St. Michael's is rejuvenated with expansion

A deliberate effort was made to recycle materials in the remodeling.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR
GREENVILE, Pa. -- The newly remodeled and expanded St. Michael Church reflects a tribute to the past, attention to the present and hope for the future.
Monsignor Andrew H. Karg, pastor since 1990, said the history of the church, its current needs and outlook for years to come all were taken into consideration when the parish decided to embark on the project.
"It's a sign of hope," Monsignor Karg said, noting situations elsewhere where parishes have no resident priest and decreasing membership .
The remodeling at St. Michael was a proactive step. "There is a shortage of priests," he said. If and when St. Michael must reduce the number of Masses because the staff is smaller, the expanded church can accommodate larger attendance. The church offers Masses at 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and at 7:30, 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. Sundays and weekday Masses at 7 and 9 a.m. "We're the Catholic community in the northern part of the [Mercer] county," he said.
An open house is planned from 2 to 4 p.m. today.
Also on staff at St. Michael's is the Rev. Mark O'Hern, parochial vicar; the Rev. Bill Brown, permanent deacon and Catholic chaplain at Thiel College; the Rev. Paul Schill, part-time senior associate; and Sister Mary Gertrude McElhinney, pastoral minister in parish care and concern. The priests also rotate in saying Masses at 9 a.m. Sundays at St. Margaret Mission, 701 Denver St., Jamestown, Pa., which serves 200 families.
Set priorities
"At a parish council meeting, we talked about where we wanted to be in years to come. We talked about renovating the church or the school," he said. Council members and parishioners felt that the church needs were more pressing. The church is at 85 N. High St. and its school, with preschool through eighth grade, is across the street.
"There's a great respect for the history of the church ... the baptisms, marriages ... all the memories tied to the church. If only the walls could speak," said Monsignor Karg of the church whose history dates to 1893.
The memories were not only in the abstract, but in the building and what it contained. There was an effort to retain some old pieces while freshening the look of the Gothic-style church. "Our last Mass at the church was held April 10, 2005, and we moved up to Lateran Hall," he said. The hall was the worship site until the rededication of the church took place March 25 with Bishop Donald W. Trautman of the Diocese of Erie. The pastor said the project's cost was $2.3 million, with the funding coming from pledges by parishioners during a 2003-04 capital campaign.
One of the best decisions that the building committee made, he explained, was contracting the project with Wallace Builders, Pulaski, Pa.
"They told us the project wouldn't exceed $1.9 million," he said, noting if it went over, it was on the company. "They hired the architect [Ligo Architects from Slippery Rock, Pa.] and we went from there," he said.
Improvements
A deliberate effort was made to recycle, and the results are impressive. Among the improvements were:
A church sanctuary extended by 40 feet with space for 500 people, up from 350.
The sanctuary, with a soaring ceiling, and array of stained-glass windows, offers a beautiful and spacious place for worship. Stained-glass windows from the church featuring St. Michael, St. Patrick and St. Brigid were restored.
Pews earmarked for the choir, located on the south side of the sanctuary, received special treatment, and some parts were recycled. They were taken apart, with the carved ends removed from the boards that formed the seats and backs. The pews were refinished to match other wood in the church and longer boards used for the seats and backs. The unused boards were then planed and used as flooring in the sanctuary. "The wood is magnificent," the monsignor said.
The warm and welcoming atmosphere of the church is enhanced by the attention to detail in the wooden altar detailed with carving, lectern, tabernacle stand and redone Stations of the Cross and assorted wooden accent pieces.
Stations of the Cross. "The carved figures were mounted on new wooden backings," Monsignor Karg said of the handsome Gothic-arch motif that displays the 14 stations. He also noted that some parishioners with woodworking skills were involved in this refurbishing.
The crucifix above the tabernacle has a hand-carved wooden corpus made in Italy. Brass detailing from the previous cross was incorporated into the new crucifix, he said.
A gathering space. The 700-square-foot area connects the new offices to the church. On the wall is a metal tree, made by parishioners, featuring metal "leaves" with names of those who donated to the project. This area looks out into an open grassy space that may be used as a meditation or garden spot.
New administrative section. The area includes seven offices, large and small meeting rooms, a sacristy, kitchen and storage room.