CHARLOTTE — Father Patrick Winslow is no newcomer to church renovations. Eight years ago, he designed and oversaw a dramatic overhaul of the interior of St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon, where he was pastor at the time.
Now Father Winslow is at it again – this time at his current parish, St. Thomas Aquinas in north Charlotte.
The renovation now under way involves a complete re-do of the sanctuary – including the installation of a dramatic baldachin, or structural canopy, over the altar. The entire parish has gotten involved with the effort, and they have been blessed with success along the way.
The renovation project actually began with a plan to replace the bathroom flooring. Project leaders took a closer look at the flooring in the sanctuary and steps behind the altar, where Father Winslow had noticed people sometimes tripped and nearly fell. Could the area be made safer, he asked?
Replacing a floor is not an easy job, they responded. They recommended he and the parishioners first think about what they might want to do with the sanctuary in the future, before deciding to change the flooring.
He told the consultants, “This space is so big, it’s so grand that it could use something to anchor the sanctuary to the altar.” And he shared his thoughts about a baldachin that could focus attention toward the altar and complement the church’s high ceiling.
The architects gave their recommendation, and Father Winslow filed the information away – uncertain how his parish might ever be able to afford to build or buy a baldachin.
Then Divine Providence intervened in the way of an unexpected phone call from Jacob Wolfe, a talented local woodworker who had worked with Father Winslow on St. John the Baptist Church’s renovations.
Wolfe told Father Winslow he had heard that a church in Sheradon, Pa., was closing, and it had an intricately carved, solid oak, 30-ft. tall baldachin available for sale.
The baldachin from Holy Innocents Church in Sheradon was carved in the late 18th century in Austria and shipped to America sometime between World War I and World War II. It has embellishments of fretwork, carving and painting in silver and gold leaf, red, green and aquamarine blue.
Its design is rich in Catholic symbolism. The oak itself symbolizes eternity. Triangles incorporated into the roof signify the Trinity. Seven doves depicted in descent along the top represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the baldachin also features images of the Lamb of God, the pelican and the phoenix. Around the four pillars are carvings of many saints: Sts. Peter, Agnes, Paul, Mark, Luke, Catherine of Alexandria, Jerome, Matthew, Gregory, Ambrose and Augustine.
To have a comparable baldachin made today would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Father Winslow bid what he knew the parish could afford, $25,000, and prayed that if it was God’s will for the baldachin to come to St. Thomas Aquinas, he would be able to procure the funds from five private donors who would donate $5,000 each for its purchase.
The Pennsylvania church accepted his bid and the funds were donated. Father Winslow’s prayers had been answered.
In speaking to parishioners about the baldachin purchase and the sanctuary renovation project, Father Winslow said, “I think that this is the hand of Providence. I think that we are being blessed because of our devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. It was in the back of my mind that we should do something to commemorate Our Lady of Fatima, the 100th anniversary of the Miracle of Fatima (in 2017). I didn’t know what we would do, but I figured it would manifest itself in some way. I never thought anything like this.”
He was surprised by the timing, saying, “I thought this would be a 10-year, down-the-line kind of idea. This came at us with such opportunity, and the way in which people responded – it was extraordinary.”
Now, the baldachin sits disassembled in a storage area, waiting to be erected in its new home in Charlotte, while the parish works on the other aspects of the sanctuary renovation.
During the week of May 14-18, members of the parish’s Knights of Columbus worked in 12-hour shifts each day to demolish the stone wall along the back of the sanctuary.
“There are about six to eight Knights who are deconstructing the wall where the tabernacle was,” said Monica Bailey, volunteer director at the parish. “They are working tirelessly from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day. They’ve been drilling through five inches of concrete to remove each large stone from the frame it’s plastered to.”
“It is our hope to repurpose the stone to build a new grotto on our property to honor Our Lady, as she is presented at Lourdes,” Bailey added.
Along with the baldachin, the parish is also installing the matching ambo and communion rail that had also been in use at Holy Innocents Church.
Parishioners have enthusiastically responded to the project: donating more than $102,000 so far to fund the renovations.
Keach Construction is serving as the general contractor on the project.
The sanctuary will be isolated for construction this summer from mid-May to mid-July. Daily Mass and devotions are being moved to another location on the church’s property. The parish is working with Keach Construction so that Sunday Masses can continue to be celebrated in the church, however. On the weekends, there will be a temporary location for the altar and tabernacle in the center aisle.
Father Winslow said he hopes the renovations will be completed by mid-July.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
CHARLOTTE — Called. Chosen. Loved by God.
These were the words Bishop Peter Jugis used to describe the two men who came before him to be ordained to the transitional diaconate June 2 at St. Patrick Cathedral.
Alfonso Gamez and Britt Taylor became the Diocese of Charlotte’s newest deacons and took the next step on their journey to the priesthood during the two-hour, standing-room-only Mass.
Father Christopher Gober, diocesan vocations director, attested to the preparedness of the two men, who were called to stand before Bishop Jugis at the steps of the altar during the start of the ordination rite.
“This rite of ordination has its ancient origins in the apostles themselves,” Bishop Jugis said during his homily. “In this ordination today of our brothers Britt Taylor and Alfonso Gamez to the diaconate, we follow the same process of discernment the apostles followed for the first seven men to serve in diaconal ministry.”
Bishop Jugis noted that as the Gospel passage from the Acts of the Apostles (6:1-7b) proclaimed, first inquiries were made among the Christian faithful for worthy candidates: “The apostles called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task...’”
“And so we have done the same,” Bishop Jugis said.
“Father Gober just stated that we also have inquired among the community of the disciples, the Catholic faithful, and have received the recommendation of those responsible for their formation, that these two men have been found worthy of receiving this ministry.”
The reading from Acts reports that the community of disciples presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid hands on them.
“And so we have done the same,” Bishop Jugis continued. “The community of the disciples has presented these men to a successor of the apostles with the words, ‘Holy Mother Church asks you to ordain these men, our brothers, to the responsibility of the diaconate.’ And thus the Holy Spirit continues His good work in our day from the time of the apostles to the present.”
Bishop Jugis then addressed the two candidates.
“Alfonso and Britt, this ordination is possible because of the divine call you began to receive years ago. The Lord began giving you special graces, thus manifesting His love for you in a very special way. What He once said to the apostles is true also for you. ‘It is not you who have chosen me, but I who have chosen you. I have chosen you,’ He says.”
The bishop reminded Gamez and Taylor that just as the first seven men to serve as deacons were chosen among all the other disciples, “so also you have been chosen by the Lord from among many brothers and sisters of the Church to be the ones imprinted with the special character of holy orders – which configures you to Christ the Servant, who came not to be served but to serve.”
“The Lord makes it abundantly clear that this is His initiative: His free choice of you for this ministry.”
He then spoke to them about the responsibilities they will assume in their new roles as deacons.
“In this order of deacons into which you will be now ordained by the action of the Holy Spirit, you will assist me and the priests at the ministry of the Word, ministry of the Altar and in the ministry of Charity.
“It is a ministry of service,” he told them. “You are now to be given your part in the ministry of salvation that Jesus commissioned His Church to do until the end of time.”
The two deacons will now be able to proclaim the Gospel at Mass, preach at the invitation of the priest, prepare the altar for the sacrifice of the Eucharist, distribute the Lord’s Body and Blood to the faithful, administer baptisms, officiate at marriages, bring Viaticum to the dying, conduct funeral rites, instruct believers and nonbelievers in Church doctrine, preside over public prayer and perform works of charity.
“This ministry of service means being humble, being obedient and being available to assist the priest in his ministry,” the bishop said.
After the homily, Gamez and Taylor stood before the bishop and publicly affirmed their intentions to serve him and the Church. Then they prostrated themselves before the altar, as Bishop Jugis knelt in prayer with them and the faithful and chanted the Litany of Supplication (also known as the Litany of the Saints).
Gamez and Taylor then arose and, one by one, approached the bishop. He laid hands on each man’s head and prayed the prayer of ordination over them, thus consecrating them as deacons.
The newly-ordained deacons were then vested with a stole, a sign of the deacon’s office of service, and the dalmatic, the outer garment used in the liturgy. Deacon Alfonso Gamez was vested by Father Paul McNulty and Deacon Britt Taylor was vested by Father Brian Becker.
The newly-vested deacons then again approached the sanctuary one by one, receiving the Book of the Gospels from Bishop Jugis and a fraternal kiss of peace to welcome them to their new role in the Church.
More than 25 priests and 20 deacons participated at the Mass and were on hand to congratulate the new deacons.
“You have been loved by Christ, loved by God for this sacred order. And God willing, and only by His choice of you, may you also arrive at ordination to the priesthood,” Bishop Jugis told the new deacons.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
