Trinity Renovations Mark The Renewal Of Both Church And Parish

By Jan Howard

Trinity Episcopal Church renovations and restorations are well on their way to completion, though the smell of paint is still in the air as final coats are applied and workmen are still on the job, installing the final carpeting and electrical wiring and other last minute touches.

Soon, the historic church will be completely restored to its original dignity.

Months of work by contractors and months of dedication to the project by clergy and parishioners will come to fruition on November 19 at 4 pm when the church will be rededicated with pomp and ceremony as well as gratitude for a project well done.

“The community is invited,” the Rev Kathleen E. Adams-Shepherd said. “We are thankful for their support and patience in this. The community is an important piece of who we are.”

Work is continuing on the top of the parapets, but with any luck, the scaffolding will come down before the rededication ceremony, Trinity Church Warden Dick Kraycir said this week. “We’re praying.”

Invitations for the rededication ceremony have been sent, and former clergy who served the church are expected to attend as well as local clergy and Episcopal clergy from the deanery.

 “Even former parishioners are flying in to be with us because they supported the renovations in some way,” Rev Adams-Shepherd said.

The Rt Rev James Curry, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Connecticut, will be the celebrant and Trinity’s four choirs will be singing special music during the rededication ceremony.

“We are rededicating the church, parish house, and primarily ourselves to Christ and the community. It is a blessing of the church, parish house, and us,” Rev Adams-Shepherd said.

 A reception will follow the ceremony with thanks offered to all the people involved in the renovation and restoration project, she said.

“Our house is in order,” Rev Adams-Shepard said of the completion of the restoration project. “Our focus can now be on ministry and mission.”

The celebration of the rededication of the 130-year-old church on Main Street follows its fourth major restoration and renovation since it was constructed in 1870. The project began in June following three years of planning. It had been 40 years since the last major restoration.

While it was hoped the congregation would be back worshipping in the church by mid-September, certificates of occupancy were not approved in time, so for two weeks in September services were conducted in Newtown Middle School. During the summer the congregation, which numbers 250 families and 600 communicants, worshiped outside or in the Undercroft while the restoration was taking place.

The first worship service in the renovated church took place on October 1.

At that time, Rev Adams-Shepherd asked people who had anything to do with the project to stand. “I think there was no one not standing except newcomers.”

Despite a fundraising campaign that met its goal, additional funds are needed, Rev Adams-Shepherd said. Anne and Ted Clark headed up a fundraising campaign, “With Faith in Our Future,” which began in January. It raised pledges of $1.5 million for the restoration cost, to be paid over a three-year period.

“We met our goal in fundraising but went over our budget by $300,000 because of outside work,” Rev Adams-Shepherd said.

Trinity’s success in completing this renovation and restoration project should give other churches hope, Rev Adams-Shepherd said. “Their constituencies are the same as ours.

 “The people of this parish dug deep into their pockets for this three-year commitment,” she said. “People are sacrificing for this. We’re not wealthy people. We’re just like everyone else. There are wealthy Episcopal parishes, but we’re not one.”

“In spirit, we’re number one,” Mr Kraycir noted.

During the renovations, everything had to be removed from the building, Rev Adams-Shepherd said. Although almost everything has since been returned, there are 100 prayer books missing. “They may be in somebody’s car,” she said.

Parishioners Judy Pierce, Ann Tabler, and Beth Hoolehan served on the decorating committee. During the months of the restoration, they made about 200 different choices of colors, for carpets, tiles, paint, and other items.

Rev Adams-Shepherd said the three women spent hours blending and matching colors for the Parish House and the church. “It was amazing,” she said. “They were here every day. It took lots of detail and time.”

The “best story,” Ms Tabler said, was when Ms Pierce called her about serving on the decorating committee. “Judy asked me if I wanted to do something fun and pick out a few colors for the church.”

It turned out to be a bit more than that, but Ms Tabler said, “We really had fun.”

She and Ms Pierce were still doing their job this week, stopping during a tour of the building to ask church staffers their opinions of wallpaper chosen for their office.

The project included restoration of the nave and sanctuary, including repainting of the symbols on the wall behind the altar and the arches throughout the church. The colors in the symbols behind the altar shine with the brilliance of real gold and silver.

Windows Restored

 New clear coverings to protect the stained glass windows at the top of the building allow more light into the church as well as allowing the vibrant colors to show. On Sunday mornings it has been noticed how the sun makes the colors from the windows radiate on the church walls.

 As part of the restoration, these windows were taken out, boxed, and taken to North Adams, Mass., where they were re-leaded and re-framed.

 “Our face should be vibrant,” Rev Adams-Shepherd said about the church’s new look and the colors used throughout the building.

Other changes in the church included expansion of the choir balcony, enhancement of the worship space, and relocation of the baptismal font to the front of the church.

Church pews were re-grained and stained a dark mahogany and placed at an angle toward the altar. A committee is currently working on restoration of needlepoint kneelers at the altar. A slate floor was installed in the sanctuary, and the church doors were restored.

Chandeliers no longer needed in the church were installed in the hallway at the suggestion of Ms Pierce, blending the hallway with the church décor.

The project also included the renovation and refurbishing of the Parish House and undercroft, and completion of exterior repairs and enhancements to restore the structure back to its Gothic beauty.

Improvements throughout the building included installation of an elevator for handicapped accessibility to all three floors of the building, lighting changes, sound system improvements, new carpeting, installation of dividers in the undercroft, improvements to the kitchen and rest rooms, and installation of central air conditioning.

Classrooms have new lighting and carpeting and have been repainted. Dividers were installed in the library to make it accommodating to smaller groups.

 “The undercroft is more welcoming,” Rev Adams-Shepherd said. “It can be divided into smaller areas with dividers. There is a permanent storage closet there now. It’s more attractive and warmer.”

The rear entry of the church was redesigned to accommodate the elevator, and a steel cross is to be erected on the rear wall. A new handrail on the stairs provides safer egress from the building by blocking access to the nearby driveway.

Trinity’s Parish House is used all the time for church and community groups, as well as Trinity Day School. The renovations provide better access and more user-friendly space, Rev Adams-Shepherd said.

Trinity’s Fourth Building

The current stone church is the congregation’s fourth building. It was completed in February 1870 and consecrated on June 8, 1882, the church’s 150th anniversary. The Rev John Williams, Bishop of Connecticut, officiated at the consecration, which marked the first restoration of Trinity Episcopal Church.

In 1929 restoration was begun for the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the parish in 1932. Because of the economy, when the church was repainted, the stenciling on the wall behind the altar was covered.

In 1960 restoration work begun in 1958 was completed. The stenciling was restored, walls were painted and decorated, and the carpet and old pews replaced. In 1971, the church interior was remodeled, moving the organ and the choir loft to the rear of the church. The placement of the altar and the altar rail were changed.

Trinity is the third oldest Episcopalian congregation in Connecticut. The Rev John Beach, its first rector, conducted his first service on September 1, 1732, under a large buttonball tree at the corner of Main Street and Glover Avenue. One of Trinity’s classrooms is to be named in his honor.