Parishioner Perspective #2 - Ted Murphy

"HEY, HAVE YOU SEEN IT?"

Recently, I took an informal tour and saw the in-progress renovation and restoration of St. Francis Xavier Church. In case you have not seen it, I am happy to report that the interior of SFX Church will be much, much brighter! The artwork will be much more visible. And, I believe, its original “Wow!“ factor will have been restored as well as further developed to reflect current times. I am looking forward to experiencing mass there soon.

As we come back in to the Church for mass, sometime in the next month or so, parishioners will be able to view the continuing work-in-progress of our historic St. Francis Xavier Church. The renovation and restoration is an event that is truly worthy of viewing by our neighbors, friends and anyone with an interest in religious art. I encourage all parishioners to tell their neighbors and friends of the developments at SFX. All you have to say the next time you see them is, “Hey, have you seen it?” Believe me, the fantastic renovation and restoration of our church is worth viewing as well as contributing to through the Moving Forward Capital Campaign.

Though the full renovation and restoration will take many more months, the sheer size and diversity of the church’s architectural design and artwork will make it worthwhile to take a moment each week after mass to see the work-in-progress. I’m sure new developments will be on view, be they a fully or partially restored statue, mural or marble column. And, there is so much to see. SFX is full of diverse religious artwork which seemingly reflects today’s diversity of the congregation.

In addition to statues and paintings of its namesake, St. Francis Xavier - an original member of the Jesuits who preached in India, Indonesia and Japan, the church features religious artwork that includes a mural of St Peter Claver - the apostle of Africans, a statue of St. Jude - the saint of hopeless and desperate causes, the Altar of Hope and Remembrance - dedicated to people living with HIV and AIDS, a mural of the Japanese Martyrs and a statue of the Virgin of Suyapa of Honduras. (You may have to look hard for it - like the original, it’s only 2.3 inches tall!)

As for myself, the artwork I most relate with is the San Damiano cross that is carried at the beginning and end of each mass and that stands on the altar at all other times. It is through this cross that God spoke to another Francis, St. Francis of Assisi. His message: “Francis, don‘t you see that my church is being destroyed? Go then and rebuild it for me.” Since then, it has also come to symbolize the rebuilding of the Catholic church itself - a message I really relate to as practiced at SFX.

I hope that all parishioners will take a moment to take in the renovation and restoration in-progress once the church re-opens for Mass. Also, I hope you will tell your neighbors and friends about it and encourage them to visit. Hey, have you seen it? It’s truly worth seeing!

-- Ted Murphy

Participate in this historic opportunity of renewing, renovating and restoring the Church!

Contact Patrick Brewis, Capital Campaign Director at 212.627.2100 ext. 206 or visit our web site at www.sfxavier.org/movingforward. Naming opportunities are still available.

Parishioner Perspective #1 - Kim King, RSCJ

"GLORY BE"

One of my favorite "rote" prayers is the Glory Be. I find its cyclical proclamation of praise to be reassuring whether in the midst of something I understand or in the midst of mystery. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be . . . History, present moment, future.

At times it calls to my mind and heart the promise of the loving, generative, fullness of God that infused life at the first creative Word. It was present then, is here to be found now, and will continue to be on into the future.

At other moments, the prayer is a reassurance of the reality of what is going on now, how ever messy, and that even in the difficulties of humans being who they are called to be, God is active and to be praised. It was messy then, is messy now, and will be messy, and that's okay . . . because it is real . . . and all a part of the journey toward becoming what we have sought all along.

This prayer came to mind last week when I had a chance to see the restoration work happening in the church building. The past is being revealed in the present moment while looking toward the years to come. What fascinated me was that the whole work seems to be geared toward the unification of these "planes." The soot, the dirt, the gunk, being stripped away, is what has accumulated between them. With their washing away comes forth the renewed opportunity to appreciate the awe and wonder of the original artisans' vision of honoring God in an edifice. The leveling of the floor smoothes the bridge so more may cross through "was and is" with safety and ease. And to watch the workers attend to the details with precision and obvious care, there is no doubt to me that the work being done now will last long into the stories of coming generations.

It felt rather medieval, this tour I had. There were workers everywhere! At least four different levels of scaffolding held countless people working on different parts of this act of revelation. There were the sounds of tools, the murmur of conversation, the dull steady thud of hammer and nail . . . As I noticed newly unveiled decorative details — flower buds no bigger than a large drawer pull on the walls of the balcony, the crisp IHS atop the confessional, the newly scrubbed marble prophetic line-up on the second floor — I could easily imagine church stonemasons of centuries past who spent time carving flourishes for reasons no greater or lesser than the glory of God. Details mattered then, as signs of honor for God as well as pride in craft. Watching the work being done in the church now, I can tell that that holds true in the present as well.

What I can't yet tell is what it will feel like to be in the space as an active member of the congregation. I had grown accustomed to the space between the planes — being able to readily feel and imagine history into the present if not see it directly. I can imagine that it might take me a while to get used to the new feeling of more immediate convergence. That's okay with me, though, and all part of the cycle.

And, actually, a gift. How often will it happen that at the same time I get to see more of what was in the beginning while living that vision in the "is now" and hoping it's around for a fair portion of the "ever shall be?"

Glory be to the journey and adventure that is God which we celebrate as community in this sacred space.

-- Kim King, RSCJ