A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 74F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..
A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 74F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
The upcoming restoration project at St. Mary's Catholic Church will prioritize the landscaping on the west side, according to Ted Czerniak, chairman of the restoration committee.
The Rev. Joseph Walsh stands outside of St. Mary's Catholic Church, which is slated to undergo renovations for the next several years.
The north side retaining wall at St. Mary's Catholic Church has sustained damage over the years.
The stairs and foundation walls at St. Mary's Catholic Church have sustained damage over the years.
The upcoming restoration project at St. Mary's Catholic Church will prioritize the landscaping on the west side, according to Ted Czerniak, chairman of the restoration committee.
The upcoming restoration project at St. Mary's Catholic Church will prioritize the landscaping on the west side, according to Ted Czerniak, chairman of the restoration committee.
The Rev. Joseph Walsh stands outside of St. Mary's Catholic Church, which is slated to undergo renovations for the next several years.
The north side retaining wall at St. Mary's Catholic Church has sustained damage over the years.
The stairs and foundation walls at St. Mary's Catholic Church have sustained damage over the years.
The upcoming restoration project at St. Mary's Catholic Church will prioritize the landscaping on the west side, according to Ted Czerniak, chairman of the restoration committee.
St. Mary's Catholic Church has witnessed construction of the surrounding Capitol District for more than a century.
And now the church, which sits across the street from the Capitol and has been around since 1888, will be doing its own construction when it begins a $5 million to $7 million restoration project later this month.
Last July, just a month after he arrived at St. Mary's, the Rev. Joseph Walsh said he started becoming more aware of much-needed repairs.
"A parishioner came up to me and said, 'Father, we need to take care of this building, it's an eyesore,'" Walsh said.
Shortly after that conversation, 15 parishioners formed a restoration committee and began meeting once a month.
Those members had different specialties that related to the restoration; some were architects, construction workers, water specialists and business owners.
Cheever Construction and Clark & Enersen, who will be leading the project, are owned and operated by St. Mary's parishioners.
Other parishioners got involved simply out of love for the church.
"We just want to clean it up to restore the integrity of the building," said Melinda Pearson, a longtime parishioner.
Ted Czerniak, chairman of the restoration committee, says the restoration will be comprised of four different phases: west side restoration, mechanical, exterior and interior.
The church has chosen to prioritize repairing the landscape on the west side first, Czerniak said.
Walsh said over the years water infiltration on the west side has affected the church's brick and paint, and caused humidity issues. To solve this, they'll be removing the entrance on the west side and placing a statue base at the old door.
The current confessional and vestibule space will also be rebuilt into new sound-proof confessional booths that meet ADA standards.
Although they anticipate the entire restoration process to take about five to seven years, the first phase should only take up to three months.
The second phase will focus on upgrading the church's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system that's been in place since 1960.
Exterior and interior restorations will focus on plastering and repainting walls damaged by water.
With several parts of the church undergoing repairs, Walsh says they anticipate their services will be affected.
As of now, the church is unclear about what fundraising efforts will look like — they're awaiting fundraising approval from the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln.
Although the church has wanted to restore its building for years now, Bishop James Conley said the former school ate up most of their finances.
"It was difficult to focus on repairing the church's foundation when we were worried about being able to pay our teachers and school staff," Conley said.
The restoration, Walsh says, reaffirms their commitment to preserve a historical and cultural monument in the community.
“It’s seen the whole history of the 20th century and now we want to make sure that it continues to see the 21st century,” he said.
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The sanctuary of First-Plymouth Church
The Newman Center-St. Thomas Aquinas Church hosted in-person worship for Holy Thursday. One year after COVID shut the doors to in-person services, churchgoers again returned to the pews the week of Easter, the most important holiday for Christians.
The Westminster Presbyterian Church's newly renovated sanctuary.
Newly installed stained glass windows and stations of the cross help move the new St. Patrick's Catholic Church toward completion on Aug. 14, the day before the church dedication.
“It’s not like people will think they are in a planetarium, but you can see all the stars,” the Rev. Jim Keck said about the constellation adorning First-Plymouth's ceiling.
St. Mary's Catholic Church has a small gated room off to the left of the main entrance with a statue of St. Joseph and a baptismal font.
Organ builders from Bedient Pipe Organ Company install a new pipe organ in the upper cavity behind the crucifix and a mesh screen at the front of the church on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
A Bedient pipe organ is in the First Christian Church chapel.
The current First Presbyterian Church organ includes all three organs used in the church. Each time a new organ was installed, the chancel was remodeled and enlarged to accommodate the new piece.
Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church installed this statue of Jesus in the church in 1907. The statue was saved from a fire in 1925 when it was carried out by the pastor.
The interior of Sabah, a mosque in the 1100 block of Furnas Avenue.
Rod Scott uses a nail gun to attach wood trim around the final pane to be installed in 2004 in a stained glass window at the St. Luke United Methodist Church at 1620 Superior St.
The meditation garden at St. Teresa's Catholic Church.
John C. Friesen practiced on the new Zion pipe organ in 2011.
A cross hanging over the pulpit is framed by organ pipes at Saint Paul United Methodist Church.
Sydney Arndt (left) and Jalyn Meyer watch Mass at North American Martyrs Roman Catholic Church from the choir loft in 2004.
St. John the Apostle Catholic Church.
The stained glass dome at First United Methodist Church in Lincoln features a portrait of Abraham Lincoln and Civil War-related symbols.
A view of the renovated interior at Christ Temple Church.
A 72-panel stained glass window containing about 7,200 individual pieces of glass is a major focal point in the chapel of the new St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. The window, called "Christ in the Heavenly Court," was made for the church by Franz Mayer of Munich in Germany.
First-Plymouth Congregational Church's Compline service harkens back to ancient fourth-century monastic traditions. Not a word is spoken, and only candlelight illuminates the vast sanctuary.
Megillat Lincoln is a relief sculpture at Tifereth Israel synagogue. The sculpture by Lincoln brothers Dean and Jay Tschetter, depicting the history of Jews in Lincoln and their ancestry, was a gift to the synagogue from the Max Neiden family.
This stained glass window towers over the sanctuary in the new St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Murals were installed at the new St. Patrick's Catholic Church on Aug. 3, 2015.
A reredos titled "Christ - Teacher and Lord of All" is at First Presbyterian Church.
After Zion Church's original building was destroyed by fire, the church rebuilt.
The chapel of the new St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church was nearing completion in April at 16th and Q Streets.
New oak pews grace the sanctuary at Saint Paul United Methodist Church.
A finished pew rests in a press created for assembling the pieces in the new St. Patrick's Catholic Church on Aug. 9.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7228 or emejia@journalstar.com
Originally published on journalstar.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
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