Just a Pew…
If you read last week’s Love Letter then you know that we started to sell the pews out of the Saint Cecilia building to create more space. While the building was decommissioned as a Catholic church in 2009, it still holds a special place in many families from the community's heart. It was once the most popular Catholic parish in the neighborhood with nine priests living and working out of the rectory at its peak. It was where people went to church, went to school, played sports, played bingo, fried fish, and came into community. It is where people were married, buried, and baptized. We knew when people saw the pews being sold it would be hard for people to understand. That is why we did it with intentionality, trying to make sure that every single pew went to someone who had a connection to the building.
It is amazing to think of the thousands of prayers that have been said in those pews. The generations of families that sat in the same pew for decades. How many knees touched each kneeler and how many children snuck their gum onto the bottom of the pews. The laughter, the tears, the joy, the heartbreak that those pews saw. If only they could tell their stories. That has been the best part of this experience, is meeting the people who can tell those stories. Meeting someone who remembers getting confused on when it was okay to go into the confessional and when it was occupied. The families who wanted to surprise their loved ones with something that will provide them memories of when they attended school on the campus. All the people who have no idea what they’re going to do with a pew but know that somehow it is a part of their history that they have to preserve. The teachers who taught at St. Cecilia who just by chance happened to hear of the pews being for sale. The pews that have followed the paths of their former members to different cities, different states. It is not that the pews are ceasing to exist, but that they are serving new roles to keep memories alive in people’s homes, as pews, coffee tables, or headboards. The pews are taking on a new life.
In the same way it is allowing the building to take on new life. Allowing the Kingdom to move forward to support community education. It is answering the thousands of prayers that were said on those pews. The blood, sweat, and tears that were spent there over a century blossoming into what God called them to be. It is beautiful to see the community coming to support us in this endeavor and getting a piece of history to preserve in the process, even if it is just a pew.
Ethan Essex
School Snack List!!!
If you are looking for a way to support Mighty Oak Academy and our mission of quality community based education, please consider helping us provide our students with nutritious snacks from our Amazon Wish List, you can order here.
Merriment Moving!!!
Merriment will be closed for the time being while we move to the Saint Cecilia Campus. If you would still like to make a donation, please call (502) 930-9006 to arrange a time to drop off.
Fish Fry Open!!!
The Fish Fry is open!! Stop in for a fish sandwich or some churched up tots. Whether you’re in the mood for burgers or chicken tenders, we have them here.
If you are interested in volunteering or to find out more information about supplies needed please email: info@lovecityinc.org or call (502) 272-078.