“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
We completed our Draw Near renovation project on Dec. 15, 2024. Here are some of the features of the remodel, with descriptions:
Sanctuary
A generous parishioner has committed to the purchase of a new tabernacle for our church, so that we have a larger tabernacle that is more prominent and celebrates the centrality of the Eucharist.
The images on our Tabernacle are an imitation of the images on the holy door at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Click on the button for a close up of each of the panels on the holy door, with descriptions.
Our new crucifix hanging over the altar was constructed for us by Demetz Studio in Italy, which is the same company that carved our St. Joseph statue 50 years ago. They also made the new Blessed Mother statue in the Holy Family Chapel, the relief of the Victorious Lamb on the front of the altar, and the Holy Spirit image over the back doors.
We have five crosses carved into the top of the altar because an altar represents Christ and he has 5 wounds.
The front of our new altar is a relief of the Victorious Lamb. It was constructed for us by Demetz Studio in Italy. It is reminiscent of the Victorious Lamb in the top stained glass window (which isn’t easily visible from the pews).
Our altar relic is of St. Maria Goretti. Her feast day is July 6.
To make our sanctuary ADA-accessible for our visiting priests, we constructed a ramp that circles around the back of the reredos for those who have difficulty with steps.
Baptismal Font
Whenever parishes do construction, the Archdiocese of Denver requires that baptismal fonts be moved to the back of the center aisle. That location holds symbolic value, because walking into the church past the baptismal font is a reminder that we come into the spiritual life of the Church through baptism. The location of the baptismal font reflects the Christian’s journey through baptism to the altar. We are all reminded of our baptism as we enter the church.
The tile floor between the baptismal font and the sanctuary has seven crosses. These are symbolic of either the seven Sacraments, or the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Scripture in our church
“He is Risen”
Luke 24:6
This Scripture verse originally hung on the altar’s reredos. It has been relocated to the west vestibule. A fitting reminder for those entering our church.
“He is Risen”
Luke 24:6
This Scripture verse is above the doors of the east vestibule. It imitates the bronze Scripture verse in the west vestibule.
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Matt. 28:19
This Scripture verse is etched in the tile at the base of the baptismal font.
“He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”
Luke 24:35
This Scripture verse is etched into the top step of the sanctuary, reminding us of the True Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.
He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
John 20:22
This Scripture verse is on the Holy Spirit sculpture above the doors to the back hallway. It was constructed for us by Demetz Studio in Italy.
Holy Family Chapel
About five times each year we have a very small funeral or a private Mass for just a few people. So we have converted our baptistry into a small space where we can have Mass. The previous altar top from our sanctuary has been placed in this Holy Family Chapel. It has a relic of St. Cecilia in the top.
Fr. Scott created a new sign for the Holy Family chapel, which has symbols for Jesus (the cross), Mary (the rose),St. Joseph (the lily), and the Twelve Apostles (the blades of grass).
The Holy Family Chapel has a new statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to match our existing St. Joseph statue. Both statues were constructed by Demetz Studio in Italy.
The crucifix in the Holy Family Chapel used to hang in the back hallway. It has been refurbished.
Check out the Shadows on the crucifix. Looks like the two thieves hanging on either side of Jesus!
Marian Alcove
The west vestibule has been converted to a Marian alcove. The old statue of Mary has been placed into a new niche. Parishioner and artist Mark Benson designed and painted the beautiful alcove for Mary. The design incorporates rosary beads blessed by Fr. Scott Bailey. We invite you to use this area for private reflection.
Music Ministry
Since ADA accessibility was the major goal of our renovation, we relocated the music ministry in our church. By placing the music ministry on the main level, it is possible for anyone to participate in this ministry. And by placing the music ministry in the back of the church, it will naturally amplify the sound (since sound in our building naturally travels toward the sanctuary).
Sound System
A major goal of the renovation was to improve the sound system. Acoustic fabric was added to the ceiling and to the back walls.
Other Church Features
The large statue of Jesus that used to be hanging on the side of the sanctuary has been relocated to the east vestibule.
Our new door handles on the doors in the east vestibule are shaped like a cross.
The confessionals have been enlarged. The one closest to the center aisle is ADA compliant. The other two confessionals are large enough for people using walkers to enter.
Dedication Mass (12/15/2024)
