By Katie Engesser
Parishioners of Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal Church are amazed as they see what’s been accomplished in the place where they worship God.
“When you sit in mass sometimes, I just can’t help but sitting there and looking up at the stars,” said parishioner Karen Loweth, “I think it’s absolutely exquisite.”
“I think it’s fabulous,” Fred Hoefferle agreed.
Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop James Massa blessed the newly renovated church Sunday in conjunction with the parish’s 100th anniversary of serving the people of Ridgewood, Queens.
Pastor Father Anthony Sansone explained the renovations, saying “We needed to address the issues of the interior of the church.”
Thanks to the Brooklyn Diocese’s Generations of Faith fundraising campaign, many more generations will be able to witness stained glass windows dedicated to the Blessed Mother; as well as shrines for Our Lady of Czestochowa and Mary’s Mother, St Anne.
Bishop Massa talked about what’s happened at Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal, saying “The cracks of the church have been painted over and many of the statuary and images have been touched up. This is a wonderful history to the worship site of the church.”
The Ridgewood parish was established in 1917 but the faithful didn’t have a church building right away. That took more than ten years to create.
“The first church or chapel for Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal was the first floor of the school,” Bishop Massa said, “But it opened in August of 1929, within weeks of the Great Depression.”
Despite the economic calamity, the Miraculous Medal Parish continued to grow. In 1941, they finished their official church, shortly after another world-changing event: Pearl Harbor and the beginning of World War II.
“The church became kind of a place of refuge,” Bishop Massa said.
Now today’s parishioners of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal are providing for those who will follow.
Father Sansone said, “We have about 1,200 people who come here to mass every Sunday morning and we’re grateful to God for such an outpouring of devotion and commitment from parishioners.”
Because of all of them and their sacrifices, the church is rejuvenated for generations to come.
“I think all of this is making a big statement to the community that ‘we have a future.’ And it kind of points people in the direction of the future with great hope.” Bishop Massa said.