New St. Michael Church to open in Pawcatuck
Saturday Mass will be first in reconstructed building after it was closed in 2012
Stonington — More than seven years after it was closed due to structural problems, St. Michael Church in Pawcatuck will reopen Saturday morning after being rebuilt at a cost of $8.1 million.
A 10 a.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop of Norwich Michael Cote will dedicate the new church building, which then will be open until 8 p.m. Saturday for people to visit.
During a tour of the new church this week, pastor Rev. Dennis Perkins, who successfully led the reconstruction and fundraising efforts, pointed out the new building resembles the old one as it appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, as the project has restored many of its historical characteristics. But he also pointed out it is an energy-efficient, 21st-century structure with a steel skeleton and wooden roof trusses.
Inside, parishioners will find a terracotta paint scheme, soaring ceilings, new wooden floors, a new altar based on one in the church circa 1900, restored stained-glass windows and a new confessional. Although the footprint of the new church has not increased, it appears much larger than the old one due to the high ceilings, removal of columns, and more space in the refurbished pews and the aisles. There
is also an elevator and a new basement hall.
The church closed in the spring of 2012 after a structural inspection found it to be unsafe. Since then parishioners have attended St. Mary Church in the borough.
“There was a strong desire on the part of the people to have the church again,” Perkins said. “It was a long process. I don't think I doubted it would get done, just when it would get done.”
Perkins, who worked tirelessly on the project while still overseeing the St. Michael, St. Mary and St. Thomas More parishes, downplayed his role and instead praised the parishioners who volunteered their time to help plan the project and donated $6.6 million toward the restoration. The church plans to take a $1.5 million mortgage to cover the remainder of the cost.
“It really shows the love they have for this church,” Perkins said about the generosity of his parishioners. “The fact that they continued to give to capital campaigns over the years is a testament to their own faith. They took a leap of faith and continued to contribute.”
A great amount of attention has been focused on the historical details of the church. Stencils that were hidden beneath layers of plaster and windows that had been covered over have been restored. There are now symbols of the apostles above the stainedglass windows.
The lobby, with its gray slate floor, has also been opened up to provide more space for baptisms and parishioners arriving for and leaving Mass.
Because the church can't accommodate all the people who would want to attend the first Mass, tickets are going to donors and those who worked on the project. A second Mass will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, with three more on Sunday morning.
Saturday's 10 a.m. dedication Mass will be filled with tradition and ceremony. Perkins said the front door to the church will be locked and it will be dark inside. A procession will take place to the door, where those responsible for its construction, such as contractors and architects, will hand over the keys to Cote, who then will hand them to Perkins to open the door so parishioners can funnel inside.
The holy water will be blessed and Cote will sprinkle it on the people and walls. Relics will be placed in the altar, which will be sealed and then be anointed with chrism, or consecrated, oil. The crosses on the walls also will be anointed and incense will be spread throughout the church. Linens will be placed on the altar and then candles will be lit around the church followed by lights being turned on.
Perkins said the church is the first new church to be built in the diocese since Christ the King in Old Lyme in 2005.