SAINT MARY MOTHER OF MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH

SAINT MARY MOTHER OF MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH

“The light of grace drives away the shadows of sin, as the rising sun scatters the night.” 

Saint Ambrose of Milan, De Isaac et Anima

“You shone your light upon me, and I loved you; I was filled with your light and I trembled with joy.”

Saint Augustine, Confessions Book VII

Dear Children of God, 

In the last two #iGiveCatholic campaigns, Saint Mary Mother of Mercy Catholic Church has been blessed by the generosity of kind souls like you!!!

In 2023, your God-given generosity enabled us to purchase new Cassocks and Surplices for our altar servers; and in 2024 we expanded our goals to replace the roof on our parish hall, and achieved our target. 

Encouraged by your kindness, and with humble and grateful hearts, we come to you this year as well with our campaign to purchase New Lighting for the Interior of Our Church. 

The lights in our church building are from 1996, the year the building was constructed. In the past three decades, lighting technology has evolved dramatically. There are now the energy-efficient LED lights and smart features such as dimming, scheduling, and remote controls. Our lighting system is indeed in need of such upgrades, and upgrades would enable us to move beyond basic on/off functionality.

Our human experience testifies that the inner life of a person never sits still; it stirs, reaches, withdraws, returns. Light in a church ought to behave the same way—moving softly, almost breathing—so the sacred space reveals itself the way truth usually does: not all at once, but in quiet layers. For, from the opening lines of Scripture, light is the first gift of creation—the border between chaos and order. Christ is named the “light of the world,” not as poetry, but as a reminder of the presence that steadies the human heart. Accordingly, even the fixtures that hold our lights need to echo this truth in subtle, unobtrusive ways.

Prayer can be shaped by light that serves rather than shines. Thoughtful arrangements of lights calm our minds and lift our spirits. As our various liturgical seasons call us to repentance, gratitude, patience, or joy, thoughtful lighting helps the community enter these moods with quiet ease. The technological advancements in lighting today can enhance our prayer experience, shaping it to be gentle, natural, and profoundly fitting.

In recent years our parish church’s interior has grown steadily more beautiful. The faces of the saints on the icons invite deeper contemplation and steadfast commitment, and our new Stations of the Cross call for a slow, attentive, and prayerful gaze. While these images carry their own graces, proper and thoughtful lighting will enhance their presence and beauty. Even the fixtures, chosen with care, become small offerings of faith, contributing to the harmony of the sacred space.

Besides visibility or aesthetics, this project is about creating a place where prayer could be facilitated to unfold without much effort, where beauty can be received without strain, and where art, architecture, and worship move as one within the interior of our church.

Trusting in God, and relying on your God-given generosity, we humbly and gratefully request your support to help us illuminate the interior of Saint Mary, Mother of Mercy Catholic Church with new, inspiring lighting.

May the Lord God bless us all everyone! 

Thank you very much!

In Christ Jesus Our Lord, God and King

Fr. Martin A. Raj