A Really Great "After"

 My problem is that I forget to take the "before" picture.

My parish, which had been redesigned in the 80s to give it a plain austere look, has been re-redesigned to make it a simple but beautiful place to worship. 

I am so happy!!

We switched parishes last summer because we felt the Lord was calling us to Holy Redeemer. 

We had been attending here for daily Mass for years, but had never been members, mostly because it was a very hard place to take kids - there was nothing to look at! 

It had a large gray striped tapestry covering the back wall, a very small crucifix,  seven hanging candles, and a plain wooden box tabernacle.

 Imagine our surprise and delight when they announced, a month after we signed up, that they were going to redesign the sanctuary!

And now it's done, and it really is lovely! 

They divided the sanctuary with the wall with three arches (now there is a small sacristy in the back) and they brought back the parish's original tabernacle with the Annunciation on it. The crucifix and statues of the Holy Family are new.

I particularly like their statue of Our Lady with Baby Jesus - love those baby toes!

I know it's better for the kids, but I also find it so much easier to pray when I have a concrete visual reminder of heavenly things.