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A profile of the parish

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Page 1: Catholic Community of St. Mary

Catholic Community

St. Mary of

Page 2: Catholic Community of St. Mary

MARY MOTHER OF GOD CHURCH   A.D. 2008

Introduction

A Dream that was born under the pastorate of Monsignor Robert T. Bulman (1950-1992), was finally realized in 2008 with the completion of the Church of Mary Mother of God. Monsignor Michael J. Walsh was assigned to the parish in 2002, and in 2004, he launched a Capital Campaign to raise thirteen and a half million dollars towards its erection. The name given to the new church has the title

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of the existing parish founded in 1878. Ground was broken on May 3, 2006 by Bishop John M. Smith of the Trenton Diocese. The first Mass was celebrated by Monsignor Walsh on April 12, 2008 followed by Bishop Smith’s dedication of the church on May 2, 2008.

The site chosen was part of the Mater Dei parking lot extending to, and joining with, the former convent whose termite ridden chapel was demolished in the process. This refurbished building has been named the Monsignor Bulman Pastoral Center and houses the priests’ living quarters, the parish offices and two meeting rooms.

The new church now provides the 4,243 families of the parish with a space of 28,250 square feet and accommodates a gathering of 1,200 worshippers with six Sunday Masses. Thus the need for the use of Memorial Hall, which is actually the gymnasium of Mater Dei High School, to accommodate eight Sunday Masses for 44 years, has been eliminated. The old Saint Mary Church which was built in 1901 and could hold only 280 worshipers has been renamed St. Mary Chapel. This name change was required by Canon Law since a parish is allowed only one church. The Chapel is now being used for daily Masses, funerals and weddings on request.

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The Church was designed by George Yu of GYA Architects, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the general contractor was Woodward Construction of Marlboro, New Jersey. A description of the structure by the GYA Architects follows.

A.  The Work consists of the following:

1.   The new one-story structure with partial basement and partial second floor (approximately 29,000 total square feet) is constructed to accommodate a Worship Center with its assembly space, narthex, sacristy spaces, and other support facilities. The new building adjoins the west side of the existing structure,  and minor renovations of the existing structure connected the new building to the existing. The work included the following:

a.  SITE WORK: 1)  Existing Utilities:

a)  Removal/relocation of all existing utility lines to make way for construction.

2) Demolition/removal of the following:

a)  Existing convent chapel building, house and garage including all slabs on grade and foundations.

b)  Removal of bituminous paved driveway, concrete sidewalk and other site elements to make way for new construction.

b.  NEW BUILDING: 1) New Worship Spaces:

a)  A high-ceiling single-story worship space with a seating capacity for 1,200.

b) Supporting spaces:

• Narthex • Adoration Chapel • Reconciliation Chapels • Sacristy spaces • Music Office • Restrooms and Powder rooms • Storage rooms

Architecture

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Architecture

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2.  New Spaces Connecting to Existing Convent (Visitation House)a)  Provision for a two stop elevator and stair connecting first 

floor and second floor.b)    Front office spaces.

3.  The building structure consists of metal deck on steel beams, columns and joists. The colonnade structure consists of wood tongue and groove roof deck on heavy timber beams supported on solid masonry piers. The exterior walls are constructed of brick masonry tied back to a metal stud “curtain wall” assembly.

4.  Interior wall and ceiling finishes consist primarily of painted gypsum wall board. Floors in public spaces are finished with porcelain paver tile and carpet. The altar floor is made of granite. Woodwork throughout is of stain finished oak paneling and trims.

5.  Heating and air conditioning is provided by gas-fired boilers and an outdoor chiller, and central station air handling units.

B.  Design Concepts:

1.  The liturgical spaces are designed following the principles recommended in “Environment and Art in Catholic Worship” published by the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, while working with design elements reminiscent of historic church forms.

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2.   The design of the building is a modern interpretation of the Romanesque style, common in early Church history, typified by rounded arches, simple minimally adorned forms and an easily comprehended hierarchy of spaces.

3.  The use of natural light is an important aspect of the building. Natural light accentuates and gives form to the spaces, highlighting the beauty of the structure, while at the same time contributes to the intimacy of the spaces.

4. “ We believe a building is similar to a musical instrument. We strive to design buildings that accommodate various styles of music, resonating in quality and tones; but it is the user, the parish, who plays the instrument making this “music” possible.”

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The Exterior

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Welcome to our parish church. As we approach from the parking lot, we pass through a landscaped area arriving at the memorial gathering place. Here in nice weather, we have the opportunity to stop and socialize, or rather, spend some time in quiet devotion to our Blessed Mother whose statue, crafted by Klaas Design of Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, is one of only four of its kind in existence. This helps us to be aware of Mary, our mother, under the title of Mother of God. The Mother and Child sculpture was intentionally chosen because of the name of the church, and is made with a cold cast bronze technique, reinforced with fiberglass to withstand the elements. Extreme realism allows the observer to be immersed into the closeness and love shown in the detail of the faces and hands.

The adjoining memorial, which has a beam from the World Trade Center, reminds us of the tragedy of September 11, 2001 where twenty seven of our parishioners perished. The memorial pavers surrounding the area consist of North American rose granite quarried in Barre, Vermont. Uras Monuments, Middletown provided the inscriptions.

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On entering the building the first door to the left leads to the Adoration Chapel which provides us with the opportunity to worship Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament twenty-four hours a day. The stained glass window depicts Jesus the Lamb of God which is a traditional symbol of Jesus’ sacrifice for all of us. The narrow window underneath shows symbols of grapes and wheat. These are the creations of the Rholf Studios from Mount Vernon, New York. The altar has been hand carved in white oak by Bob Barone from Barone Woodwork on Wilson Avenue here in Middletown, and also a parishioner.

As we enter the Narthex, three original paintings on canvas grace the walls. These are the creations of Matt Szotak, an artist and parishioner, who has generously and willingly shared his wonderful artistic gift and deep faith with us. “Hail Mary” is the title for the portrayal of the Holy Family. The title of “Mother and Son” is dedicated to the sorrowing Mary in isolation with her Son after the Crucifixion, and the “Resurrection” illustrates the climax for a promise fulfilled. Matt’s choice of scenes from the Gospel helps us to see the mission of Jesus and connects us to our patroness, Mary the Mother of God.

An adjoining wall carries the names of all who contributed to the Capital Campaign, an expression of special gratitude to those who made the completion of our church possible. The statue of the Good Shepherd is a tribute to our own good shepherd, Monsignor Walsh, who led us to this memorable point in the history of

The Interior

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The Interior

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our parish. This creation is again a Klaas design made of basswood. Off the Narthex are the Reconciliation Chapels named for the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. Each has a stained glass window showing the particular scene from the Gospel. These scenes help us to be aware of the sins which we have committed and our lost opportunities to do good unto others. The privacy screens were crafted by Bob Barone. The sculpture of “Christ Washing Peter’s Feet” in the recess between the Reconciliation Chapels is a gift from a parishioner and the work of Nena Bryans. Her work can be seen in the permanent collections of several churches, seminaries, universities, corporate headquarters and private collections. Nena is a member of the Wayne Art Center, Pen and Brush (NYC) and AURA (Association Uniting Religion and Art) as a founding member.

The Narthex itself affords us the opportunity to be indoors and spend some time together prior to and after Mass.

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ChurchAs we enter the Church, we immediately see the Baptismal Font. This reminds us of our own Baptism, and as we make the sign of the cross, we are directly aware of our continuing response to the grace of the sacrament in our lives. The font is designed to facilitate the baptism of both children and adults. This is the direct symbol that points the way for all of us to the altar which is the central point of our Church. Nothing must compete with the altar which is the primary focus during the sacrifice of the Mass. When we visit the church for private devotions, the other elements are available before us in the forms of the Tabernacle, the Crucifix, the Statues and the Stations of the Cross.

The seventeen foot high cross, created in white oak by Bob Barone, with the corpus of Jesus, a one of a kind by Achim Klaas, stands to the side of the altar. This gives us a striking sense of the pain Christ suffered. The figure’s expressive face and the empty diaphragm portray the artist’s

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personal image of the asphyxiated Jesus upon the cross when he could no longer draw air into his lungs. The nails in the wrists, as opposed to the customary placement in the hands, represent a historically recognized form of crucifixion. This position better supports the body. It should be noted that the word “hand”, translated from the Greek, refers to the arm and hand together. The off-center position of this masterpiece was purposely chosen as not to obstruct our vision of the altar. The corpus is custom hand carved in basswood in three pieces. It consists of two separate arms and a single three hundred pound cutting for the body. Two further Klaas creations,

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the Blessed Mother, and Saint Joseph with the tools of his trade, face each other on opposite walls.

Klaas Design provides the following description of their artwork: “The interior sculptures are all custom carved from basswood (linden wood). The wood is laminated together forming a heavy solid monolithic type of block from which the interior “contained” figure is released from its “bondage”. This involves hundreds of hours of intense work. Each block of wood initially weighs two hundred pounds. The carving process begins with using chainsaws and various other power tools that step down the refinement of the emerging shape. The final details such as hair, texture and smoothness are carried out with finer hand tools. The resultant work plays with these contrasting details to create a very realistic fine woodcarving.

The extreme detail becomes the vehicle to realize the physiology, emotion and feeling of the subject matter being portrayed. The result is that the viewer is drawn into the sculptures. The suffering and ultimate sacrifice of Christ is felt, as is the theme of Saint Joseph, a working man, with the stability of the provider, and Mary’s inspirational virtue. Through these detailed depictions it is hoped that these works of art are inspirational and provide the focus for meditation and prayer for many years to come.”

This last statement echoes Monsignor Walsh’s vision from the start of the project that the sacred be manifest in all things.

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Achim’s work, is well recognized for the innate empathy with which he approaches his human subject matter. His portrait compositions are infused with powerful feeling as well as being sensitively accurate. Looking at one of his works, his viewer is absorbed into looking for deeper meanings. The uncompromising detail carried by the overall concept with dynamic gestures is amazing.

At each of the four gables, there are Rose windows, the creation of Rolhf Studios, which generate for us a great experience of mystery and the greatness of God. Each is eleven feet in diameter and facilitates light into the Church in differing fashion during the day and the various seasons of the year.

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The Baut Studios in Swoyersville, Pennsylvania designed and crafted the marble appointments. Some of the marble, that required computer milling and special processing, came from the quarries of Pietrasanta in Tuscany. It is of interest that Michelangelo was the first sculptor to recognize the beauty of the stone of that region. However, most of the marble used was acquired from the Holy Cross Church in Scranton, Pennsylvania before its demolition. A Communion rail, in particular, is visible in the main altar, the Tabernacle altar and the Ambo. The Stations of the Cross are another prized acquisition. These items were originally crafted between 1905 and 1925. The type of tan marble throughout is called Botticino Classico from the quarries of Verona that have been active since Roman times. It is termed a “noble marble” since it was widely used in ancient structures. It became popular in the United States during the early twentieth century, the result of the Nazarenos movement in Italy, Austria and Southern Germany, whose aim was to restore honesty and spirituality to religious art. The rose colored marble, Rosa Francia, from the Mount Falana region of Tuscany, has like the Botticino, been quarried since the second century. It served as a popular accent when the Holy Cross Church

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was erected. Now rare, it was not available in the large format required to complete our furnishings. However, a complementary marble, Breccia Pernice, was able to be procured and can be seen in the extended central section of the Baptismal Font that has the Rosa Francia for its basin and coping. It was also used for the backdrop to the Communion rail in both altars and in the Ambo. In all, a beautiful three color contrast of tone exists, blending the old with the new. A diamond pattern came with the rail that was created by a chisel indentation to the Botticino with an insert of the Rosa Francia. This technique known as intarsia demonstrates a very high quality of hand carving before the advent of modern abrasives. It was decided that the diamond pattern would prevail throughout. The Tabernacle altar with the Ambo and newly created Cantor stand now show its modern use. The newel posts of the rail, used in both the Ambo and the Tabernacle altar, have a beautiful border of a mosaic composed of an opaque glass known as smalti. Some of the pieces were damaged but were able to be replaced. The table of the main altar weights two tons and was carved in Pietrasanta.

All the appointments have a super construction within created of welded aluminum and epoxy adhesives to ensure the solidity of the older marble that might have some inherent flawing.

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It is amazing to note that in all our marble furnishings the original work looks as accurate as the new. This is indeed a wonderful testimony to the craftsmen of old, and in particular, to the Baut Studio’s artisans of today.

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The Stations of the Cross were crafted sometime between 1905 and 1910. The station itself is in Botticino marble with the surmounting cross in oak wood. The wooden element was then required to meet the liturgical rubrics of the time but this is no longer a requirement. The figurative scenes within are cast in smalti which is a mosaic that is color fast and resists environmental changes. The background is rendered in twenty-three and a half karat gold. The figures reflect the Nazarenos style, the time period of the art itself. Since that was a very busy period for church artwork in Italy and the Tyrol, limited numbers were produced, perhaps fifty in total, few of which remain to this day. It is estimated that these works of art could not be reproduced for less than two million dollars.

Great care was taken in removing the stations from the walls of Holy Cross. Since there was evidence of cracking, a temporary glue was applied to protect the mosaic. A high-tech plastic

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filler, assimilating the Botticino, was successfully applied to conceal the cracks. Then with a full blown photo of the station, and working with tweezers and magnifying glass, the damaged mosaic was replaced with the repairs appearing absolutely transparent. Cuts for replacements were able to be taken from the non-damaged portion of the mosaic that fortunately had the required thickness to accommodate this process.

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New Holland Church Furniture of Lancaster, Pennsylvania were the providers of our wooden furnishings. They have been in the business of crafting custom wood products since 1919. They specialize in quality furniture that enhances the functional, aesthetic and spiritual aspects of a building and they are also the only main provider of radius (curved) pews in the United States. Located in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, their craftsmen are among those that are world renowned for quality workmanship and solid work ethics. Our pews and the private prayer seating are crafted in red oak as are the upholstered chairs and the servers’ benches.

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Bob Barone has handcrafted the remaining wooden furnishings in white oak, among these are the presiders’ chairs, the sacramentary and gift tables, hymn boards, six crosses marking the points of the church used for the anointing at the dedication ceremony, the Advent wreath stand and the bases for the two statues of Our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. He also coordinated with New Holland Church Furniture to ensure that the wood stain would be identical throughout. Bob certainly became our own St. Joseph in action when the need arose. He humbly describes the very generous offering of his time, talent and material as a gift straight from his heart.

The three candleholders came from a church in Trenton no longer in use. They were restored by Becker Plating of Neptune, New Jersey. Two flank the main altar and the third serves the Paschal candle at the entrance. The outer casing of the Tabernacle was provided by the Baut Studios while the interior in gold was commissioned by them for crafting in Italy.

The Music

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The grand Yamaha piano, Model C-6, is a gift from a parishioner. It is fashioned in high gloss polished mahogany with a matching bench.

The Allen Organ Company, 150 Locust St. in Macungie, Pennsylvania custom built the organ for our church. The organ is an Allen Heritage 487Q Digital Renaissance Quantum Organ. It has a custom Red Oak finish to match our wooden pews. It is equipped with Optical Sensing Technology (OPT) for precision keying, Quad Suite and Acoustic Portrait technology.

“Quad Suite provides the versatility of four separate and distinct organs in one console. This organ is equipped with American Classic, Neo-

The Music

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Baroque, French Romantic and Orchestral specifications. Each setting has unique stop list that complements your music selections. The specifications are comprised of unique pipe samples from the world’s finest examples of major organ-building.”

“Acoustical Portrait allows you to replicate the sound of ten different acoustic spaces ranging from pipe organ chambers to the Cathedral of St. Denis in Paris, France” with the change of a setting at the touch of a switch. This was accomplished via the latest in digital technology sampling.

This organ has four manuals; Solo, Swell, Great and Choir. It has memory settings for sixteen different organists to preset the organ to their specific registrations. It is a 79 Stop/316 Voice organ. It is equipped with the latest MIDI technology via the Allen Vista system. This

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system adds the option of an additional 200+ sounds to further enhance the capabilities of this instrument.

The cabinet is the largest of all the cabinets Allen makes. It has custom Rosewood drawknob stems, keyboard and pedal sharps. The keys are made of Ivora naturals. The organ has decorate Skinner-style key cheeks and Chrome toe studs. It has a lighted lattice-style adjustable music rack, black division divider strips and rocker tab molding. The bench is also custom Red Oak finished and is adjustable in height. It is equipped with a back rest.

The Allen Organ Company featured this organ as their “Organ of the Week” on Feb. 18, 2008 on their website at www.allenorgan.com. Pictures of the organ can be found at this website in the archives section.

This organ was purchased from, and installed by, Stadele’s Allen Organ in Branchburg, N.J. Mr. Lee Stadele installed the organ on April 14, 2008. Later on that week he installed another smaller organ at Yankee Stadium for use at the Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit.

Our organ is the first church installation of an organ of this type in the entire New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. It is equipped with a bass speaker system located in the wall of the church. The main speakers, 22 of them, are located in the highest point possible, enclosed in the center of the church ceiling, aiming out in four directions. The speakers are structurally supported in steel enclosures.

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The audio system was designed and installed by the Monte Bros. Sound Systems of Dobbs Ferry, New York, who specialize in “advanced state of the art” systems for houses of worship. They have installed thousands of these, providing enhanced intelligibility and functional user control for each installation. They have also serviced Universal Studios and installed solutions for the public and government sectors.

Our system has been designed with forty-nine speakers in the assembly place, three in the hallway, eight in the Narthex and two outside. To enhance performance, fifty-four acoustical panels were added. Medieval churches used ash-filled pots embedded in the walls to absorb sound. These evolved into today’s concept of sound absorbing panels commonly called “acoustical

Sound System

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panels.” The basic components of an acoustical panel include a sound absorbing substrate material and a covering of cloth vinyl, or other material meeting modern safety standards. The most widely used panel consists of fiberglass board substrate and cloth cover usually referred to as a POP - a “Plain Old Panel”. Acoustical panels control sound by selectively absorbing sound waves, thereby reducing echoes and re-echoes. All of the various substrates absorb sound by trapping it in a labyrinth of fibers or open cells within the material. As sound travels through this maze, it loses energy due to both the travel and the direct changes within the material. Strictly speaking, the energy of the sound wave is converted to heat within the material. However, this heat is hardly measurable and will not have any effect on a facility’s heating or cooling system.

Our panels were purchased from Acoustics First Corporation, Richmond, Virginia. They measure four by eight feet and are two inches thick with a half bevel. They have a high impact surface with a layer of high density fiberglass below the fabric. These are particularly useful in gymnasium applications to avoid the craters created by wayward basketballs in softer fiberglass surfaces. A side effect of the high impact surface is the improved absorption in the lower frequencies. The covering fabric was supplied by Guilford of Maine and was carefully selected. It had to be ensured that the fiberglass substrate and the covering fabric were compatible within themselves, and in turn, that they blended with the sanctuary interior.

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The Facts

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The Facts  1. There were 166 tradesmen working on the project, with as many as       45 men on-site at the same time. Add to that number the office        support and supplies, and there were over 250 people involved in        the building.

  2. The structural steel skeleton weighed   408 tons, or 816,000 pounds        of structural steel.

  3  A good deal of the steel was used to create clear spans of 150 L.F.        for the wide open Nave.

  4. The Nave ceiling was nominated for, and won a state award        for design and construction by DISCA (Drywall & interior Systems        Contractors Association, of New Jersey).

  5. The steel girder sections were so long that they had to be field        connected, and supported by temporary steel towers that were in        place until after all steel was erected, bolted and welded. The      temporary towers had to come down very slowly and evenly to        present any uneven loads. The complex steel design was a success.

  6. There was a total of 1,200 cubic yards of concrete poured for this     building, largely due to the unusual steel structure needed for the        clear open space.

  7. During the construction, there were as many as 15 motorized lifts        inside the building, with most of them in the Nave. Some of the lifts        were articulating lifts with an 80’ range.

  8. There is a piece of steel from the 2001 World Trade Center building        placed in a niche in the Prayer Garden brick wall.

  9. Shawn Reilly, one of the owners of Woodward Construction        Company, was the on-site superintendent of the project. Shawn not     only attended Mater Dei High School, but starred on the football        team there. Shawn’s brother, Casey Reilly, was the carpenter foreman      for the job, and like his brother, also graduated from Mater Dei.

10. There were eight different types of sheetrock used on the project        with a total of 180,000 square feet of sheetrock utilized, or        approximately 4,500 sheets.

11. The brick utilized on the exterior of the building was a “utility size”,     meaning it measured 3 5/8” x 3 5/8” x 11 5/8” (a 4” x 12” face).        There were eight different shapes of bricks used, with a total of        120,000 bricks used.

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Catholic Community of St. Mary

Middletown • (732) 671-0071www.stmarychurchnj.org