Lenten makeovers: St. Joseph and St. Anne parishioners restore and renovate church interiors

Father Jonathan Meyer, administrator of St. Joseph and St. Anne parishes in Jennings County, celebrates Mass on March 19, the feast of St. Joseph, in the newly restored St. Joseph Church. Concelebrants are, from left, Father Paul Etienne, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis; Father Michael Fritsch, pastor of St. John the Apostle Parish in Bloomington; Father James Meade, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Chesterton, Ind., in the Gary Diocese, and Father Joseph Sheets, a retired diocesan priest. Deacon John Hollowell, standing to the right of Father Meyer, assisted with the liturgy. (Photo by Mary Ann Wyand)

By Mary Ann Wyand

JENNINGS COUNTY—Two country churches in Jennings County received beautiful Lenten makeovers in February and March thanks to the generosity and hard work of parishioners who helped restore and renovate the church interiors in only a few weeks.

Members of St. Joseph and St. Anne parishes made their historic churches sparkle again just in time for Holy Week and Easter with volunteers and some hired, skilled laborers, but saved a considerable amount of money.

Father Jonathan Meyer, administrator of the two rural parishes in southern Indiana, said he knew that farmers routinely complete big jobs quickly, but he was still amazed by their efficiency, expertise and detailed craftsmanship.

At St. Anne Church, parishioners completed four major restoration projects.

“We had plaster damage on the upper right-hand corner above the sanctuary,” Father Meyer said, “so all the plaster was chiseled out and replaced. It was so bad that we had to cover all the chairs and books on that side of the church because [pieces of] plaster would fall on them. The church interior was repainted, and we painted the altar bright white to match the other two altars then gilted it as well.

“The fourth big project was on the exterior of St. Anne Church,” he said. “We had some louvers in the upper part of the bell tower that needed to be replaced. … We had water problems that could affect the stability of the tower so—through the grace of God and some very generous benefactors, donors and workers—we had aluminum-clad louvers put up there that will last a very long time. They were handcrafted by a parishioner. We just paid for materials.”

At St. Joseph Church, he said, parishioners gutted the interior then replaced the high altar and altar, installed a communion rail and new flooring, constructed a soundproof confessional and helped paint the interior in new colors.

“I’m just amazed by their talent and hard work at both churches,” Father Meyer said. “The work at St. Anne Church began on Jan. 12 and we were done in a month. We never moved out of the church for Mass. At St. Joseph Church, work began on Feb. 16 and Masses were celebrated in the Parish Center for a month while the restoration was done. There was no grant money. It was all done out of the generosity of people’s hearts.” †