Parishioners donated their time and labor to redo the sanctuary at St. Joseph Church in Newton. The project began when new pastor Father Julio Dominguez realized the tabernacle was barely supported by a shaky shelf. Below, parishioners redo upholstery for the sanctuary chairs and pews.NEWTON — The heavy circular bronze tabernacle at St. Joseph Church in Newton was held up more by the Blessed Sacrament than its wobbly, barely supported shelf.
“We wanted to secure the tabernacle,” office manager Kara Antonio said. “It has always been kind of leaning. … That is what got the whole thing rolling.”
The “security issue” was one of the top items on Father Julio Dominguez’s to-do list when he first toured the campus as pastor last year.
“The Blessed Sacrament was almost falling and was not bolted to the shelf,” Father Dominguez recalled. “It looked like gold. Someone could try to steal it.”
What came next was not just a new shelf but a complete sanctuary makeover.
New pastors sometimes want to make changes, so when Father Dominguez took to the pulpit, pulled out hand-drawn designs and shared his vision, parishioners appeased him with smiles and donations but were a bit uncertain.
“He was still new, and they were wondering if they would like the changes,” Antonio recalled.
Father Dominguez reached out to his friend Julio Vasquez, a parishioner at St. Michael Church in Gastonia. Instead of requesting money to fund the construction work, Vasquez requested a crew.
As parishioners started to come together, they realized they had all the talent they needed for each of the pieces that had to be completed. Before long, the laborers turned out to be the parishioners themselves.
A stellar carpenter among them, Guillermo Martinez, could make the reredos (back altarpiece) to hold the tabernacle.
He could also build niches for the beautiful statues, one of Mary and one of Joseph, that were anonymously donated and could go on either side of the altar.
The wood chairs and pews were hard on the elders’ backs and bottoms. Wilber Valente, an expert in upholstery, volunteered to make pew covers and upholster the chairs for free – even including the fabric.
The pews looked a bit worn – Felipe Teron could rescue them with his millwork expertise.
The need for a stair railing for the altar steps was apparent. Father Dominguez fell when he was trying to replace the altar fabric, so Apolonio Trejo stepped in to redo the staircase.
Men from Charlotte and Salisbury helped Vasquez with the flooring.
Soon, the idea of building a more secure tabernacle turned into a three-week adventure that united the parish.
Parishioners worked morning to night from mid-July through the first week of August. One parishioner even took his vacation days to assist with the project.
“He offered that for the church, and I thought that was very giving,” Antonio said. “It was a joint team effort, that’s for sure, that got everyone rejuvenated and excited.”
The project superintendent was none other than Father Dominguez, with his detailed schedules, coordinated crew maps, construction sketches and color swatches.
“One thing I loved about doing this is I saw their devotion. This is their work for God,” Father Dominguez said.
The construction crew laughed and prayed as they worked alongside their new shepherd, who seemed to know as much about their trades as they did.
“The organization that he did to make everything run so smoothly was impressive,” Antonio said. “It was very well handled, but there were some very late nights.”
Slowly, the old, dark carpeting was replaced with bright tiling.
“Our church is already dark because the only windows we have are stained glass,” Antonio said. “The dark carpet made it feel a little dingy. Now, it is so much brighter and cleaner.”
The sanctuary platform was equipped with new steps and a railing, and the threadbare sanctuary chairs were reupholstered. The peeling pews were sanded and shellacked back to their former glory. The Mary and Joseph statues had special homes carved out for them, and the lighting was rearranged to make the area brighter. The altar was refaced with a lamb to match the newly constructed reredos. Father Dominguez donated his painting of the Passion, which was used as the backing for the reredos.
And, to the delight of the elderly parishioners, atop the hardwood pews, newly upholstered coverings welcomed them.
The crowning moment was when the tabernacle took its rightful place in the middle of the now-secure wooden reredos behind the altar.
“They would have to break down the altar to take the tabernacle,” Father Dominguez said. “It is secure, bolted and enclosed.
When they held Mass for the first time in the renovated space, any lingering uncertainties were erased as parishioners embraced the improvements they made.
“The tabernacle is beautiful. You’re just drawn to it. When you walk in, it looks so much shinier,” Antonio said. “It looks bigger. I really appreciate it. It’s eye-catching, and everyone keeps stopping in to take a fresh look.”
Father Jim Collins, the retired pastor who continues to celebrate Mass and visit the parish regularly, loves the improvements and celebrated all the dedication from parishioners, who are all looking forward to
Father Dominguez’s next pitch.
No spoilers, but get your paintbrushes ready!'
— Lisa M. Geraci
