Sacred Heart Church, as the historical center of our parish and community is beginning to undergo a restoration. Through the gracious contributions of some of our parishioners we have been able to begin the work to make this a church truly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus!
There is still MUCH more to do. Find the project that's right for you to get involved in!
Carpet
Thanks to the generous contribution of the Sacred Heart Altar Society and the hard work and dedication of Thomas Flooring we are moving ahead with plans to replace the carpet in Sacred Heart.
The new flooring will feature a deep, heathered red carpet throughout the church with a large, custom made, medallion in the sanctuary. This carpet will not only create a regal atmosphere but will provide longevity due to the robust quality of the carpet selected.
See the slider to the left for a "before and after" photograph of the church. Please note that the "after" is a mock up and not the completed project.
The design of the medallion for the sanctuary draws its colors from the iconography of the Sacred Heart. The center is red for the Heart of Jesus with orange flames radiating outwards. The gray and brown boarders represent the thorns that wrap the heart. The entire design is surrounded by gold for the gilded crown of Christ the King.
Pews
Our parish is so very blessed to have the parishioners we do! After many months of back and forth with restoration companies in Southern California, it seemed as though this project would never get off of the ground. Between the budget and schedule it looked more and more like the restoration of our pews would have to wait until well into 2021.
Enter Dan and Janet Blum!
The Blums approached us about taking on this project themselves! Beginning in November, they have begun the monumental task of refinishing all of the pews of Sacred Heart. To avoid major disruptions to the celebration of mass, they have been taking a few at a time. We anticipate that this project will be completed in the first quarter of 2021.
With a project of this size, help would be greatly appreciated. Dan and Janet would be greatly interested in assistance
Before
After
Stained Glass
The stained glass in Sacred Heart dates back to the founding of the church. It is a shining example of the artistry and craftsmanship possible in the medium.
After over a century in the church, our windows need maintenance. There are windows with major structural needs (bowing or missing support pieces) and pitting or missing paint on all of them. We have begun working with Worship Interiors Group to put together a pricing and timeline proposal for the restoration and perseverance of these treasured works of art.
We are assuming a cost of at least $100,000 to complete the entire project. We are currently working with Worship Interiors Group to evaluate the windows that are in jeopardy as a primary project and price separately.
Currently we do not have the budget to embark upon a project of this size but we know that it is of the highest importance to maintain the rich tradition and beauty of Sacred Heart.
We would love to gauge interest in moving this forward. If there are enough parishioners who believe in the efforts of this restoration we will move forward.
Please let us know your interest in contributing to the restoration!
Adoration Chapel
In order to foster a community of faith in our parish, we have begun the planning and initial work to create an adoration chapel in the tower at St.Benedict's. The chapel, when complete, will be accessible to parishioners day and night, every day of the week.
The first stage of this project is underway thanks to Richard of Baytech Solutions for the donation of an electric key system for the chapel door and to Bob at American Electric for the assistance with wiring.
There is still work to be done to complete the project! In order to create a quiet, prayerful environment as well as provide for the safety of the church, we would like to close off the chapel from the main body of the church. By doing so we will be able to limit any noise from the church so that you can maintain your prayerful devotions even when mass is being said.
A solid wall with a door also creates a safer environment when alone in the chapel. You are safer in the chapel if we keep it separate from the church (there is less chance of a trip and fall if you are not walking through the church with the lights off). It will also add to the sense of security not to have the dark, empty church looming over your shoulder in the middle of the night.
We would love your help and commitment with finishing this project! Please let us know your interest and make a pledge today!
Roof Repair
An ongoing issue at St.Benedict's has been the mysterious leak in the roof. Last year we had to undertake repairs to the interior walls to the church. Some work was done last year to help mitigate the problems but the threat of more damage still looms.
We have begun to work with the team of Alameda Roofing and Extreme Air to determine the root cause of the problems as well as the best solution to make sure we do not have to address the same concern year after year after year.
This will most likely not be a cheap fix. Once we have a better idea of the funds needed we will update this page and inform the parish.
If this is a project you'd like to be involved in or contribute to, please let us know!
Gated Parking Lot
St. Benedict's parking lot seems to have a high frequency of use throughout the day. Cars have often been seen parking in the back corner of the lot for extended periods of time and the lot is frequently used by student drivers.
While we appreciate the desire to spend time in quiet conversation, we have a duty to provide for the security of our church and well being of our parishioners.
We are now in the initial planning stages of putting in a locking gate for the parking lot. The plans, at this point, are to lock out the main body of the parking lot while leaving the handicapped and elderly parking accessible at all times.
If you would like more information or to help in any way with this project please let us know!
Lawn
The lawn that runs from the front of the rectory to the front of Sacred Heart has long been neglected. With the irrigation system in disrepair and a limited budget to embark upon the task of maintenance what was once green has become a brown and yellow eye sore.
Thanks to a hard working group of parishioners, led by Balthisar Espinosa, the first step has been accomplished in bringing life back to the front of the rectory! Through their hard work, dedication and donation of the sod and materials we now a lawn once again.
The next steps will be to move to the front of Sacred Heart to continue the project. This will be a major undertaking and the crew would love some help! If you'd be able to come help dig up what is there, lay down what is to come or would like to contribute a small donation towards the irrigation or sod please let us know!
Parking Lots
The parking lots at the Pastoral Office as well as the Rectory and Sacred Heart need to be addressed. The entrance to the Pastoral Office lot needs repair.
For the Rectory, school and Sacred Heart lot, we believe that more major repairs are needed. It looks as though the lot needs to be repaved. If you would like to help out with this effort, please let us know!
