P R E S S R E L E A S E
A Model for Church Restoration in Tough Economic Times: Parish Committee
works with liturgical designer, local talent and major firms to get the job
done.
Kingston, NY - January 27,
2010 – A tiny congregation in the Hudson River city of Kingston, New
York, had a serious dilemma: a modest budget and a beautiful church in need
of restoration, all in the midst of the massive economic downturn. The 150
year old soaring brick church, built by German immigrants, had suffered from
a patchwork of interventions over the years, leaving the interior dark and
visually disunited. Home to a mixed English and Spanish speaking community,
the parish requested bids from major firms but soon came to realize, as the
results came in, that every one of them was well beyond their budget.
The Parish Restoration
Committee turned to artist and liturgical design consultant Renzo D’Anselmi,
who worked with Fr. Marc Oliver and parish Project Manager James Alexander
Burke to develop a design which respected the church’s architectural
heritage, but could be executed in distinct steps, using local talent where
possible. Burke stated, “We embraced Renzo’s design because it is grounded
in the specific architectural tradition of St. Peter’s; because it was
sensitive to the economic realities of the Parish; and because it helped to
articulate, in a simple, and elegant way, the religious meaning of the
church and its symbols.”
Once Mr. D’Anselmi’s design
for the church interior was approved, parish sexton Donald Swarthout spent
the better part of one year painting the nave walls, columns, and portions
of the ceiling. As his solitary work progressed, enthusiasm grew, and two
major contributions in August 2009 from individual parishioners made it
possible for the Parish to contract with John Tiedemann, Inc. to complete
remaining areas that required a professional church restoration team: the
sanctuary, ceiling, upper columns and choir. Restoration involved removal
of areas of wood paneling and various other additions, while using shades of
white and gray for walls and columns, and pale blue for the ceiling. Gold
highlights articulate the arched stained glass windows and the decorative
elements of columns, corbels and choir. The dominant white and gold motif,
redolent of the German Baroque, was peculiarly appropriate to the Germanic
heritage of St. Peter’s, and unified the interior while emphasizing its
height and breadth.
Christ’s words commissioning
St. Peter (from the Gospel of Matthew) are now inscribed in Latin in gold
lettering in the central arch, while in the frieze below is inscribed
Christ’s promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church.
The large mural in the sanctuary, the church’s Austrian stained glass
windows, and the statuary in the church were also restored as individual
projects by three different nationally known restoration companies.
The key, according to
D’Anselmi, was to have a unified design in place from which all parties
could work, both local and national companies, as well as adequate
supervision of the various stages of the project so that the integrity and
quality of the project was maintained. This was particularly important at
St. Peter’s Church, where a plethora of well-intentioned “renovations” had
occurred over the years, each lacking unity with previous efforts.
Presently, the parish community is enthusiastically raising funds for the
renovation of two smaller shrines and the baptistery according to
D’Anselmi’s design. Future goals include the laying of a new floor to
replace the old linoleum, refinishing the pews, and, eventually, the
provision of a pipe organ for this soaring, acoustically resonant space.
Both parishioners and visitors alike have been delighted to watch ongoing
renovation of St. Peter’s, while learning the truth of St. Augustine’s
saying, “Patience is the companion of wisdom.”
Renzo D’Anselmi is
an artist and liturgical design consultant with a background in art and
architecture. He may be reached at (845) 272-7141. The Church of Saint
Peter is located on 93 Wurts Street, Kingston, New York, 12401. For more
information about the St. Peter’s Church renovation project, Parish
Administrator Reverend Marc Oliver may be reached at St. Peter’s Parish:
(845) 331-0436. Parish Project Manager James Alexander Burke is also happy
to answer questions or provide more information at (845) 485-4166 on the
various stages of the project.
