Profile in Church Restoration

Speaking of church restoration, there is some of that going on in Memphis. Take a look at this photo of Church of the Resurrection. It doesn’t look much like a church. I went to Mass there when Fr. Ernie DeBlasio first arrived as pastor. There was no tabernacle in the sanctuary. There were no pews; there were orange (yes, orange) chairs with no kneelers. The crucifix was a Christ suspended in midair against the wall.

Last December, I went to an Advent conference with Tim Staples (previously blogged about). The building hasn’t been completely turned into a Gothic church, but dramatic improvement has been made. The building has a real crucifix, a tabernacle, and pews. Statues of Mary were erected in the area. A Divine Mercy picture was in the back of the church.

This isn’t the only place in Memphis that has been renovated. I mention this one with reservation because I would never recommend going to Mass there because of their awful liturgy. St. Patrick’s Church downtown has undergone a restoration, by the Paulists of all people. I haven’t seen it except in pictures, but it looks like a great improvement. During the 1960’s, apparently in an effort to help people see Christ in one another, the stained glass windows were covered with mirrors. I guess they were planning to have an evening of reflection. The windows are now in the process of restoration. The Church doesn’t have a lot of money, but they are doing what they can.