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Holy Infant Catholic Church Turns Back Clock On Sanctuary Design | ||
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By Tom Mitchell | ||
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ELKTON—In an endeavor that blends the nostalgic with the practical, the congregation at Holy Infant Catholic Church is turning back time. For the past three years, Holy Infant’s faithful have labored to give their house of worship a new lease on life. And the fruits show in a 54-year-old red brick building that, through its tenants’ attempts at restoration, has turned into a movement, say its leaders. The task of returning Holy Infant’s interior to its old design unfolded during a month last spring, but leaders of the project agree that the work was overdue. Changes ordered by a previous priest in the late 1980s, said church member Frances Dovel, hindered worship. Replacement of a marble altar near the back of the building with a wooden model in the middle of the church blocked the aisle, and a repositioning of pews left both benches facing each other and away from the pulpit, forcing guests to look sideways to see the lectern. Work started slowly, said Gene Baker, a church member from Grottoes who led the project. Baker, 75, a retired policeman from Washington, D.C., lent his knack for organization as much as he did his carpentry skills to the plan. “I stepped on a few toes when I took over,” said Baker, whose late wife Nancy attended Holy Infant and who converted from his Episcopalian faith to Catholicism a few years ago. “But the great majority of the people in our church are very pleased with what we did.” Key improvements to the church included the transfer of a wood-and-glass screen that hid the altar to the rear wall of the church, fresh carpeting for the altar and the return of the altar to its old site near the back. Other changes redirected pews toward the altar and opened the parish room to the side of the sanctuary for services. The latter alignment will let the church, with a previous seating capacity of 165 people, accommodate 70 more. A flood of volunteers from the congregation, said Baker, cut the cost of a $50,000 venture in half. Varied Rolls Built in 1953 near the corner of U.S. 340 and 33, just south of Elkton, Holy Infant Catholic Church serves a diverse congregation. Along with residents, tourists and time-share visitors from nearby Massanutten Resort attend mass. Weekly rolls at Holy Infant include guests from all along the East Coast, and frequently some foreigners. Says the Rev. Joy P. Credo, Holy Infant’s Filipino priest: “We are a small, but global, community.” Even more vital than the structural perks of the work was the way that the undertaking united members. “It’s a more cohesive church,” said Dovel, 80, who serves as Holy Infant’s parish council secretary. “Before, it was just a building. It’s been exciting. There’s a spirit of camaraderie.” Chuck Cyphert, a church member who lives in Shenandoah, thinks that renovating Holy Infant has caught the attention of people outside the church. “A lot of visitors have seen the transformation,” said Cyphert, 63. “It’s the glue that’s held the church together. You have to have a leader to follow, and Father Alex is a very positive leader.” Adds Edie Farris, who along with husband Phil worships at Holy Infant: “It’s remarkable how much work was done by volunteers. There’s a spirit of friendship, hospitality and warmth.” Baker says the church also plans to upgrade an aging kitchen, bathrooms and rectory. “We’ve got a good church, and we can add another 50 years to its life,” said Baker. “There’s a lot more still to do.” Contact Tom Mitchell at 574-6275 or mitchell@dnronline.com |
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