"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News by Alex Begin (March 6, 2016):
March 6, 2016 – Fourth Sunday of Lent – Lætáre Sunday
Extraordinary Faith Episode 9: Church Restoration
For the second week in a row, EWTN is debuting a new episode of Extraordinary Faith: Episode 9 – Church Restoration will air on EWTN today, Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 4:30 PM, and again on Wednesday, March 9 at 5:30 AM.
It can be frustrating to visit a church that has been “wreckovated”, or stripped of its original decorative elements. While such destruction was unfortunately the trend in the 1970s and 80s, in recent years the opposite has been happening: High Altars, Communion Rails, and beautiful sacred art are being re-installed into churches that had previously been modernized.
Our first stop in Episode 9 is St. Mary Church in Fennimore, Wisconsin. Perhaps the most notable restoration job of the past decade, St. Mary’s has impressive, brand new furnishings, including High and Side Altars, Stations of the Cross, a Communion Rail, and murals in the apse. We’ll meet the pastor and the designer behind this stunning project, which was completed for only $700,000.
Have you ever wondered who performs restorations such as these? Often the work is done by individual, local artisans, but on a global scale there is one firm which dominates the industry: Conrad Schmitt Studios in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a surprisingly large operation, employs designers and skilled craftspeople who paint sacred art, build church furniture, and design and manufacture traditional stained glass. We visit their facility and meet some of the artisans who show us their work.
Once a church has been restored, it needs ongoing TLC to make sure it remains in sparkling condition. We visit Milwaukee’s Basilica of St. Josaphat, a grand but formerly whitewashed edifice that has been restored to its original glory. Our crew captured staffers from Conrad Schmitt who were performing maintenance work on the High Altar and paintings in the sanctuary. The project leader gives us some background on the work that was done.
In the final segment of this episode, we meet Matthew Alderman, a young architect in the Massachusetts firm of Cram and Ferguson. Matthew is a rising star in the world of traditional church design, working for the firm which is best known locally for having designed St. Florian Church in Hamtramck and St. Mary of Redford Church.
Episode 9 will be posted for viewing on YouTube and on our web site, www.extraordinaryfaith.tv, one month after it debuts on EWTN. We encourage you to like the Extraordinary Faith page on Facebook, so you’ll be notified about the latest air dates and additional info about the places we visit.
St. Hyacinth Mass on Sunday, March 13
Detroit’s lovingly restored St. Hyacinth Church hosts its next Tridentine High Mass next Sunday, March 13 at 2:00 PM. Fr. Joe Tuskiewicz is the celebrant, and Joe Balistreri will lead the music.
Tridentine Masses This Coming Week
- Mon. 03/07 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (Feria of Lent)
- Tue. 03/08 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Holy Name of Mary (Feria of Lent)
- Sun. 03/13 2:00 PM: High Mass at St. Hyacinth, Detroit (Passion Sunday)
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