Going back to the year 2000, you are here at St. Stanislaus Kostka parish in Pleasant Valley, NY, where I served for 4 glorious years between 1998 and 2002. When I arrived there the parish was a dormant community, but my involvement with the youth, the children and liturgical functions revived the life of the parish community. The pastor was even inspired to lead a renovation of the sanctuary area. One of my favorite duties was decorating the altar with symbols that pertain to that liturgical season.
Here you see 2 different arrangements relating to Lent and Easter, the first one before the renovation, and the second one after the renovation. In the first photo you would notice various symbols relating to Holy Week with a purple backdrop in front of the altar. Among them you can see a bible, a crown of thorns, a candle, rosary beads, a prayer, a purple stole, a small cross, a container with ashes, and some forsythia, which bloomed inside after the branches were frozen in the cold New York winter months. This arrangement helped people focus more on their prayer, and created a spiritual atmosphere as they were led through Lent and Holy Week with our daily reflections during Mass. The second photo shows the arrangement with Easter lilies and geraniums of various colors, and you can admire the renovated sanctuary area with a dominant crucifix.
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