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Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2009 /  St. Louise de Marillac more welcoming with renovation

by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published December 18, 2009

Photo courtesy Constantine Pappas By bringing the cross closer to the congregation and moving the side pews in on an angle, those farthest away from the altar are still close to what is happening.

WARREN — The altar furnishings at St. Louise de Marillac Church, Warren were cold, drab and concrete — until the parish's first major renovation in nearly 40 years. Not only was the altar given a warmer look with wood wraps for the furnishings, but pews were rearranged, a new choir area was built, and the main cross moved a good 20 feet forward, among other improvements. Pastor Msgr. Thomas Rice said the church had been brought into the 21st century, and called the space "bright and beautiful."

Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic From left, St. Louise de Marillac Parish business manager Tom Lippert, pastor Msgr. Thomas Rice, parish secretary Helen Walczak and music director Richard Ruiz in front of the cross, recently moved forward toward the congregation.

Parish business manager Tom Lippert agreed: "I think it's very warm," he said. "I think it's a nice place to come to Mass and worship."

The renovations to St. Louise, which boasts 1,800 registered families, were headed up by architect and planner Constantine Pappas, who explained that the main focus of the renovation was to reconfigure the worship space to bring the community closer to the altar. Although the main body of pews directly facing the altar remained untouched, the pews to the sides of the altar, formerly at a 90-degree angle, were moved inward, to create an arc instead of a T.

Some of the pews were replaced with chairs to create a flexible seating area, which can also be used for gathering or for display of a casket for a funeral. "We tried to bring the furthest person closer to the altar," Pappas said.

On the sanctuary, the altar itself, the pulpit, and the base for the tabernacle, were made out of concrete, and were displayed as is, in a plain and dated look, Pappas said — reminiscent of when the space was dedicated, April 1970. They are now made from wood because "we wanted to introduce the use of wood to soften it," he said. Granite slabs were also added to the top of the altar, ambo, tabernacle stand and baptismal font.

Part of the renovation included moving the cross from the front wall of the church, where it couldn't be seen by people sitting far off to the sides, forward, on a newly constructed cherry and oak wall. That wall also created storage space behind it for the choir.

Photo courtesy Constantine Pappas A devotional area is enhanced with soft lighting, as the Stations of the Cross are more easily seen on a wood background, instead of directly against a busy brick pattern.

To improve circulation around the altar, corners were cut out of what used to be a square base, aligning it with the angled pews and making it easier for people to walk around. The parish kept all of the liturgical statuary, and the Stations of the Cross have been remounted on wood, instead of directly on the brick wall behind it, which made them difficult to see.

Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic The baptismal font, on a new base, was moved to the side of the altar from the back of the church.

The baptismal font, which used to sit in the back of the worship space, is now at the front, just to the side of the altar, and between the two primary entrances. The original bowl to the font was kept as-is, but a new base was built for it. The floor surrounding the font is now the same color as the altar, in a new ceramic tile, to further define the area. Most of the rest of the church was recarpeted in a neutral color. "This is the holiest spot in the church — where everyone becomes a Christian," Pappas said of the baptismal font.

Parish secretary Helen Walczak said the changes have been well-received by the parishioners. "They think it is beautiful," she said. "It's stunning."

Walczak said she liked the worship space well enough before, but called it "uplifting" now. "The cross really is a focal point now," she said. "It enriches Mass now. To me, it's drawn me closer, spiritually."

The worship space lost about 200 seats with the renovation, from 1,000 to about 800. Work started the first week of October and finished last month, during which time the parish community worshiped in the parish hall.

Dan McAfee, director of the archdiocese's Office for Christian Worship, said St. Louise Parish was able to do a lot with the renovation without changing the space much at all. The devotional areas now have a simple dignity, he said, in the rear of the church, lit by soft track lighting, and now offset by more wood. "The important things stand out beautifully," he said.

The renovation also included improving the choir space, with an individual microphone and ledge space for each singer. Built-in steps place the back row above the front, for better sound quality.

Choir director Richard Ruiz said the individual microphones are a boon because he can enhance one section of the choir over the other, or adjust the volume as necessary, which enhances the main point of the choir: "giving worship to God," he said. "It all enhances the liturgy," he said. "We can do any genre of music justice."

Msgr. Rice said what he hears most often when people walk in is "Wow." "I am happy that the renovations have been so well-received by parishioners," he said. "We now have a much more worthy place for the celebration of the Eucharist and I consider it a gift from God to all of us. I hope it gives God glory and honor for many years to come."