By ANTHONY BOTTAN
Joseph Cascio, of Trinity Fundraising Consultants, is the lead fundraiser for the church's restoration project. Through the support and donations of more than 400 families at Holy Name of Mary, Cascio said, the church has collected $350,000 in only three months. "The parish has a wonderful sense of stewardship, and it stems from the generosity of its families," Cascio said.
The majority of the construction in the church was done by D'Ambrosio Studios of Mt. Kisco. Cascio said D'Ambrosio Studios has worked on more than 500 churches along the East Coast. Other renovations to the church were done by local village businesses. The church's new carpeting was installed by The House of Carpets -- a Valley Stream based business on Rockaway Avenue.
Monsignor Tom Harold, pastor of the church, said the bulk of the renovation started last spring. The church had some masonry work done, he said, and also had a new air-conditioning system and roof installed. The more recent work, Harold added, was the installation of about 120 new pews. The initial work on the church actually began in 2005, he noted. A longtime Holy Name family left an undisclosed amount of money to the church, which Harold said helped start the project.
Father Robert Ketcham, a priest at Holy Name, said that the body of the church was worn and needed to be "cleaned up a bit." Ketcham explained that the church is very busy -- with several masses a day and even more on the weekends -- so it's not unusual for the church to suffer some wear-and-tear. So far, Ketcham has been impressed by the quality of work. "It's coming out beautifully," he said. "The painters were able to bring out the natural beauty of the church."
Cascio said the capital campaign to fund raise for the renovation began in September and has three main components: to pay for the work being done in the church, replenish the funds used for the renovation, and if the campaign is successful, look toward using donations to make improvements to the church's school. Cascio said major work is needed on the school's heating system, and the windows need to be replaced with more energy efficient ones.
With the country experiencing an economic downturn, Harold said the amount of money donated underscores how much the parishioners care about their church. "It's an expression of love and faith for the parish," Harold said. "The newspaper headlines are filled with near economic disaster, but when it comes to the church, people find a way to be generous. It's a sign of the transcendence of faith."
Harold added that the work that's been completed looks great, and the new lighting installed has highlighted the symbols of faith around the church. The fundraising efforts continue through Christmas and a celebration of the renovated church will be hosted there on Jan. 11. Many of the renovation aspects were suggested by church congregants, and Harold said it was a joint effort. "Many parishioners brought ideas and creativity to the table," he said. "It's been a community effort inspired and driven by faith."
