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Holy Name of Jesus Church gets spruced-up and rededicated

May 20, 2014 Editorial Staff

Photos courtesy of Pastor Jim Cunningham

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Built in 1878, Holy Name of Jesus Church has undergone a much-needed face-lift since July 1^st of last year. Located at 245 Prospect Park West, the 135-year-old church was last renovated in 1980.

A very modern renovation took place that people were never really happy with, said Father Jim Cunningham, the pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Church, of the parishs last shape-up over 30 years ago.

Cunningham was appointed as pastor three years ago and one of the things people asked him to do was to restore the church. Archbishop Di Marzio asked me to think about the possibility of restoring our church, Cunningham said. It had fallen into disrepair, there was some major leaks and aesthetically it was not very beautiful.

Last year, the church asked the Diocese of Brooklyn for permission to conduct a capital campaign. We went to our people and said this is what wed like to do, Cunningham added.

They were told that the most they could raise would be 1.2 million but they collected much more than that. The church raised 2.5 million in funds.

The church invited four different architectural companies to present proposals as to what to do with the church. We did the outside and inside so structurally we restored the building, he said.

Holy Name now has new lighting, including LEDs, and tried to plant as much greenery as possible. They have also rebuilt an altar that was made in 1881 by the famous American Architect James Renwick Jr., who was responsible for building St. Patricks Cathedral in Manhattan and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

According to Cunningham, the altarpiece was originally built for St. Patricks Cathedral as a side altar but it was too large for the church. As a result, they moved it to St. Vincent de Paul Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. St. Vincent was built in 1881 but it closed down and the altarpiece was taken apart piece by piece, 473 pieces to be exact.

Its kind of historically a find for us, Cunningham said. You could never build anything like this today. The cost would be outstanding.

Therefore the altarpiece is the main piece along with two other side altars for the newly restored church. Cunningham said that, for those who are catholic, this restoration is important because it is a place of worship. The whole purpose is to give glory to god. Its not about us, he said. Its about god.

We want out church to be a place of beauty, a place of prayer and a place where people can feel loved by god and part of our restoration is to make that happen, Cunningham continued. Weve created an environment and now our challenge is to go out to the community and make people feel welcomed as well to let them know that the catholic churches here with open arms, following the example of Pope Francis to make people feel welcomed and loved and know that Christ is alive.

On Sunday, May 18, the church hosted a two-hour mass involving Bishop of Brooklyn Nicholas di Marzio, who blessed the church. Its like a new beginning for us, said Cunningham. Were celebrating this year of restoration.