Parish to host Community Open House on Saturday, October 22
St. Vincent De Paul Church, a 173-year-old Catholic parish in the heart of Germantown, recently completed an ambitious $1.5 million interior rehabilitation project. Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded the parish a prestigious and highly sought grant to complete the project. To celebrate the completion of the extensive renovation, the parish is hosting a community open house on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at 5:30 PM.
The celebration will include a blessing of the church, tours of the revitalized parish interior, unveiling of new Stations of the Cross by local artist Cavin Jones, and light refreshments. All community members are encouraged to visit.
Fr. Sylvester Peterka, CM, Pastor of St. Vincent De Paul Parish, said, “The completion of this project is a significant moment in the history of our parish. It represents years of effort by parishioners, contractors, and community members. We are excited to publicly unveil our revitalized interior.”
The rehabilitation project took place after an aging and leaking roof caused extensive water damage to the structure and aesthetics of the church interior. After the roof repair concluded, the current revitalization included four new murals, the addition of four culturally diverse depictions of Mary to the nave ceiling, restoration of existing artwork, new Stations of the Cross, and new flooring.
The full collection of new and restored art is the highlight of the project and can’t be missed, providing a unique and inspiring environment for worship. St. Vincent De Paul Parish conducted numerous outreach meetings to ensure the interior art aligned with the perspectives of parishioners and reflected the faith community’s values. The new murals include a rich history of Catholic figures, who reflect the diverse nature of the congregation and the Germantown community while representing the social justice values of the parish. Cavin Jones’s Stations of the Cross layer Catholic theology and history with modernity.
About St. Vincent De Paul Parish
St. Vincent De Paul is a Catholic faith community striving to live Jesus’ gospel message of love, peace, and justice for all peoples. In the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul, our inclusive community welcomes, affirms and serves both the poorest of the poor and those who are alienated and most vulnerable among us. St. Vincent De Paul Church has stood in Germantown since its founding in 1849. Please visit https://www.saint-vincent-church.org/ to learn more about this dynamic community.