Blessed Sacrament Open House

November 25, 2005 - 12:00 PST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Catholic PRWire

On November 27, 2005, exactly 75 years after the church was dedicated, Blessed Sacrament parish in Springfield, Illinois, will welcome parishioners to worship in the newly preserved and restored church. The story began during the Great Depression when a small group of people shared a vision to dedicate a place of faith and hope. Despite personal hardship and the grim economic picture, this fellowship of believers devoted themselves to building a church that would be a ray of light to their community. The parishioners built a spectacular church, a Gothic Revival structure that harkens the beauty of the divine through stained glass, grand arches, marble-like scagliola columns, and natural light.

Through the years, the church has indeed been a place of great faith and hope. In 1930 Monsignor Michael A. Tarrent prayed that the Church would be a constant source of benediction, the cradle and nursery of the Faith, the House of God, the House of Prayer, and the Gate of Heaven. Seventy-five years later, the church is showing wear from fulfilling Monsignor Tarrent's prayer. In 75 years, the church has been painted only once. The floor is worn, the marbled tarnished, the stained glass images lost without the presence of light due to grime and dust.

Driven by a desire to acknowledge and honor the faithful families who built the church, the parish decided to undergo a capital stewardship campaign to preserve and restore the church. With the 75th anniversary of the church in focus, the parish decided to pursue the renovation project. While certain of the need to preserve the church, the parish leadership was uncertain how to raise the funds to restore the church. Initially the parish restoration committee members considered leading the campaign without professional counsel, but quickly became overwhelmed by the scope of the project.

Blessed Sacrament's restoration committee members interviewed several organizations, but chose RSI to be their partner in the journey. Together with RSI's stewardship experience and expertise, the parish began to promote the renovation and preservation to its parishioners. "History in our hands - Faith in our hearts" became the motto, and energy mounted.

The campaign goal was announced at $2.2 million. In addition to restoring the church to its previous splendor, the parish desired to make the building more accessible to persons with disabilities. Accessibility to the altar, wheelchair seating in the pews, and updated bathroom facilities were included. Other improvements, such as upgrades to the heating and ventilation system, would benefit not only the parish but the growing school.

Blessed Sacrament Parish families responded with $2.3 million in pledges. "The generosity of the people and the almost physical presence of their faith was amazing and truly motivating," Lori Reimers, parish member and campaign volunteer, remarked. "There were some critical moments when the project seemed too overwhelming, but through a great amount of prayer and trust in Our Lord, we received the support and energy to keep pushing and see the ultimate success in raising the necessary funds. Now, we are all anxiously awaiting to see the results of these labors."

The Church will continue to serve the changing neighborhood by being an anchor for its residents. As the growth of the city moves west, the Church is a symbol to the people and businesses that the center of town is vibrant and promising. The parish school, which is well known and respected, is growing and committed to providing a quality Catholic education. In fact, the campaign for the church will provide tangible benefits to the school and prepare the way for a campaign to make improvements to the school. Committed to its heritage, Blessed Sacrament will continue to provide for the needs of the neighborhood today and tomorrow.

Mr. Ken Sommer served as chairperson of the restoration project. "The most beneficial part of RSI's contribution to our project was the involvement of so many parishioners. It wasn't a few people doing a tremendous amount of work; instead, RSI helped us to bring in hundreds of people who graciously volunteered their time and talents, and at the same time, could take ownership of the project. It really became a parish project...not a committee project."

With the founding of the parish school and the dedication of the church, November 27, 1930 highlighted the first chapter in the history of Blessed Sacrament Parish. With faith in their hearts, November 27, 2005 will begin the second chapter of the parish's mission and service to Springfield, Illinois and the world. An Open House after Mass will welcome all who wish to view the church and share the parish's joy.

http://dx.doi.org/10.2121/RSI-(stewardship-viscern)-article.1.

For more information on the Celebration Mass and Open House, contact:
Father David Hoefler
Blessed Sacrament Parish
217-528-7521.

Contact

Garza Communications Inc
http://www.rsicatholic.com
TX, US
Vicki Garza - Owner, 214 435-8963

Keywords

catholic capital campaigns

Category

Catholic Organizations

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