Gratitude filled the air at St. Vincent de Paul Church on May 3, 2023, as the Congregation gathered to celebrate a special Mass of Thanksgiving at Nazareth. The occasion marked the culmination of a two-year campaign aimed at restoring and preserving the beloved church for future generations. The Mass, which can be viewed below, was an opportunity to express gratitude to all those who generously donated to make the renovations possible.

“We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to celebrate Eucharist with you in thanksgiving,” Sister Barbara Flores said as she welcomed the guests Wednesday morning. “St. Vincent de Paul Church here at Nazareth is the heart and center of our Motherhouse Campus. Here is the place where daily Eucharist, central to our lives, is offered. Here is the space and place where historically we have celebrated milestones, religious profession of vows, jubilees, wakes and funerals, to name a few. It is here in this beautiful edifice that we gather, we bless and call forth each other to go out in mission to the Church and world.”

The church, Sister Barbara said, is a source of inspiration, comfort, reconciliation, healing, peace and joy. The generosity and support of donors helped to preserve this sacred place for generations to come.

The St. Vincent de Paul Church Renovation Project was launched in August 2021, driven by the urgent need to repair the church’s roof and address interior damage that had accumulated over the years. With an ambitious goal of raising an estimated $600,000, the response was nothing short of extraordinary, as more than a thousand donors rallied behind the cause. On March 1, 2023, the newly-renovated St. Vincent de Paul Church officially reopened its doors to the public. The renovation breathed new life into the historic building.

Sister Frances Krumpelman, in a reflection, shared a brief history of the church and the reason behind the efforts to preserve it. “It is to remind us that we are the Church,” she said. “We are gathered today as the Church, as the Body of Christ, the baptized. … We come here to worship as Christ worshiped the Father, as Christ served up His brothers and sisters. We come here, as Saint Augustine says, to worship, to pray to gather with one another as the Body of Christ…”

Near the end of Mass, a plaque crafted to honor the donors was unveiled. This plaque, which will be displayed prominently in the church breezeway, serves as a tribute to all who contributed to the Church Renovation Project. The names of two major contributors to the campaign, Mary Florence and the late Bill Barnes, are also etched on the plaque, highlighting their generosity.

The success of the Church Renovation Project was not just measured in the physical repairs made but in the renewed sense of unity and purpose that enveloped the community. The Mass of Thanksgiving served as a moment of deep appreciation for the generosity and dedication of every donor, big or small.