We have been planning a few changes to the interior of the Church proper, specifically the sanctuary area. Our goal is two-fold: first, to improve the site lines of the church from all seating areas. This will occur by raising the sanctuary floor so that the seats in the rear of the church, near the atrium entrance, are no longer obstructed by those sitting in the front of the church. Second, we want to soften the starkness of the interior of the church and connect it to the beauty of God's creation, something that is wonderfully recognized by our very pastoral setting. In a sense, we want to bring the outside in. This will be accomplished in the following ways:

1. The center rear wall behind the altar will be clad in fieldstone from the floor to the ceiling and the Crucifix will be removed from the wall and suspended over the altar, thus connecting the sacrifice of the Holy Mass to the One, Perfect Sacrifice of Christ on Calvary;

2. A circular stained glass window will be placed in the same wall; the design is currently under consideration but will be contemporary in nature and have a connection to our patron saint, Catherine of Siena. This will add dramatic beauty and allow light to stream in;

3. A new altar, presider?s chair, ambo (lectern) and tabernacle table will be made for the area combining wood and stone;

4. New Stations of the Cross, throughout the Church, will be installed; and,

Attempts at back lighting and sound improvements will also be considered.

The above changes are phase one. Future phases will include new carpeting, refurbishment of pews, and an interior paint job.

It is my intention that the costs associated with most of these changes and upgrades will come from donations and
memorials; it is not my intention to use regular offertory money for most of these projects. To date, four families have given $25,000 each and another two families have given $8,000 and $5,000 respectively, totaling some $113,000 toward the cost of phase one, which is $147,000. Hopefully the remainder of phase one will come from memorializing the Stations of the Cross and other smaller items. In the near future I will list these items that can be memorialized in the name of a family or deceased loved one for your consideration.

My hope is that you can see from this outline a few important things that I want to be very clear about:

1. The overall project is not overwhelming and not too costly. Many church renovations reach into the millions of dollars. I am not looking to totally change our beautiful church, just do some needed repairs, updates and improvements;

2. I wish to be cognizant of the economy and the ongoing struggles of many individuals. While we are very blessed in the Farmington Valley area, many have difficult burdens and with the ongoing malaise in the business world I do not wish to take on extravagant projects. My hope is to meet the needs of our growing parish community with common sense; and,

3. I realize that while I have to maintain parish facilities?pay the bills that come with running a church and expand our ministries that reach out into the community, there are even greater needs in the world that demand our attention and participation. This is why the Church?and our parish?offers a ?buffet?, if you will, of things to be involved in?and that all our projects are not mandatory but rather by choice. If you feel it is a worthwhile parish project or ministry, then I hope you will participate. If, on the other hand, you feel something is unnecessary and wish not to donate or par take of it, then that is your choice and no one?I or anyone else?will judge your decision.

If you have any questions or concerns about this or anything that we as a parish participate in, it is my hope that you will feel free to ask any questions of me. Thank you!