January 13, 2013: THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
It was on the evening of Sunday, October 28 – the day before Superstorm Sandy – that we gathered for our parish wide
meeting to talk about a direction for our worship space here at Saint Vincent Martyr. There has been much that has
happened – both bad and good – in the days and weeks that followed that understandably drew our attention away
from this important issue in the life of our parish. I’d like to bring you up-to-date with where we are in the process as we
re-focus our vision for the future.
The meeting itself was attended by over 150 parishioners representing a wide range of ages and parish involvement.
Through the dedicated effort of volunteers serving as focus group facilitators and recorders we were able to capture
valuable input on the following questions:
1. Do you find our church particularly welcoming? Is it responsive to and inclusive of all our different cultures
and traditions? Do you think visitors feel the same way? If not, why not?
2. How does the worship environment enhance or detract from worship experience? Do you feel that it
reflects both a physical and historical unity of interior and exterior? Does it allow for reverent movement?
3. How do you feel about the space for greeting and gathering? Do they adequately serve the purpose for
which they are intended? Could they be better used?
4. Do you think that our current space meets the needs of our families with children, our youth, our elderly
parishioners, our disabled parishioners and visitors?
5. Is there anything our church needs that we don’t have? Is there anything we need to change to meet the
needs of our present and future community?
6. As part of the work we have done thus far we are aware of the need for better access for the disabled, a
new bathroom, and new flooring for the church. How adequate are our facilities in terms of thermal
comfort, acoustics and lighting?
7. Does the facility reflect that we are a Catholic Eucharistic community?
Using the responses we received and the information obtained from meetings held with the parish staff, the liturgy
committee and those persons involved thus far in our worship space committee, the design consultant, Jim Hundt,
prepared a twenty-page Needs Assessment Report, the summary of which contains the following priorities, needs and
concerns:
1. Being able to fully participate in the liturgy by being able to see and hear the liturgical action without
distractions is very important.
2. We are called to gather around the Table of the Lord when we come together to worship.
3. The elements that most Catholics feel clearly distinguish Catholic churches from other churches –
the tabernacle and the crucifix – should be more readily visible to all who enter the church.
4. We need a better way to meet and greet each other before and after Mass without disturbing those who
wish to pray quietly in the worship space.
5. The difference in style between the interior and the exterior does not contribute to making the worship
space welcoming and reverent.
6. More needs to be done to reflect the cultural diversity of our parish.
(Full Needs Assessment Report available on our parish website, www.SVMNJ.org)
These points become the filter through which various ideas for a design vision were considered by the worship space
committee. These ideas were generated by the design consultant through dialogue with the committee. The committee
engaged in a consensus decision-making process that identified a design vision to be presented to the two architects
who had been chosen earlier in the process as potentially most responsive to our needs. The architects will respond to
the design vision that was given to them at the committee meeting which will take place on Thursday, January 17. It is
our hope that at the end of that evening we will have selected the architect whose work will be making the design vision
into a concrete reality.
As this design is developed we will be presenting it to our parish community for further input and to determine the
feasibility of our plan. Needless to say, your prayers are very much needed in this effort, as we continue to discern what
is best and what is possible for our magnificent church of Saint Vincent Martyr.
Fr. George
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