By MARY STADNYK
Associate Editor
Updated Aug. 29, 2024
Words of acclamation flowed freely when parishioners in Spring Lake gathered Aug. 24 to celebrate the multi-faceted renovation of St. Margaret Church.
“It’s magnificent, it’s gorgeous, it’s stunning and it’s home,” share Conventual Franciscan Father Michael Heine, a native son of St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish who currently serves as the minister provincial of Our Lady of the Angels Province of the Conventual Franciscan Friars.
PHOTO GALLERY: St. Margaret Church, Spring Lake, altar consecration
Those were the sentiments expressed by St. Catharine-St. Margaret parishioners who gathered to witness the blessing of the new ambo (pulpit) and consecration of the new altar by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.
“This church is beautiful,” Deacon Paul Vitale said before the Mass of Thanksgiving began. He added that even though the church had not been at its best prior to the renovations in terms of appearance, “people came here to worship just as much as they do to St. Catharine Church.”
“Bottom line is that we now have two churches – two houses of prayer – where Jesus is very present,” he said.
Father Damian McElroy, pastor of St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish, blesses the congregation with holy water during the Mass. Mary Stadnyk photo
Re-envisioning the Altar
When speaking of the renovations, Father Damian McElroy, pastor of St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish, said that the changes that impact people the most were those made in the sanctuary. The changes were based on photos he came across from 1930, when the church was dedicated.
“We decided that we wanted to restore what was once here,” he said.
The vast amount of interior work was undertaken by the Rambusch Lighting Company of Jersey City, whose work is widely known in parishes across the Diocese.
Along with replacing the flooring and the altar fixtures “that had surely been bought out of a catalog,” Father McElroy said, the back wall, or reredos, was recreated. The altar table and ambo now have mosaic facades, with a depiction of the Lamb of God at the base of the altar table. The vision for the main altar’s color and design was taken from the two side altars, with the Blessed Virgin Mary on one side and the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the other, Father McElroy said.
Consecrating the new altar, Bishop O’Connell urged those at Mass to “focus and reflect upon the meaning and purpose of this stone table, fixed here in the sanctuary, whereupon the Lord Jesus Christ, our priest and victim, offers himself daily in his eucharistic sacrifice.”
“The altar marks the sacred place of the Lord’s sacrifice, as the material expression of the Church’s faith and spiritual worship,” Bishop O’Connell said. “That is why every church building is built around and over the altar.”
The Bishop blessed the ambo at the start of Mass. Then, after the homily, he led the solemn, ancient ritual of consecrating the altar. The rite began with the choir singing the Litany of the Saints, followed by the Bishop pouring Sacred Chrism on the altar’s surface, then spreading the oil with his hand. The Bishop incensed the altar, and the deacons dressed the table with altar linens and lit the candles.
No Stone Left Unturned
Father McElroy said the work on St. Margaret Church was the third of three projects he spearheaded since he arrived as pastor in 2019; first, he guided renovations to St. Catharine Church and then St. Catharine School.
The lengthy list of work on St. Margaret Church began Dec. 26 and took eight months to complete. Whether it was outside or inside, “every inch of this building was restored, replaced or repaired,” he said, noting that the sum total cost was $1.7 million.
Father McElroy said the outside work included replacing the roof; repointing the brickwork; repaving the parking lot and walkways; installing new gutters and a drainage system; upgrading the lighting system and repairing the window frames.
Interior work included installing new electrical and HVAC systems; removing the carpet; refurbishing the pews; painting the nave; refinishing the stained-glass windows, and renovating the walls near and around the back of the church so that the stained-glass rose window that sits high above the choir loft could be seen in its entirety.
Pleased Parishioners
Father Heine, who concelebrated the Mass of Thanksgiving, smiled as he took in the sights of the church that had been so meaningful to him and his family many years ago. He recalled special memories of St. Margaret Church: receiving his First Holy Communion, his Confirmation, and celebrating Mass as a newly ordained priest.
Sean, Terrence and Mary Kean, 12-year-old triplets, spoke of how proud they were to participate in the Mass as altar servers with Bishop O’Connell and witness the consecration of ta church altar for the first time.
“The upgrades that were made to the church are really good. It’s really colorful,” said Sean Kean.
While working on the church, Martin Rambusch said it was inspiring to find “the wonderful bones of the original church when the red carpet came up and being able to follow the historical clues to then create an environment for worship and prayer.”
“Hearing the community say, ‘This is what we had hoped for’ or ‘It feels like it has always been like this,’ is most rewarding,” he said.
While Father McElroy was pleased with the renovations, he said that, most importantly, “St. Margaret Church has always been and always will be a family church.”
Now with the renovations, he said, “it’s as if we are saying that we are looking ahead and making a commitment to St. Margaret’s future.”
About St. Margaret Church
St. Margaret Church was created as a result of the growing population in Spring Lake and the number of vacationers from New York and Philadelphia; the 320-person seating capacity in St. Catharine Church necessitated more space to accommodate larger numbers of people attending Mass.
At the time, Bishop John J. McMahon advised Msgr. Thomas U. Reilly, pastor of St. Catharine Parish, to plan for a church to be erected in the northern section of Spring Lake. Property was purchased at Ludlow Avenue and Third Street for St. Margaret’s, which seats 500. At first the church was used for the summer months, but eventually became a year-round worship site. The basement of St. Margaret’s was used for school classrooms until the opening of St. Catharine School in 1951. Today, the basement is used as a meeting place for various parish organizations.
To consecrate the altar, Bishop O’Connell spreads Sacred Chrism on its surface.
St. Margaret Church, Spring Lake, prior to when renovations began on Dec. 26, 2023. Courtesy photo