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Connellsville church restoration highlights Gothic architecture and early years of parish

By Frances Borsodi Zajac fzajac@heraldstandard.Com 6 min read
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Rebecca Devereaux|Herald-Standard

The Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception located on the corner of East Crawford Avenue and Prospect Street in Connellsville recently completed its restoration project including several interior changes and a new roof.

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The Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Connellsville was recently restored to it’s original appearance which included new light fixtures in the sanctuary.

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Rebecca Devereaux|Herald-Standard

Some of the details inside the recently restored Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Connellsville including new paint and altars that replicate the church’s original appearance.

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Rebecca Devereaux|Herald-Standard

Three new gothic-themed altars were added to the sanctuary in part of the restoration of the Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Connellsville.

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Rebecca Devereaux|Herald-Standard

Father Bob Lubic, pastor at Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Connellsville, talks about the positive reactions the parish has received since the remodel.

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The recently painted starry night ceiling inside Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Connellsville, modeled after the original gothic-themed parish.

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Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Connellsville was recently restored to its original appearance in the 1920s, which included three new gothic-style altars and statues, pictured.

Frances Borsodi Zajac | Herald-Standard

Parishioners continue to be amazed at the results of a months’ long restoration project at Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Connellsville. Herald-Standard reporter Fran Zajac visits the to check out the recent updates.

Parishioners continue to be amazed at the results of a months’ long restoration project at Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Connellsville that recalls the original beauty of the 19th-century-built church.

“I love it. Our church has always been beautiful but I feel it’s restored to the way it was in the beginning,” said Thomasine Rose, of Connellsville. “It’s very inspiring.”

Immediately catching the eye is a dramatic painting of the high-pitched ceiling in a color called Heavenly Blue that resembles a night sky with bright stars while images of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, are set in the ceiling’s lower spaces over pointed arches.

With windows trimmed in Limestone Shadow, the walls are painted Sunrise Burst. The colors Summer Sky Blue and Gold Burst are mixed in a pattern called stippling behind three Gothic, wooden, back altars that were added to the sanctuary: behind the main original altar as well as two side altars.

The main back altar includes statues of St. Patrick and St. Boniface, recalling the parish’s first families who were Irish and German, as well as a statue of the risen Christ and the Crucifixion scene with Christ Crucified, Mary, the Mother of God; St. John and Mary Magdalene.

Statues of angels are positioned on the sides of the back altar. Sister Mary Agnes Kirsch of the Sisters of Charity discovered the angels in storage in 1999 and put back in the church. The side altars feature statutes of Mary and St. Joseph.

“I think it’s beautiful,” said Rachelle Bielstein, of Connellsville. “I really can’t put it into words. It’s like the ‘Wow’ factor.”

Her son, Jonathan, 8, an altar server, said his favorite part is “The ceiling with all the stars and pictures of the saints.”

Norma Frazier, of Connellsville, remarked, “It’s spectacular. I like the whole thing. It’s beautifully spectacular.”

A native of Connellsville who grew up in the parish, the Rev. Robert T. Lubic, became pastor five years ago of the Connellsville Catholic Churches, which include Immaculate Conception, St. Rita and St. John Roman Catholic Churches. The Rev. Daniel J. Ulishney serves as parochial vicar.

Founded in 1869, Immaculate Conception is located at 148 E. Crawford Ave., its third building, which was constructed in 1896.

Lubic explained the Gothic-style building originally contained three wooden back altars that were removed in a remodeling project around 1930 after the main back altar needed repair. The church underwent a number of remodeling projects over the years.

This latest project, which has been completed well ahead of the church’s sesquicentennial in 2019, cost about $500,000 and began with needed structural repairs that included roof replacement, plaster restoration, replacing wiring, adding new LED lighting, repointing the bell tower, resealing stained-glass windows and installing fans.

As the work began in summer 2016, Lubic petitioned the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg for approval to do interior work that recalls the early days of the building.

“I like architecture and I wanted to draw everything together,” said Lubic. “My intent is for people to walk in and assume it was always this way.”

With approval from the diocese, Immaculate Conception’s Masses were moved to St. John Church and work began on the nave and sanctuary.

The changes included the impressive painting of the ceiling and walls as well as the addition of the 19th-century back altars that came from a closed church in Wisconsin.

“(Immaculate Conception’s) original high altar was 38 feet high. This is about 26,” said Lubic, pointing to the main back altar, “and the side altars are about 19 feet high. The idea was to go back. The space was built for those altars. It’s a Gothic structure and I wanted to bring it closer to the way it originally appeared.”

In addition, ornate, lantern-style light fixtures hang from the ceiling, replacing simpler models and providing more light. Wood on the lower walls was stained to match the new back altars and the choir loft.

The parish did not incur any debt for the project. A variety of sources provided funding, including the parish’s share from the diocese’s capital campaign and recent diocesan Lenten appeal as well as parish savings and anonymous gifts from parishioners.

New Guild of Pittsburgh did the rendering of the work. A Raimondo Inc. of Greensburg served as contractor.

The outside work is mostly finished but there is a planned replacement of the louvers in the bell tower.

Work inside the church began in the winter, lasting about six months with Masses held at St. John Parish.

Some of the work was kept a surprise so when the parishioners came back to the building …

“One of the best things was watching people’s reaction when they first came in,” said Lubic, noting church volunteers received a preview before Masses returned to the building. “The Sunday when people came in. Their eyes went to the ceiling and there was a lot of ‘Wows.”’

Lubic said the back altars have also caught parishioners’ attention.

“A lot of people like the idea of it looking like it once did. It’s bringing back memories for people and they like that,” he said. “A lot of good comments. A lot of good reactions. I enjoy watching people’s surprise. I kept the altars — since it was an addition came about late in the project, most people didn’t know that. I kind of kept that secret. I said there would be surprises when you come in. Most people didn’t realize how it was actually going to look.”

Mary Lazor of Connellsville commented, “It’s beyond awesome. When I walked in and saw this, I actually wanted to lie on the floor and look at the ceiling. It’s just amazing. And the altars took me way back.”

Helen Rugg of Connellsville said, “For a long time, I wished they would bring these old altars back and when I walked in that door, I thought, ‘Thank you, Father Bob and Father Dan. I guess prayers come true.”

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