Work Underway at St. Ignatius Loyola
By Karen Gould

Standing on the working platform of a lift approximately 80 feet above Church Street, Don Closs of Tom Huskey Construction and Design works his way up the steeple at St. Ignatius Loyola Church. He is adding new shingles to the steeple's ice shield. Since this photograph was taken in September, the cross has been repainted with a brighter gold metallic paint. (Photograph by Tom McClelland)

Scaffolding frames the walls, power-tool cords snake their way along the floor where pews once stood, and sawdust is everywhere as a major renovation, preservation, and improvement project takes place at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church in St. Ignace.

The leaking roof has been replaced, old electrical wiring was removed and updated, and three of the 17 stained glass windows to be repaired in the 102-year-old St. Ignace Catholic church have been releaded and reframed as part of the renovation project.

The United Methodist Church of St. Ignace has offered use of its church building to St. Ignatius parishioners for services since September. The gesture has helped smooth the inconvenience during construction work, and Deacon Tom McClelland said he was deeply impressed with the hospitality Pastor Jim Balfour and the Methodist Church congregation have offered.

At right: Old pews have been removed as work continues inside St. Ignatius Loyola Church. Father Allen Mott (left) and Deacon Tom McClelland check on renovation progress Wednesday, October 17.

About 370 families make up the congregation at St. Ignatius Loyola.

The doors at St. Ignatius Loyola are expected to open by late November or early December, said Deacon McClelland.

Now in phase one of the twophase project, renovating the entire building may take up to three years. A fund drive has raised $357,000, just shy of the $400,000 goal. Total costs for both phases of the project are expected to reach $710,000.

A $100,000 interest-free loan from the Marquette Diocese will help cover some expenses, along with the $210,000 the church already had in its building fund. Donations are expected to make up the rest of the renovation costs.

Many improvements will not be visible to parishioners, said Father Allen Mott, including the rewiring of the entire first floor, ceiling, and choir loft. Costing approximately $50,000, replacing the antiquated wiring was essential, he said. At the same time, improvements will provide more control over lights, and lights were added in the sanctuary area.

"The sanctuary," said Fr. Mott, "will look ten times better because of the lighting."

Fr. Mott, who came to the parish July 2, inherited the project from Fr. Jim Williams, who retired in May.

The St. Ignatius Loyola Parish was established in 1671. The present church building was constructed in 1904 and dedicated in 1905 by Bishop Eis. Since then, said Fr. Mott, the building has undergone several renovations.

Initially, this project was hoped to be completed in May, but the planning process took longer than expected, and work began in August.

Tom Huskey Construction and Design of St. Ignace is the general contractor on the job.

As part of the rehabilitation process, the sanctuary furniture, including the altar, ambo, baptismal font, and presider's chair, will be replaced and are being built by Fr. Mott. Before entering Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, Fr. Mott had a commercial builder's license and a degree in construction management from Northern Michigan University.

"As one of the keys in this whole renovation process, the parish is blessed to have Fr. Al assigned here," said Deacon McClelland. "He understands construction details and comes with the skills to design and make sacred furniture."

The two men say the church looked dated and tired. New hardwood flooring, carpeting, and pews will greatly renew the church, and the new furniture pieces are designed to complement existing architectural details, bringing a unified look to the whole sanctuary. They will be more in keeping with the architecture of the building.

For the first time in many years, the baptismal font will have a permanent place in the sanctuary, said Deacon Mc- Clelland. Larger than the church's present font, which is on casters and is moved around, the new font will be placed to the right of the altar.

A wall has been added to the front of the sanctuary, which will bring the rearados and tabernacle closer to the parishioners, said Fr. Mott. The new wall will also create some needed storage space. The new locations of altar, ambo, presider's chair, and rearados, and the shape of the raised sanctuary floor, he said, will enhance the liturgy and provide more room for servers during the Mass.

"The changes," he said, "will better facilitate the worship of God in the Mass."

All 44 of the church's old wood pews have been sold for $95 each. The funds will help pay for the new pews, which will have cushioned seats.

Before work is complete, the floor will be redone with a combination of wood and carpeting. The existing rubber tile floor will be replaced with wood at the entrance, in the sanctuary, and down the center aisle. Carpeting will cover the floor under the new pews and in the side aisles.

The leaking church roof has been replaced. The steeple has been re-shingled and the cross repainted. The working bell tower has been painted, said Deacon McClelland. No refurbishing was needed on the bell, cast in 1892.

The old, rotting wood frame in the 10-foot by 18-foot opening for the stained glass window above the entrance doors has been replaced with mahogany. The wood is known for its durability and is slow to rot, said Fr. Mott. The stained glass window was removed and releaded by Vanderhoff Studios in Wisconsin. Heat from the sun had damaged the stained glass sections.

"The glass sections literally pulled toward the heat, so they were bowed out. Parts of the glass were touching the outside safety window," said Fr. Mott. "It was bowed that much."

The Wisconsin studio also will be working on other stained glass windows at the church within the next month, said Deacon McClelland, as long as the weather cooperates.

Work is progressing in the stairwell of the Spring Street entrance, he said. Old, uneven concrete steps inside the doorway have been replaced. A handicap access ramp has been reworked and doorways enlarged leading to the Fr. Goudreau Room. Part of the room is being remodeled for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

With electrical work complete in the attic, insulation will be added to the building within the next two weeks. Also, masons are scheduled to begin working on portions of the outside brick, which is breaking apart from water damage.

Phase two of the renovation project could begin in 2008.

"We anticipate beginning phase two next year," said Deacon McClelland. "We'll take a look at the capital campaign fund, first."

Phase two includes the installation of an elevator and the renovation of the kitchen and the church hall in the basement of the building.