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THIS ARTIST’S RENDITION shows how Saint Mary Church in Norwalk will be transformed by the renovation project
now under way. The sanctuary will be enclosed by a marble altar rail and receive a new marble floor, moveable altar,
and side chapels, while a new marble pulpit will be installed out among the people. (Courtes y Duncan G. Stroik
Architect, LLC)
Project will Restore Historic Church
By JOSEPH McALEER
Published in the February 2010 Issue of the Fairfield County Catholic
The second-oldest Catholic
church in the Diocese of
Bridgeport is getting a long overdue
and much-needed
makeover this New Year, in an
effort to restore its architectural
integrity and enhance the setting
for solemn worship.
Saint Mary Church in
Norwalk was dedicated in
1870, 22 years after the parish
was founded, the second oldest
establishment in Fairfield
County (after Saint Augustine’s
in Bridgeport). The neogothic
stone structure on West
Avenue, dominated by a tall
bell tower with working clock,
is a local landmark. Inside, the
parish of 1,100 families gathers
for Mass in Spanish and
English, the latter celebrated
in both the Ordinary and
Extraordinary forms.
Time to Change
By the early twentieth century,
Saint Mary’s was hailed
as one of the most beautiful
and ornate churches in all of
Connecticut, with a marble
High Altar, side chapels, and
frescoed walls. Today, only
a portion of the High Altar
and rare German stained-glass
windows offer a glimpse of its
former glory. Successive renovations
beginning in the 1960s,
prompted by the reforms of the
Second Vatican Council, dramatically
transformed the interior.
Side chapels were eliminated,
marble floors covered with
carpet, frescoes painted over,
and the altar rail removed.
All of that is about to
change, thanks to a multi-year
restoration campaign headed
by Saint Mary’s pastor, Father
Greg Markey.
“It’s time,” says Father
Markey, pastor since 2003.
“As generations before us have
done, it is our time to look to
the structural and aesthetic
condition of the church. It is
good to frequently revisit questions
like, ‘How can Saint Mary
Church be a stronger testament
to the glory of God?’ This is
an architectural treasure, and
it is our responsibility now to
restore it for future generations
of Catholics.”
With the approval of the
diocesan Building & Sacred
Arts Committee and Bishop
William E. Lori, the first phase
of the restoration began on
January 4. The sanctuary will
be transformed, with a new
marble floor, altar rail, and side
chapels, and a faux-marble, freestanding
altar that can be moved
during celebration of Mass in
the Extraordinary Form.
“Our intention is to restore
the architectural integrity of
this neo-gothic church,” Father
Markey says. “When the side
chapels were removed, it upset
the balance and symmetry. We
also need to adapt the sanctuary
for the Extraordinary Form,
which requires open space
and an altar rail, for kneeling
during the reception of Holy
Communion.”
Outside of the sanctuary, the
baptismal font will be moved
close to the entrance of the
church (as is fitting for baptism,
a sacrament of initiation into
the faith), and a confessional,
rescued from a closed church,
will be installed. Presently, two
confessionals are located in the
church basement, at the rear of
the Saint Patrick Chapel, which
is used for daily Mass.
Perhaps the most dramatic
feature of the project centers on
the ambo, or pulpit. This marble,
elevated structure will be
located outside the sanctuary,
surrounded by the first pews.
Pulpit Amid People
“It is fitting, and traditional,
for the priest or deacon to proclaim
the Gospel and preach
among the people,” Father
Markey says. “This is the only
part of the Mass that is directed
to the people – the rest of the
Mass is addressed to God.”
Duncan G. Stroik, who specializes
in religious and classical
architecture, is the project architect.
Artech Church Interiors of
Danbury is the general contractor.
Until Phase 1 is completed
on March 17, Masses will be
held downstairs in Saint Patrick
Chapel and the parish center.
Fundraising has begun
for Phase 2 of the restoration
project, which will include the
repainting of the church. The
parish website, www.stmarynorwalk.
net, includes details, photographs,
drawings, and information
on how to donate online
via PayPal.
Excitement
The pastor is grateful to his
parish family for raising, in a
difficult economy, the entire
$250,000 cost for the first phase
of the project, thanks to dinners
and other fundraisers.
“People are really excited,”
Father Markey says. “Our
older parishioners remember
how beautiful the church once
was. And we have a lot of
young families who come to the
Extraordinary Form Mass and
understand the importance of
what we are doing.
“Architecture is theology,”
the pastor concludes. “Every
fixture, whether it be an altar
rail, a stained-glass window, a
statue, or even a magnificent
soaring arch, has a singular
purpose: to direct our attention
closer to God and His glory. It’s
not cosmetic, but functional in
the best possible way.”
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