Sanctuary Restoration to Begin in June
The year the Sanctuary at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Oakwood was dedicated, Gigi
won an Academy Award for Best Picture, the Hula Hoop was introduced and
postage stamps cost 4 cents. It’s been over half a century, and we are
witnessing the effect that years of weddings, funerals and loads of
Sunday services has on a physical structure. Similarly to homes that
require periodic updates and repairs, churches also need occasional
attention to restore them to their original splendor.
We
appreciate the feedback we received during the Listening Sessions last
spring regarding Phase II of the Capital Campaign. As a result of your
input, we have created a plan to address the much-needed restoration of
our Sanctuary, which will include:
- Asbestos removal and new floor tile under pews, in narthex and chancel areas.
- New Concrete threshold at main entrance of church.
- New front doors.
- New carpet.
- Updated lighting around the altar area.
- Carpentry repairs to pews and kneelers.
- Fresh paint.
- Pews in the choir area will be removed and replaced with chairs to facilitate flexible use of the space.
In
addition to these updates, renowned and respected woodworker, Dr. Burt
Saidel, is building St. Paul’s a Communion table, which will be located
at center of the Chancel area. This will allow us the opportunity to
celebrate the Holy Eucharist in closer proximity to the congregation
without moving the altar. We will remove the front row of pews in order
to accommodate portable Communion rails on either side of the center
aisle. Holy Eucharist will be accessible to everyone and St. Paul’s
will be on board with the architectural footprint of Episcopal churches
nationwide, as a goal of many churches is to bring Communion closer to
the congregation. We are blessed that we are able to do this at a
minimal cost at the same time we are restoring our sanctuary.
Frequent
updates about the restoration project will occur in several ways,
including but not limited to upcoming issues of Connections,
displays in the Cloister and Parish Hall, emails, and web site
announcements. Be assured that the congregation will be kept informed
of the project’s progress every step of the way.
About the Communion Table
The
Communion table for St. Paul’s is being lovingly designed and crafted
by Dr. Burt Saidel, a highly respected member of the Dayton Community.
Among
other projects, Dr. Saidel, along with his assistant Harold Prigozen,
has crafted the Great Hall Ark for Temple Israel, a pulpit for Corpus
Christi Catholic Church, the altar at Lewisburg United Methodist
Church, and the podium used by the Dayton Philharmonic at the Schuster
Center.
Worship During the Restoration Process
It
is important that we are able to worship in a holy way while our home
is being restored. Work will be going on all summer, so our summer
services will be held in the Parish Hall at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays.
Adult Formation will continue throughout the summer. Participants will meet in the Parish Library at 8:30 a.m.
The
last service in the sanctuary prior to restoration will be the 10:30
a.m. service on May 31. At the conclusion of this service, we will
leave the Sanctuary and process into our temporary worship space.
Entering
the Parish Hall—June through August, Parishioners attending church on
Sundays will be able to access the building through three alternate
entrances:
- through the door nearest the Rector’s office.
the east alley door nearest the main Church Office.
through the garden doors at the back of the church. This includes
the elevator door entrance located in the Kiefaber Garden.
The Wednesday service at 9:15 a.m. will continue to be held in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.
Our
plan is to return worship services to the main church Sanctuary in
early September, whereupon we will celebrate the restoration with a
blessing.
Preparing the Worship Space and Easing the Transition
Your assistance is requested!
Throughout
May, parishioners of all ages will be involved in helping to prepare
our Parish Hall for worship. Patterns for “stained glass” windows will
be available in the Cloister and in the Office. Pick one (or more) up,
take them home and color them to adorn our temporary worship space.
In addition, people will be needed to assist with directing worshippers
to the Parish Hall, sprucing up the gardens, making signs, and
performing assorted other tasks. All parishioners are invited to
participate.
These
weeks of restoration activity are a great opportunity to extend your
welcoming and helping hand. Please contact John Johns at the Church
Office (293-1154 or office@stpauls-dayton.org), and he will direct your talents where they are most needed.
Questions and Answers about the Sanctuary Restoration
How will the failing doors and concrete be repaired?
Fifty
years of wear and tear, along with the natural settling that occurs
with any building, have taken their toll on the front doors of our
Sanctuary, as well as the crumbling concrete underneath. While
correcting these issues, and to eliminate safety concerns about the
steps in the Narthex, we are laying a new concrete threshold and
removing the three steps immediately inside the front doors.
Will the Sanctuary be more accessible?
Yes.
The addition of a Communion table in the Chancel and Communion rails on
the main level of the church (in front of the Chancel steps) will
enable worshippers of all abilities to be included at the rail for Holy
Eucharist. Some of the pews will be reconfigured to better accommodate
devices such as wheelchairs and walkers. No ramps or other devices will
be installed during this project, but the restoration allows for future
consideration of ramps and improvements to lighting and sound systems.
How hazardous is the asbestos tile?
Asbestos
tile was a common construction product in 1958 when the Sanctuary was
built. Left completely undisturbed, it is not hazardous. Unfortunately,
our tile is beginning to show signs of damage, including scratching and
chipping, which make replacement necessary. In addition, repairs to
other parts of the Sanctuary will further disturb the tile. The
property committee has carefully considered the options for handling
the material, and has concluded that abatement is necessary.
What will happen with the current altar area?
The
altar will remain in its current location and will continue to be
dressed by the Altar Guild. The only change that will be made to the
area surrounding the altar is the replacement of the floor tile,
additional lighting from above, and cleaning of the limestone steps.
How much will this project cost?
We
received bids April 15 and the total cost for the project will be
approximately $266,000. This expenditure is within the amount projected
by the Property Committee and the Vestry. These funds are in the
Capital Campaign account and are designated for this use.
