Painting
This edition of Proclaim contain a segment on the church painting beginning at time marker 24:35.
Placing of the scaffolding
Reprinted from the May 25, 2023 issue of the Tribune-Democrat
The Rev. George Gulash, pastor of Resurrection Roman Catholic Church in Johnstown, talks about preservation work done to the church’s interior during an interview on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. By Dave Sutor
[email protected]
It was the first time comprehensive changes were made to the interior appearance of the century-old structure in about three decades, according to the pastor. Gulash said people who enter the church in Johnstown’s Cambria City Historic District will now feel “embraced by the building itself.”
“As we have said from the very beginning, this isn’t a restoration,” Gulash said.
“We did not go through old photographs and return to the way things were.
“It’s not a renovation because we didn’t change anything. But it’s a preservation for the next 30 years. This will be handed onto the next generation until they will need to address issues that occur naturally.”
The old muted paint scheme, with plenty of light mauve, is gone.
In its place, rich colors – blue representing Heaven, along with fireweed (a rosy brown hue), green and gold, which are still present in the original tile aisle – were used. Gulash said “now everything kind of ties together from top to bottom.”
Craftsmen used old-school techniques passed down from Elias Ghantous, a Lebanese immigrant, to his son, Albert Ghantous, owner of the Johnstown-based company.
“His love for painting of churches really runs deep with me and my family,” Albert Ghantous said. “We’ve talked about the labor of love thing. It’s more than that. It goes deep. It goes spiritually for us. If I could only do churches, that’s all we would do. We wouldn’t do anything else.”
The public will receive the opportunity to see the new look this weekend during church services and the first SundayMarket@CambriaCity of the season.
Ghantous plans to be present.
“I’m going to have to fight back tears, I can tell you that,” Ghantous said. “The ultimate reward is to see everybody enjoying it. And that’s why we do it. We do it to make sure that these houses of the Lord are maintained properly. It creates also a good atmosphere for worship. That’s really important.”
A Mass is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday. Resurrection will also hold Masses at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and a 4 p.m. prayer service on Sunday, which is Pentecost, a holiday that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus Christ’s Apostles and other followers.
The church was closed during the preservation process.
“Pentecost is often referred to as the birthday of the Catholic Church, so it is very appropriate for Resurrection Parish to celebrate this rebirth, of sorts, this weekend on the Solemnity of Pentecost,” Tony DeGol, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown’s communications secretary, wrote in an email interview. “Bishop (Mark) Bartchak sends heartfelt blessings and congratulations to the Resurrection faith community as parishioners return to their newly preserved church.
“May the Holy Spirit continue to guide Father Gulash and the faithful as they encounter Christ inside their beautiful worship space and proclaim the Gospel well beyond those four walls.”
Dave Sutor is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Sutor.
[email protected]
It was the first time comprehensive changes were made to the interior appearance of the century-old structure in about three decades, according to the pastor. Gulash said people who enter the church in Johnstown’s Cambria City Historic District will now feel “embraced by the building itself.”
“As we have said from the very beginning, this isn’t a restoration,” Gulash said.
“We did not go through old photographs and return to the way things were.
“It’s not a renovation because we didn’t change anything. But it’s a preservation for the next 30 years. This will be handed onto the next generation until they will need to address issues that occur naturally.”
The old muted paint scheme, with plenty of light mauve, is gone.
In its place, rich colors – blue representing Heaven, along with fireweed (a rosy brown hue), green and gold, which are still present in the original tile aisle – were used. Gulash said “now everything kind of ties together from top to bottom.”
Craftsmen used old-school techniques passed down from Elias Ghantous, a Lebanese immigrant, to his son, Albert Ghantous, owner of the Johnstown-based company.
“His love for painting of churches really runs deep with me and my family,” Albert Ghantous said. “We’ve talked about the labor of love thing. It’s more than that. It goes deep. It goes spiritually for us. If I could only do churches, that’s all we would do. We wouldn’t do anything else.”
The public will receive the opportunity to see the new look this weekend during church services and the first SundayMarket@CambriaCity of the season.
Ghantous plans to be present.
“I’m going to have to fight back tears, I can tell you that,” Ghantous said. “The ultimate reward is to see everybody enjoying it. And that’s why we do it. We do it to make sure that these houses of the Lord are maintained properly. It creates also a good atmosphere for worship. That’s really important.”
A Mass is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday. Resurrection will also hold Masses at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and a 4 p.m. prayer service on Sunday, which is Pentecost, a holiday that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus Christ’s Apostles and other followers.
The church was closed during the preservation process.
“Pentecost is often referred to as the birthday of the Catholic Church, so it is very appropriate for Resurrection Parish to celebrate this rebirth, of sorts, this weekend on the Solemnity of Pentecost,” Tony DeGol, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown’s communications secretary, wrote in an email interview. “Bishop (Mark) Bartchak sends heartfelt blessings and congratulations to the Resurrection faith community as parishioners return to their newly preserved church.
“May the Holy Spirit continue to guide Father Gulash and the faithful as they encounter Christ inside their beautiful worship space and proclaim the Gospel well beyond those four walls.”
Dave Sutor is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Sutor.
Resurrection Catholic Church 324 Chestnut Street Johnstown, PA 15906 814-539-5788 Weekend Mass Times Saturday, 4:00 PM St. Clare of Assisi Church Sunday, 8:00 & 10:30 AM Resurrection Church St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church 124 Maple Avenue Johnstown, PA 15901 814-535-1133 |
RESURRECTION PARISH CHURCH
ST. CLARE OF ASSISI PARISH CHURCH |