Preparing the Way: A Baptismal Font Renewal for Generations

Our responsorial psalm for the 4^th Sunday of Advent comes from Psalm 24. The response is “Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.” We are eager to begin our celebration of the Nativity of the Lord later this week and throughout the coming Christmas season.

We are also excited to share with you our plans to continue the enhancement of our worship space by sharing with you plans to renovate our baptismal font.

Our current church was consecrated on June 9, 1991, nearly 35 years ago. Over the years we have updated our space periodically to help better engage all who gather for a joyful and reverent celebration of the Mass. Most notably, in September 2016 a new altar and ambo were installed as we commemorated the 100-year anniversary of our Knights of Columbus Council 1762. Additionally, a matching presider chair and paschal candle stand were installed and are now used in our regular worship.

Our baptismal font is the next among our current furnishings that needs to be enhanced and brought into alignment with the design of our altar. There have been substantial discussions about renovating our baptismal font going back to 2020 and a first conceptual design was drafted in February of 2022. In the last year, we have consulted with parishioner and architect Brian Hinz of Studio EA here in Hudson and we are prepared to begin work on this project in early 2026.

The font has served us well since 1991, but has begun to show significant weathering as we have administered the Sacrament nearly 2,500 times since the church was dedicated! We hope that with these upgrades that this font will serve God’s people here fittingly for the next 2,500 baptisms and beyond.

Visuals of the planned renovation of the font will be shared digitally on our website and at the Masses on the weekend of December 20^th and 21^st and at our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day liturgies.

We are seeking to raise $20,000 to complete this project. To do this, we’ll be following the same tradition used when our parish was first built: using the funds collected during our children’s collection.

Beginning on Christmas Eve and continuing into the Lenten season, all gifts donated at the time of the children’s collection during the preparation of the gifts at our weekend liturgies will be allocated for this project. If you would like to contribute but are not coming forward with a child, you are welcome to send your gift up with one of the children, or contact our Director of Parish Finances, Scott Jacobi, to make a contribution.

May God reward you for your generosity and, as Blessed Solanus Casey would say, let us thank God ahead of time for this project and the many graces that will continue to flow from this holy font.