Dear St. Elizabeth Seton Parishioners,
Facts and figures have always intrigued me. From square footage calculations to budget pro-forma, much can be illustrated and highlighted through numbers. They are often revealing a story that has significant meaning to the people depending on those numbers for accuracy. Throughout the Bible, we encounter numbers being used both figuratively and symbolically and frequently see numbers that illustrate the deeper meaning of a scripture passage.
This week, I would like to share what the numbers are telling us regarding our Jubilee Renovations Project at St. Elizabeth Seton. Hopefully this will bring a greater understanding of the scope and breadth of our undertaking. The actual square footage of our church is 11,330 square feet. When measuring the interior of our worship space, you will find measures 7,475 sq. ft. The height at the top of the dome is 35 feet. The former pews provided seating for 613 parishioners. The calculation with the new pews is 659 seats, allowing a generous 20 inches per individual.
Lighting is so important to our worship space, we are replacing all 157 lights in the worship space with new energy efficient LED lights to provide consistent illumination throughout the entire church. Considered “re-lamping” the new lightbulbs will help us eliminate shadows and brighten our space.
The new choir area is approximately 370 sq. ft. It is built on a wood frame, and required 180 ft. of sound proofing insulation to completely insulate the floor prior to finishing the sub-flooring. Building the choir area took four days of three carpenters working to measure and assure accuracy of the height, and one full day to insulate and finishing the flooring.
A significant transformation in the renovation plan is adding color to the walls of our church. It will take approximately 136 gallons of paint to complete the Church and Ministry Room, Narthex, Adoration Chapel, Sanctuary and Sacristy. The first week of painting was accomplished by a team of four painters who began painting from the “top” down, beginning with the dome and around the mosaic. The dome took about 60 gallons of paint, and an additional 10 gallons were used around the mosaic. The superintendent of Paint Corps has commented that he believes this project will be a “landmark” in his career as he has not been called upon in the past to paint a church. He estimates a full two weeks of painting is required on the interior of the church before moving outside to paint the dome and exterior walls.
The most significant number is the number of donors to our renovation project. As of this week, over 330 parishioners and their families have donated to the Jubilee Campaign. It is their commitment, dedication and gifts that are making this Jubilee Renovation possible. It is inspiring to know that this community has rallied together to make this happen. The Holy Spirit is alive within the hearts of the parishioners of St. Elizabeth Seton.
In Christ and with Gratitude,
Dr. Kathleen H. Goeppinger
Jubilee Chair
