A few years ago a parishioner offered to install a High Altar at Holy Ghost. We began looking and were offered one from a church in Indiana, however it was much too large for our space. The right altar never came along so the idea was put on the back burner. Soon after (October 2018), Fr. Finelli began drawing up plans for a new Reredos and High Altar in his spare time. It was something to keep his mind occupied during his father’s illness. In November 2018 Father noticed a Mensa from a lower church that had been renovated in Worcester, MA and was sitting in the church hall. He inquired of the pastor what he was going to do with it and a few days later Father and two men from the parish moved it to Holy Ghost.
Fr. Finelli’s dad’s heath continued to deteriorate and on Holy Thursday (April 18, 2019) he was called from this life. Father completed designing the reredos and on July 5, 2019 he began building it in his father’s workshop. He completed building and painting it five months to the day and it was installed the following week. Mass on the new altar was celebrated for the first time on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12, 2019).
| Reredos Designed and Built By Father Jay A. Finelli Donated by Shirley and Fr. Jay Finelli In Memory of Jenarie “Jerry” A. Finelli | Altar Donated by Fr. Jay A. Finelli In Memory of Eileen George Originally in St. John’s Lower Church Worcester, MA |
The sacred images were painted by artists David & Liné Tutweiler. David painted the two outside angels and the center image of God the Father and the Holy Spirit looking down upon the Crucifix/ Monstrance and beams of light exuding from all. To the far right is St. Michael the Archangel and to the far left is St. Gabriel the Archangel. The two inside angels were painted by Liné and are of angels in adoration.