St. Michael parishioners help with renovation |
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Written by CAROL BREIDENBACH, Special to the Chronicle
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Thursday, 06 March 2008 19:00 |
ST. MICHAEL’S RIDGE—St. Michael Church, St. Michael’s Ridge near Defiance, is getting a facelift.
It has been 18 years since the church was last painted and parishioners are excited and pitching in to help with the process.
Jan. 5, they helped to prepare the church for the painting contractor by moving 37 small pews, the huge Stations of the Cross and other statues to the school gym for storage.
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| Progress made in a renovation project at St. Michael’s Ridge St. Michael includes a new hardwood floor featuring an inlaid cross in the sanctuary. (Chronicle photo by Laurie Stevens) |
The next day they took down Christmas decorations, moved the altar and baptismal font to the school gym for safekeeping and tore up the carpeting in the church. While some of the parishioners were working upstairs in the worship space, others were in the basement cooking breakfast to feed the workers.
“There were so many volunteers that it took only two hours each day,” says St. Michael pastor Father David Tscherne.
“When I returned from Mass at Marysdale St. Isidore at noon, the volunteers were gone and the remaining pews were moved together. A wonderful outpouring of love for the parish they call home.”
Mary Kay Imber, coordinator of religious education at the parish, says the spirit of cooperation was absolutely amazing.
“People were working so well together in such a spirit of joy that it was like a slice of heaven. We have a lot of wonderful, good, trustworthy people who can be counted on to take charge.”
The painting committee consists of David Kahle, a homebuilder; Jeff Weber, a maintenance supervisor; Tom Beck, a farmer; and Lisa Hall, a floral designer. They were overwhelmed by the response of the parish.
Dick Kahle, David Kahle’s father, is a lifelong member of the parish and a semi-retired builder. He stops in each day and checks on the progress.
In the 1950s, the Kahles did a lot of the painting and stenciling of the church interior themselves. Several generations of the Kahle family have been caring for the church over the years in a very hands-on way.
In progress made so far, the sanctuary carpet has been replaced with a hardwood floor with an inlaid cross in the center.
In addition to fixing up the church, parishioners are tithing a percentage of their income to the poor. They are concerned about others, as well as their church building and themselves.
They are presently worshiping in the church basement, which has been set up to resemble a worship space. The people are closer together; yet, there is no complaint because everyone is looking forward to the fresh look.
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Last Updated on Monday, 22 September 2008 09:19 |
