“You may not be able to hear US. But we have heard YOU!’
We continue to get “feedback” from parishioners and visitors to our parish that it is difficult to understand the spoken word in the main section of our worship space. I have been told that some parishioners have decided to worship elsewhere for this reason. It seems that the system works well in the two “overflow” sections, which is due to the position of the speakers, the lower ceiling, the carpeting, and the padded chairs that absorb some of the sound, preventing the “echo” effect that exists in the larger section of the church.
Recently, a parishioner who usually sits in one of the overflow wings on Sundays sat in the main section for her nephew’s Funeral Mass and became aware of the poor sound in that section Out of concern for the quality of our worship experience she generously offered to contribute twenty thousand dollars toward the replacement of our sound system. Our recent attempts to improve the sound by making adjustments to the system, rather than incur the expense of replacing it, have not had the desired effect. This generous offer has served as a catalyst for our Finance Council to move forward with plans of purchasing a new sound system. We are in the process of accepting bids for the project as required by due diligence. It will be at least a few months before a new sound system will be in place. We are very grateful to this generous donor.
The Finance Council is also accepting bids on replacing the lighting in the church that is more energy-efficient and less costly to maintain. This is in keeping with our efforts to be a “greener” parish. As you may recall, Pope Francis has named “Care for Creation” as the most important Respect Life issue. LED lighting requires one-eighth of the energy of the existing lights. We have recently replaced the lighting in the parking lot and throughout the rest of the plant with LED fixtures. In addition to being greener, LED lighting is a great money saver.
Stay tuned for further developments.
-Fr. Ron