Tuesday, October 10, 2006

The restoration of a chapel

Fr. Gregoire Fluet, Ph.D, VF, sent me an interesting mail today which detailed a good news story.

Here is how the story goes:

"When I was first named pastor of Saint Bridget of Kildare in Moodus, Connecticut (a section of East Haddam,) in 1998 I was delighted to find apart from our 1958 church, a beautiful small chapel building attached to the parish cemetery and actually the first parish church built in 1867 by the Irish immigrants, soon replaced by Polish immigrants coming to work in local mills. It had seen better days, apart from some painting and work in 1975 nothing had been done to the church since it was vacated in 1958. I was able to use it to offer the indult Mass of the Diocese of Norwich for a short period, but I stopped because frankly I was not certain that the building was safe. With the help and support of the people of the parish, many other generous friends, some of whom attend the Tradtional Mass, and contractors, the Church now has a new foundation (yes, we picked it up, and put a new foundation underneath!) a new roof and a completely restored interior. On October 1, we celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving on the External Solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary (Missa Cantata). This was made possible by the seminarians of Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius of Chicago who attend Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell where I teach and who very generously offered their help along with some other seminarians. I send some pictures, hoping they can be of some use. We now plan on using this beautiful Church regularly for the Indult Mass (that has the full support of the Bishop of Norwich, Connecticut, Bishop Michael Cote) and for special occasions."

A wonderful story of a restoration. Here are the pictures Fr. Fluet spoke of. A beautiful chapel.









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