Facilities

To assure that our Church and facilities testify to the greater honor and glory of God.

June 16, 2019

Dear Families and Friends,
May the Risen Lord bless you all. 

If you recall, on Christmas we launched our Five-Year Plan 2019-2023. The end goal is to bring our Parish from a preservation mode to an active missionary community. This is a sacrificial pledge to a divine renovation of St. Catherine of Siena Parish. Along with other areas of the pastoral plan, this year we have committed ourselves to upgrading our facilities with a hope that all things visible at St. Catherine of Siena Parish Church may give a more visible testimony for the greater honor and glory of God. This year we will begin with our common home, the Parish Church. Why do we begin with the Parish Church?
 
The reason is that the physical church we have is not only the heart of the spiritual Church, the community of faith, but also the visible sign of God’s presence in the City of Martinez. In this Church, we come to worship and encounter God and one another every day. Thanks to this Church, we gather and make real, the visible presence of God in a liturgical, and above all, a Eucharistic assembly.
 
Furthermore, the Church is called the building of God. “The Lord compared himself to the stone which the builders rejected, but which was made into the corner-stone. On this foundation the Church is built by the apostles and from it the Church receives solidity and unity. This edifice has many names to describe it: the house of God in which his family dwells; the household of God in the Spirit; the dwelling-place of God among men; and, especially, the holy temple. This temple, symbolized in places of worship built out of stone, is praised by the Fathers and, not without reason, is compared in the liturgy to the Holy City, the New Jerusalem” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No.756). Therefore, to renovate the Parish Church is to show a visible act of commitment on our part to continue building up the Church of God here at St. Catherine of Siena Parish.
 
Our Parish Church was built with a tremendous amount of hope, love, faith and labor in 1940. It is now our precious inheritance, and therefore our great responsibility, to not only preserve her presence, but moreover to add to her grandeur and holiness. Inspired by this, we are going to make the following renovations which will be done in two phases:

Phase I. The Interior of the Parish Church

• An interior paint in an off-white color with appropriate highlights and accents

• A new cathedral red carpet

• A new marble floor for the Sanctuary

• Restoration of the Pews with new kneelers and hymnal racks

• A new wood flooring underneath the Pews

• A new sound system

• Repairs of four main stained-glass windows in the Sanctuary

Phase II. The Exterior of the Parish Church

• A new layer of protection for all stained-glass windows

• A new exterior paint in an off-white color with appropriate highlights and accents

• A new ADA compliant ramp along the Estudillo Street

• A new beautiful landscaping along the Estudillo Street

• A new exterior paint in an off-white color with appropriate highlights and accents for the Rectory and the School

 
As the mystery of the Incarnation teaches, what is visible can show us the invisible reality of God. From the beginning, the Church has wonderfully used colors and symbols to communicate Her faith. For every “new” renovation we make in or outside of the Parish Church, there is a theological and symbolic reason which is designed to communicate a certain mystery of faith. Here are some colors and design features we may use for the above improvements for your better understanding:

White: In liturgy and sacred arts, white symbolizes: Purity, virginity, innocence, glory, resurrection. The color White is also the color of the Dominican Order’s habit to which our patron saint belongs.
 
Gold: The color of Gold symbolizes the glory of God, Godhead, refining process, kingship, Words of wisdom, truth, and knowledge, faith, and heaven.
 
Red: The color of Red signifies blood, zeal, passion, martyrdom, action, fire, charity, spiritual awakening and cleansing. It also glorifies the sun and the joy of life and love. It also denotes the Holy Spirit. It is the liturgical color of Pentecost, Feast days for Holy Martyrs and Apostles, and the Passion of Christ.
 
Dark Brown Color: Brown is a symbol of the earth and is often the color of a Monk’s robe, signifying humility, humanity and God’s connection with the commonplace and the ordinary.

Thus, the combination of Dark Brown, Gold, Red, and White makes the reality of the Inclination and union between Divinity and humanity visible to all.

Where are the funds for all these projects?

The first source is from our savings. In the last many years, we have set aside money for major facility improvements. Secondly, thanks to some very generous parishioners who contributed together a substantial nonrestricted financial gift to the parish. Thanks to these funds we can improve the House of God and other facilities. One should not confuse these funds with the commonly known as P.A.C.E I&II or now Combined Capital Campaign Funds, which began in 1999 until now for a Parish Center Building. These accounts are restricted.
 
Friends, in the end, we entrust our Parish Church to God and His Love. We also count on each member’s support and prayers for the Parish. If you would like to contribute financially to any of these projects, let it be a gift of a pew or a square foot carpet, please contact Mr. Troy Killorn or Mrs. Karen Glen at (925) 228-2230. You can also send your offering with the memo: Divine Renovation Projects to St. Catherine of Siena Parish Office, 1125 Ferry Street, Martinez, CA 94553. Thank you very much and may God bless you and those you love.
 
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
 
Fr. Anthony Le - Administrator,
 
Facility Team and Finance Council - Mrs. Karen Sandri, Mr. Dennis Koller, Mr. Don Brocca, Mr. Troy Killorn, Mr. Carlos Melendez