2017-09-15-eEdition

PAGE 2 THE CATHOLIC WEEK SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 The Catholic Week SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 Volume 83, Number 18 Official Publication of the Archdiocese of Mobile Published since 1934 The Catholic Week (USPS 094-660) is published bi-weekly by the Archdiocese of Mobile 356 Government Street Mobile, AL 36602 Periodical Postage Paid at Mobile, Alabama —POSTMASTER— Send address changes to: The Catholic Week, PO Box 349, Mobile, AL 36601 Mobile P.S. Form 3541-N —PUBLISHER— Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi —EDITOR— Robert W. Herbst 251-434-1544 rherbst@mobarch.org —PRODUCTION— Pamela C. Wheeler 251-434-1545 tcw@mobarch.org —ADVERTISING— Mary Ann Stevens 251-434-1543 cwadvertising@bellsouth.net —OFFICE HOURS— 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday —PHONE NUMBERS— 251-432-3529 FAX: 251-434-1547 —OFFICE ADDRESS— 356 Government Street Mobile, Alabama —MAILING ADDRESS— PO Box 349 • Mobile AL 36601 —WEBSITE— www.mobarch.org/catholicweek —ONLINE EDITION— www.mobarch.org —SUBSCRIPTIONS— Laura C. Ball 251-434-1535 lball@mobarch.org $22 out-of-parish, and $24 out-of- state. Address all subscription cor- respondence to The Catholic Week , PO Box 349, Mobile AL 36601. When changing address, renewing or inquiring about a subscription, customer should include a recent address label with old address and new address and allow four weeks for address change to take effect. DEADLINES for SEPTEMBER 29, 2017 News copy and photos: SEPTEMBER 19, NOON Advertising Camera-ready Ads: SEPTEMBER 19, NOON ByMARINELLALENTIS ForThe Catholic Week TROY — As church renovations plans at St. Martin of Tours Parish were finalized last year, Fr.Den Irwin was left with a major ques- tion: what to do behind the tabernacle. Decoration was needed in order to com- plement the new baldacchino (canopy), the new high altar, and the side niches for stat- ues of Mary and St. Joseph.The answer came from parishioners Anne Christensen and Carolynne Estis, who proposed mosaics. Christensen and Estis aren’t professionals, but have a knack for handicrafts and a pas- sion for church beauty.Christensen previously worked on a painting of mosaic tiles at Christ the King Parish in Andalusia and completed a faux mosaic of the Paschal Lamb at Our Lady Queen of Mercy in Montgomery. Christensen and Estis labored more than 600 hours over the past year, as they used thousands of pieces of glass of at least 30 dif- ferent colors which they individually trimmed to fit the design. After many adjustments, the mosaics were completed in late July and installed by a con- struction company in charge of the church renovation.The mosaic consists of three parts —a central piece about 4 feet tall and two side pieces of about 3 feet tall. The design of the central mosaic is based on a window found in the old St. Martin Church on Walnut Street. It represents a cross within a jeweled crown inserted in a round medallion decorated with fleurs-de-lis and other natural motifs. The mosaic reprises this imagery, but it has also been adapted to include references to St. Martin of Tours’ life. The background is designed in waves and is decorated with gold and purple tiles. The side mosaics feature a natural motif mounted by a fleur-de-lis against a promi- nently purple background interspersed with gold. A close look at the three mosaics allows the observer to notice that the golden pieces are not distributed evenly but are more preva- lent at the top and at the bottom, while more sparse in the middle section of the mosaic. Christensen explains that this signifies the outpouring of God’s grace for us:Graces come down from Heaven and intensify as they get close to the Precious Body in the tabernacle. This was one important point about which Christensen and Estis were adamant: they wanted to make sure that the mosaic was not a distraction, not the center of attention. “We wanted to complement the tabernacle but not take anything away from it, because Christ is and has to always be the center,”they stated. According to Estis, the most challenging part was the transferring from the contact pa- per to the official wood, “just because it was terrifying, and we’re looking at these thou- sands of pieces of loose tiles, and hundreds of hours behind it! But then, the most rewarding aspect of it was watching the contractors put it in and it was such a relief when they did it!” To Christensen, the most rewarding thing was seeing people’s reactions: “We were at Mass and saw the altar boys turning to look at it and then wanting to see it up close after- wards.That was really neat!” The final result is more beautiful than Fr. Irwin had expected. “What a magnificent work they are, a real work of love, something that will always be here,”he said. According to Fr. Irwin, people have appre- ciated the renovations recently completed and the mosaics have added to this. “I think it helps you to pray when you are in a place that speaks about the holiness of the thing that happens there. It has definitely put the icing on the cake,” Fr. Irwin said. People have been astounded by the work and even more impressed by the fact that it was done by two individuals who are not pro- fessionals, just two dedicated parishioners. “What a project. And so professionally done”, remarked Fr. Irwin. “When you have professionals, you expect something pretty impressive, but they are volunteers giving that as a total gift.” A blessing of the new mosaics will take place on the parish’s feast day, Nov. 12. AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE Photos by Debi Green/For The Catholic Week Anne Christensen (left) and Carolynne Estis, parishioners at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Troy, volunteered to create mosaics that now sit behind the church’s tabernacle. A beautiful gift for St. Martin Amateur artists create mosaics to complement tabernacle at Troy parish