I mentioned to you several months ago that the church and sanctuary renewal is not done yet. So I thought it was time to update you on the plans going forward.
First off, we need to renew the large sanctuary floor. There had been talk of wood flooring with only accent carpeting near the altar. Various reasons (noisy footsteps) have led to the decision to carpet all steps and floor. We’ll be picking the color and fabric soon.
Next. There have been more than a few people who have commented about Mary and Joseph’s statues. The old stencil behind the statues (added @ 1940) were recolored with the new pallet. As handsome as it is, it proves to be too strong and obscures the figure of Mary and Joseph. A new design by Swietek is in the works and will be reviewed by the consulting committee when it is ready.
Lastly, we are looking into some interior accent lighting for the church walls and into the nave ceiling. You may have noticed that during the day sunlight fills the church through the stained glass windows. At sunset this light source goes away. The lighting in the ceiling is all pointing down leaving the walls in shadow.
Rambusch, Inc. (they refitted all our lights to LED about 6 years ago) are proposing three or four sconces to illumine the walls and several uplights into the loft of the blue ceiling. This will brighten the church after sunset.
Just a word about the design teams that are working on these new additions. The carpeting is the work of Bero Architecture, Inc. They specialize in restoring and renewing historic buildings and have a great sensitivity about color and how it should compliment the space. (They did the building design and color scheme of our new Trinity Hall).
The church painting design was created by Swietek Inc. They are a firm out of Buffalo which specializes in renovating church interiors. (I’ve worked with them on 3 projects prior to Holy Trinity.)
I mention these two to let you know how important it is to deal with professionals skilled in their craft. I am very confident in both these firms.
Of course, their ideas have to fit the spirit of Holy Trinity. This is where the Consult Committee (parishioners chosen for their appreciation of interior design and color) weighs in on the proposals and changes them if we feel it necessary.
You have been most gracious in this whole process of renewing our worship space. Many times when change occurs, people get anxious and frustrated. I know the new interior is not perfect and to everyone’s preference. (The above additions are meant to address some of your comments). But overall, you have been remarkable in keeping a positive attitude toward the renovation.
I hope we can have the whole project completed by Thanksgiving. But as Fr. John says, “We plan. God laughs.”
Thank you again for your comments and support. They will help us give proper honor and worship to the Lord.
Summer’s been great!
Fr. Tim
