Sacred Heart Altar Move

As Father Dan announced last weekend, we are excited to be moving forward with the marble altar project for Sacred Heart. The altar was generously donated to us by the Sisters of the Precious Blood upon leaving their monastery on State Street in Portland. The cost of the move is being funded by two sponsors who believe in the project in conjunction with additional help from the Bishop. The altar has been disassembled and crated and is ready for the next steps. The three largest pieces of the altar and reredos were recently moved to Sacred Heart. One of the pieces on site is the center front—a sculpture that portrays the last supper in intricate detail. The remaining pieces will be moved on site as needed throughout the install. All work will be done during the week, and the sanctuary will be made as ready as possible for weekend Masses. Here’s the simple timeline for the next steps:

1. 4/22—5/2: the floor risers, carpet, and step extension will be removed, and the placement of the altar and reredos will be finalized. The floor under the future altar will be fortified.
2. 5/13—6/7: the installation of the altar will take place. There will be staging and a “tent” to protect the church from dust.
3. When all is complete, we will schedule refinishing of the floor in the sanctuary

We look forward to this beautiful piece being part of our regular worship at Sacred Heart. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Melissa Bagdon or Fr. Dan. Thank you.