Stony Point: Picking Up the Pace

By Fr. Steve Stafran, SDB

(Stony Point, NY – March 21) – The renovations are moving forward at full speed with the placement of stone near completion. I had a typo in my brief last week, I meant to say 900 square feet of stone; now it’s nearly 1,000 since the workers needed to get more from the quarry. Also, it isn’t stone veneer, it’s real stone! Concurrently, marble pedestals are being built for the statues of Mary and Don Bosco as well as the addition of oak trim for the platforms and the ledge of indirect lights on both sides of the interior. New votive candle stands have arrived that have real candles using double paraffin so no smoke, as well as a new system developed for safety.

I don’t think Fr. John Lomagno, the visionary of the Shrine and its first director, could imagine the transformation taking place, but we believe that he and the Shrine founders would be pleased. We are on schedule for the sanctuary to be ready for Easter services. The new color-etched windows of saints will take longer as the artists need to sketch each one in the same style and position from all the selected images and photos we submitted. Please say a special prayer to St. Joseph the Worker for the success of the project and the safety of all the workers involved.

To be continued...