Thursday, July 16, 2009

Approved!


What is.


What will be.

I am pleased to report the Historic Churches Committee approved much of what we proposed.


We can clear the floor of the horrible lino!
We can restore the sanctuary to its original dimensions!
We can put in steps for the altar!
We can move the altar back!
We can move the font to the back of the Church!
We can put the organ console in the organ loft!
We can get rid of the old confessional which obscures the beautiful Hardman windows of Coronation and Assumption!

Oh yes, and I met the diocesan financial secretary who said we can have a loan of £50,000, anyone out there with some spare money?
When I pointed out to my parishioners last week that they give an average of 80p each, with the suggestion a little more might help, the average went down to 60p!

7 comments:

gemoftheocean said...

Great news!!!

Well, the good news, is you probably do have the shekels, it's just still in your parishioners pockets.

I have always noticed that when we have priests from missionary territory who come calling over the years, the ones who do the best are the ones who don't come out directly and ask for money, but the ones who explain what the people do and what their needs are. i.e. schooling, etc. and then they don't do things like say "it's only a pack of ciggies to you but...." trying to play a guilt trip. But lay out the needs and what they're trying to do.

Joe of St. Thérèse said...

Congratulations Father.

George said...

Congratulations and well done! Next visit to Brighton and St Mary Magdalen Church will be on the 'must see' list, especially the windows as they are now and at a later visit to see them in all their splendour!

A small donation will be popped into the appropriate box!

God Bless. All you need now is a competent builder (hard to find). Talk to some of your Polish parishioners and get some recommendations - most Poles are builders and do a sterling job at very reasonable rates.

Matthaeus said...

Well done, Father.

It looks as though this will be a great improvement. I have never visited St. Mary Magdalen's, but have a good idea of the present state of the interior from your Jubilee photo's. Hopefully the alterations will make the Sanctuary more 'in proportion' and go some way towards reunikting the altar with the tabernacle (it is a shame that the altar could not be rejoined to the original reredos, but the new arrangement is a very practical one, allowing Mass to be celebrated either versus ad populum or ad orientem, thus catering for liturgical diversity and hopefully mutual enrichment).

It is also lovely to see that the font will be returned to its traditional location, restoring the associated symbolism of entry into the Church.

Good luck, and God Bless.

M

PP said...

Wonderful news for you and the parish!

The weekly collection here has taken a nose dive of late. I wonder if that is the experience of other parishes in these hard times. Of course, now that First Holy Communions are over the numbers have dropped too...

Crux Fidelis said...

I'm surprised you got a result so quickly. Congratulations.

There's plenty of spare capacity in the building trade at the moment so I'm sure you'll get someone competent quite easily.

Quam dilecta tabernacula tua, Domine virtutum!

Londiniensis said...

Congratulations Father!

Oh, and please tell George that "most Poles" are not builders - why, just two generations ago "most Poles" were heel clicking cavalry officers ...

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