Church Restoration at St. John's!
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JMJ
There's something sacred going on in Inglewood... Sacred Art.
On a grand scale.
St. John Chrysostom is a church dedicated to the greater glory of God, and calls people prayer and conversion of heart, not only through the Word, but also through Art and the senses...
Since this is a poor parish, much of the work has been funded by persons living outside the parish boundries.
Today, 80% of the Sanctuary of St. John Chrysostom church in Inglewood, California, has been completed.
But this parish needs your help.
A SHORT HISTORY
Several years ago, after multiple renovations, Saint John Chrysostom was a church where the main altar had been smashed, the communion rail demolished, the altar area carpeted over, and the entire church painted a dark combination of greens, with mustard yellow and burgundy accents in the coffers. The baptistry had been repurposed as a prayer room, and a "tub" was placed within the sanctuary, near the altar. A white piano inhabited the Sanctuary space, and the pulpit was virtually abandoned.
But a new heart led the community to return the church to its true purpose, and to physically and visually demonstrate the joy of the Gospel, and the Glory of God... to make their Church look, feel, and be a Church again!
And so it began...
THE RESTORATION
A new altar was built based on the original 1959 altar which had been destroyed.
The rebuilding of the communion rail came with it... pieces which were scattered throughout the church property were found, collected, and reconstructed as they were originally.
The "baptismal tub" was removed from the Sanctuary, and the Baptistry became a Baptistry again, with its massive, original and restored, beautiful white italian marble as the Font.
The piano was moved to the loft, along with choir and musicians.
The Sanctuary became, once again, a focused and orderly place of prayer with Christ as focal point.
That was 6 years ago, when this project of renewal started.
WHERE WE ARE NOW
Every year, as funds permit, another part of the ongoing project is completed.
First the painting of the church interior -- to do away with the green!
Then decorating the coffers. All 404 of them!
Then painting a mural on the dome.
Then decorating the rest of the Apse...
More recently, hundreds of stars in 22k gold leaf were painted onto the walls of the Apse, framing the composition, and pointing to the Altar and Tabernacle as the central most important "feature" or element in the church building.
Today, two Large Eucharistic Panels in the Apse (Sponsorhip 22k) are being initiated (see pics in updates above). The panels depict Christ teaching in Capharnaum, and revealing himself at Emmaus.
WHAT's NEEDED
St. John's has been judicious about every penny spent, but money has very simply run out.
These are the elements to be completed in the Sanctuary:
- the 2 side-altars' mural and gilding decoaration (11k)
- the top of the triumphal arch over the Altar (15k)
- the decoation around St. John Chrysostom (3k)
- the decoration around the marble pulpit (2k)
All St. John's needs is just over $50,000 to bring the Sanctuary to completion!
Below you can see some photos of the incredible restoration and decoration already created for the Glory of God at St. John's.
Please consider this project, and give generously.
Funds collected go directly to St. John's (Fr. Marcos Gonzalez is the Pastor), not the creator of this page.
Find out more about this ambitious and exciting project at: http://reginamag.com/st-john-chrysostom-church
ST JOHN BEFORE RESTORATION
Among other things, the communion rail was dismantled, the main altar had been demolished, and carpeting was glued over terrazzo and marble flooring...
Below, Sanctuary Apse and Dome/Ceiling before decoration (notice restored altar and communion rail already installed)
Below, Sanctuary Apse and Dome after painting of the church, before decoration
ST JOHN TODAY!
(work still ongoing)
ST JOHN AFTER RESTORATION
(notice some areas are still unfinished!)
Rebuilding the Communion Rail, one piece at a time... 
After the interior was repainted, each coffer was decorated with painted canvas. Here, you can get an idea just how large each coffer is, and how high the ceiling stands! 
DETAILS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
SANCTUARY / ALTAR RAIL : BEFORE
(notice no communion rail, no gates, and baptismal tub in background)
SANCTUARY / ALTAR RAIL : AFTER
(communion rail and gates restored, baptisms transfered to baptistry)
Maestro Shriver adds finishing touches to the Blessed Virgin medallion. Halos in 24k italian gold leaf.
Artists work on preparing rays for gilding, and continue work on palm trees...
Apse and Altar before restoration
Altar after restoration (but before decoration)
Apse vertical walls are decorated -- here you notice artisans are gilding the "sky" fields
Detail of the marbling of the lower part of the Apse vertical walls...
Father lends a hand at gilding one of the details on the dome!
The great Seraphs were painted on canvas off-site before being installed on the Apse walls, given some
more detail, and lastly, gilded
A view about 15' up, from the scaffold... 
Eucharistic symbols decorate the side walls of the Apse
Detail of Sanctuary on Easter Vigil..
The solid bronze Sanctuary gates were tarnishing in a back room behind a heater unit, after being removed for the wreckovation...
Sanctuary gates repristined, restored, and reinstalled! 
Another view of the Sanctuary gates, after their challenging reinstallation, and laborious restoration, polishing, and detailing...
