Shrine Project

[JButky]

http://www.archdioceseofhartford.org/images/churches/church281.jpg

The Church of St. Anne in Waterbury, CT is scheduled to be converted into a Shrine.

Archbishop Mansell of the Hartford Archdiocese has named Fr. Michael F.X . Hinkley as Pastor and has given him the task of restoring this treasure to be used as an Archdiocesan Shrine.

Two tasks of the Shrine will be in tribute to motherhood and continuation of the great musical Tradition of the Church. The first major fund raiser is scheduled for the Feast of the Epiphany.

If you’d like to now more about the project, just ask, I’ll try and answer as best as I can. These are exciting times for this city and this church!

Joe B

 

[Freeway4321]

Wow. I like the good Bishop Mansell.

Have you been inside of the church?

What kind of Altar does it have?

Will Mass be celebrated weekly?

 

[Guar_Fan]

Does anyone know how a shrine differs from a church?

 

[JButky]

Freeway4321:

Wow. I like the good Bishop Mansell.

Have you been inside of the church?

What kind of Altar does it have?

Will Mass be celebrated weekly?

Yes, I’ve been inside. The original ornate high altar is still in place. There is no Organ. (Fire about 20 years ago). That will be replaced. (Pipe Of course)
The woodwork surrounding the confessionals encompassing the back is fantastic.

The church has been whitewashed and the original paint scheme is beneath it. I’ve seen the blueprints and the original drawings of the original color scheme. The architechure is High Gothic Feminine. Not a lot of guilding or bold colors, but there was intricate painted patterns that will be restored as well as the softer feminine florals and vines in the plaster work that will all need restoration. (lots of pink, peach, soft reds in the dome, etc) John Canning of John Canning Studios removed a layer of paint to reveal the original paint. The whole Curch will need to have that layer removed and the the original patterned painting repainted. Behind the High Altar to the left next to the old sacristy door is a small section where the paint was removed to reveal the original. Seeing that was very exciting!

The Church seats 1100, the choir loft will hold 100. Right now, there is one Mass there on Sunday at 10 am. When it is in Shrine, the plan is to have a Sunday afternoon Mass and have the Church open for Adoration and Benediction.

Currently there are 4 rather large herald trumpets on order that will be used for Mass. They will be bannered to represent occasions, (e.g. the Archdiocesan seal when the Bishop comes, etc.) So I will be writing for those instruments to incorporate into the Mass settings. Currently planned for Epiphany is the Boar’s head festival (“an Ancient Medieval Processional celebrating Epiphany”). The Festival already has 2 herald trumpets to be combined with 4 on order for a total of 6 to be used for the festival. The Choir will number approximately 100 for the event with 20 in the brass section and Organ. It is a fully costumed event, complete with live animals.

I’ve been the Festival organist for this particular production for a number of years. Originally it was done in a setting like St. Anne, since it is a grand affair. To get the chance to hold the festival there is fantastic. After that, Rutter’s Requiem is the next scheduled event for Lent. We hope to have that there as well.

So there are big things planned for the Shrine.

Since you are in the area, I am the Music Director up at Blessed Sacrament (Fr. Hinkley’s other parish). Stop up after Mass sometime and I can tell you more.

Joe B

 

[JButky]

Guar Fan:

Does anyone know how a shrine differs from a church?

As a Shrine, it has a special charge for Pilgrimages, special events, etc.

Joe B

 

[Freeway4321]

JButky:

Yes, I’ve been inside. The original ornate high altar is still in place. There is no Organ. (Fire about 20 years ago). That will be replaced. (Pipe Of course)
The woodwork surrounding the confessionals encompassing the back is fantastic.

The church has been whitewashed and the original paint scheme is beneath it. I’ve seen the blueprints and the original drawings of the original color scheme. The architechure is High Gothic Feminine. Not a lot of guilding or bold colors, but there was intricate painted patterns that will be restored as well as the softer feminine florals and vines in the plaster work that will all need restoration. (lots of pink, peach, soft reds in the dome, etc) John Canning of John Canning Studios removed a layer of paint to reveal the original paint. The whole Curch will need to have that layer removed and the the original patterned painting repainted. Behind the High Altar to the left next to the old sacristy door is a small section where the paint was removed to reveal the original. Seeing that was very exciting!

The Church seats 1100, the choir loft will hold 100. Right now, there is one Mass there on Sunday at 10 am. When it is in Shrine, the plan is to have a Sunday afternoon Mass and have the Church open for Adoration and Benediction.

Currently there are 4 rather large herald trumpets on order that will be used for Mass. They will be bannered to represent occasions, (e.g. the Archdiocesan seal when the Bishop comes, etc.) So I will be writing for those instruments to incorporate into the Mass settings. Currently planned for Epiphany is the Boar’s head festival (“an Ancient Medieval Processional celebrating Epiphany”). The Festival already has 2 herald trumpets to be combined with 4 on order for a total of 6 to be used for the festival. The Choir will number approximately 100 for the event with 20 in the brass section and Organ. It is a fully costumed event, complete with live animals.

I’ve been the Festival organist for this particular production for a number of years. Originally it was done in a setting like St. Anne, since it is a grand affair. To get the chance to hold the festival there is fantastic. After that, Rutter’s Requiem is the next scheduled event for Lent. We hope to have that there as well.

So there are big things planned for the Shrine.

Since you are in the area, I am the Music Director up at Blessed Sacrament (Fr. Hinkley’s other parish). Stop up after Mass sometime and I can tell you more.

Joe B

All of this sounds very exciting. I’m happy to see this church is not sitting there and rotting. I heard they were knocking down the rectory or something like that, recently.

Thank you for the info, and next time I am in Waterbury I will stop by.

http://www.archdioceseofhartford.org/images/churches/church273.jpg

This church?

By the way… do you know how accommodating Archbishop Mansell is to those who want the Tridentine Mass? I know there’s the Saint Gregory Society in New Haven with Latin Mass at 2pm. Which is a great time… so I take it that he doesn’t completely shun it.

 

[JButky]

Freeway4321:

All of this sounds very exciting. I’m happy to see this church is not sitting there and rotting. I heard they were knocking down the rectory or something like that, recently.

No that’s been gone for quite awhile. That’s the area in back that is overgrown weeds. The plan is to have the city help redevelope that into a walkthrough park. We’ll see.

Freeway4321:

http://www.archdioceseofhartford.org/images/churches/church273.jpg

This church?

Yes, we just renovated and reopened May 1. The Catholic Transcript article this past month shows the details and St Joseph workshop which did the renovation.

Freeway4321:

By the way… do you know how accommodating Archbishop Mansell is to those who want the Tridentine Mass? I know there’s the Saint Gregory Society in New Haven with Latin Mass at 2pm. Which is a great time… so I take it that he doesn’t completely shun it.

Don’t know that. I know there is one in Hartford also once a month next to the old Hartford Seminary. Not the best section of town right now…

Joe B