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RECLAIMING HERITAGE
A dedication by Bishop Murry marked the completion of the nine-year project.
YOUNGSTOWN —The transition from makeshift to magnificent took time, talent, creativity, research and, most of all, faith.
The congregation at St. Brendan Church, 2800 Oakwood Ave., has seen the interior of the church evolve from a hodgepodge of pieces to a cohesive and serene place of worship.
The journey culminated March 29 when Bishop George V. Murry of the Diocese of Youngstown dedicated a new altar and altar pieces at the church. Almost 400 people attended the Mass.
“Bishop Murry said he could count on one hand the number of altar dedications he has done,” said the Rev. James M. Daprile, pastor. New altars are usually installed in newly built churches or when the original has been damaged.
He explained that the bishop poured sacred chrism (holy oil) on the altar and blessed it, Father Daprile said, adding that special prayers also were said.
Father Daprile described the altar dedication “as the capstone” of a nine-year renovation project. He said the church had conducted a capital campaign to pay for the improvements.
When he came to St. Brendan in 2000, the pastor and church leaders mapped out the projects, which included protection for the art glass windows, roof repair, creation of an arch at the back of the church, revamped Stations of the Cross, moving the choir, new mahogany entrance doors, painting the church interior and renovating the altar area.
In name only
“There was no trace of the Irish identity,” said Father Daprile, and he noted that the patron of the church was there in name but nothing else. A bas relief (sculpture attached to a flat surface) of the Celtic saint of the fifth century now is a highlight on the back arch. St. Brendan (484-577), also known as Brendan the Voyager, was born in County Kerry, Ireland. He founded various monasteries. St. Brendan, accompanied by monks in a wooden boat, is said to have sailed in search of paradise. Narratives offer various ideas on the actual geographical location.
Seven shades of green color the interior along with complementary, subdued shades. This coloration is evidenced in the Stations of the Cross, which feature a combination of multiple greens and a dark pink. Father Daprile described them as “trick of the eye,” as the Stations also are relief artwork. And the Stations, previously positioned much higher on the wall, were lowered.
The change was so dramatic, Father Daprile said, that members thought new Stations were bought, though that wasn’t the case.
The altar area, which is elevated slightly, underwent a major renovation. A reardos, or backdrop, was added behind the altar. It provides the background for the large crucifix and is a subject of conversation. “To some, the reardos looks like an inverted arch ... or a Y for Youngstown ... or a chalice ... or hands in prayer,” Father Daprile said. The arch design also is repeated on the ends of the pews.
Powerful presence
The body of Jesus on the crucifix is unlike most others. “The crucifix is a powerful piece,” Father Daprile said. “This community is older and has its own crosses ... they can identify with the suffering,” he said.
Though Jesus is suffering on the cross, the pastor said, “it is a sign of hope for the community.”
The crucifix is handcrafted from Linden wood and was made by Norbert Koehn, a sculptor from Cleveland. “This isn’t something you order out of a catalog,” Father Daprile said. “It’s unique and speaks to the community and time.”
The centerpiece of the renovation is the altar and companion pieces of the ambo (also called lecturn or pulpit) and presider’s chair. “This is the end of the long line of improvements,” Father Daprile said. “And it’s about claiming our ID and getting back to who we are.”
And that wasn’t the case with the Danish modern altar dating from the 1960s. Father Daprile said after Vatican II and the move to change the position of the altar and have the priest face the congregation, churches scrambled and so did St. Brendan. “It was able to satisfy the needs of the time and the effort to be modern,” the pastor said.
“The new altar is contemporary but fits with the gathering style,” Father Daprile said. “As Christians, we gather around the altar ... it’s the table we come to ... it draws us together.
“The altar is a wonderful connection to what it signifies ... where we are fed,” he said.
Father Daprile designed the altar, which is a 48-inch square crafted of marble quarried in India and American walnut. He was visiting his brother in Chicago when he got a call from the company about the green piece of marble the church was going to acquire.
But it had a crack. Father Daprile said it so happened the company was in Chicago and he ended up stopping there. “I saw a piece of marble that seemed like the right match for us,” he said. “It’s called the tree of life design ... with tree forms ... branches in the marble.” Father Daprile estimated that the altar weighs between 600 and 700 pounds.
The choir was relocated from the choir loft. “As leaders of the music ministry, the choir was moved to the front of the church. That is an integral part of worship,” he said.
Spreading the word
The liturgy committee began an education campaign to inform parishioners about the symbols of faith. Father Daprile wrote columns in the bulletin, which are on the Web site, www.stbrendanyo.org, about the renovations and religious meaning. Father Daprile said the changes all have contributed “to the quality of the liturgy.”
The modified English Gothic church, established in 1923, was originally designed as a gym for St. Brendan School. The church was to have been built at the corner of Schenley and Oakwood, Father Daprile said, but explained that the Great Depression scuttled those plans. It was half gym and half church for a time.
In the 1950s, eight classrooms and an auditorium were added. What was the church convent is now the Potter’s Wheel, and the church school, closed about four years ago, is Summit Academy.