“In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters.”
We are embarking on a journey of the process of restoring our church building and creating a dedicated youth space. It is a project that will require patience and dedication. We are reminded of the first few verses of the Book of Genesis where it is said that “In the beginning … it was without form or shape”, and so is our church after the removal of its liturgical furniture. Yet, we are excited and look forward to seeing the church building restored to its former glory.
Moving the high altar
Empty sanctuary
“By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19
Until we return to our church, we’ve moved our liturgies to the parish hall, which – as you can tell – looks familiar.
Weekend Masses as usual:
Saturday 4 PM (Anticipatory)
Sunday 7 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM, 6 PM
“Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Evening came, and morning followed—the first day.” Genesis, 1:3-5
This is the oldest known photo of the interior of St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, taken in 1909, the year church was consecrated, the “first day”. 114 years later, that same light God has put in the hearts of the Catholic community of St. Peter’s shines bright, refreshing the beauty of the house that was then built to worship The Creator.
Last week we have made our church building ready for the work, preserving the marble of the sanctuary and removing all of its interior, with pews claimed by our parishioners and the liturgical furniture moved to our temporary space in the parish hall.
The last piece to be moved it the beloved crucifix. It will be reserved and return to the sanctuary when the restoration is finished.
“Then I explained to them how God had shown his gracious favor to me, and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us begin building!” And they undertook the work with vigor.”
Nehemiah 2:18
This first photo shows St. Peter Roman Catholic Church circa 1937, in its most adorned state. The Image of “St. Peter receiving Keys to The Kingdom from Jesus” was moved to the back of the church during the renovation in 1995.
The restoration in 1995 also revealed that the ornate decorations from mid 1930s are still present under the current drywall.
This week, the work inside the church includes the demolition of the choir loft floor, removal of the shelf under the northern stained-glass window added in 1997, and removal of the 1995 soffit from the sanctuary.