchased to a shine and glory it probably hasn't seen since it was new - if then.

Here are some photos of the finished font.

Holy Cross Prayer Garden Paver Brick Memorials

Wednesday's Work After the Storm

I didn't venture down into the basement today, but there was plenty of water in, on and around the construction site after last night's torrential rain.

Workers were installing many more air conditioning ducts today, along with the low voltage wiring for the security and alarm systems and the organ speaker system. 

If you have been following along, you know that work has begun on the sanctuary and sacristy areas (under and around the old choir loft). 

 

Subfloor for the Sanctuary

 

Sanctuary floor and future reredos

"Bless me Father, for I have sinned." One of the pocket panel for the sliding screen in the confessional.

Beautiful Antique Lectern On Its Way by Air !

Thanks to the generosity of our donors whose names will be inscribed in our Donor Memorial Book, we have been able to acquire a beautiful antique oak (c. 1890) lectern from the Netherlands which will be shippped to us a soon as it is crated. It will be a beautiful complement to our wooden ambo (pulpit) and is carved in the Gothic style. As you know, the pulpit is reserved for the proclamation of Scripture, so the lectern will be used by the cantor when leading mass parts and by others for speeches, announcements, etc.

Detail of lectern front panel

 

 

 

 

 

 

Detail of carvings on column

Construction Site Meeting Tomorrow, Wednesday

Some important and interesting matters will be discussed at the monthly construction site meeting tomorrow.  The electricians have been working on the power to the church; other contractors will now begin to wire the low voltage systems for the audio and speakers, organ sound system, door access and security system. The final location of the speakers and sound jack inputs will also be decided.  These aren't really glamorous decisions, but important for the function of the church and its liturgies. Please pray that the Holy Spirit enables us to make prudent decisions.

 

 

Masses for Peace and Justice This Weekend

In solidarity with Pope Francis, Bishop O'Connell has given Trenton parishes permission to substitute the Mass of Peace and Justice in lieu of the mass for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Special intentions for world peace will be offered at all the masses which will unite Catholics throughout the world in prayer for a conversion of minds and hearts and aversion of further bloodshed and more serious calamaties. We will also pray for the many dead and for those who are persecuted, especially Christians in the Middle East, Africa and in fact, all around the globe.

Please join us for a prayerful and holy Eucharist and raise your mind and heart to God together with your fellow parishioners in praise, lament and petition. 

 

Final St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Stained Glass Window Sketch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is shown in the garb of her religious community, founded when she had already been a mother and a widow. Both her marriage and her religious state of life are represented by the cross and the wedding rings.

The olive branch represents peace, her rosary and bible her dedication to God's word and to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The mountains in the background are Emmitsburg, Maryland the site of her National Shrine and burial place. In the foreground are her home on Paca Street in Baltimore and the Church into which she was received into the Catholic faith in Manhattan.

Atop the window (not shown) will be several books and an apple to designate her dedication to teaching children.

 

This beatiful window will be placed in the southern transept on the Sanctuary side of the new church adjacent to St. Anne and the Blessed Virgin Mary. We are seeking a donor memorial for this custom, one-of-a-kind window.