CRESCO – With a little more than three weeks left until Easter, many parish decorating committees will be working overtime to make sure their worship spaces are beautiful.
At Most Holy Trinity Parish in Cresco, which will celebrate Easter in its brand new home for the first time, volunteers have been preparing for several months.
“I do it to glorify and adore God, to show him that I am thankful for my gifts,” parishioner Madeleine Forssell said.
Forssell helps to coordinate a large team of dozens of volunteers who constantly work to keep the church, its narthex and meeting areas properly decorated for each liturgical season.
“We get inspiration from Pinterest and Facebook or we capitalize on ideas or pictures that we see,” she explained. “We try to enhance the beauty that is already here. When we decorate this place, it’ll take your breath away.”
Rev. Brian J.W. Clarke, pastor, Most Holy Trinity Parish, said the decorating committee had 42 people volunteering at Christmas.
“There is just so much enthusiasm. Madeleine brings in people of all different age groups and abilities. She gets everyone included. Once they start working together and can see that they have a part to contribute, it just blossoms,” Father Clarke said.
Arlene Calemmo of Mount Pocono volunteers with the group because she loves to see the finished products.
“These ladies are incredible. They are unbelievable. They work so hard and really do a wonderful job,” she explained.
“Christmas was absolutely gorgeous. Everything was just so beautiful,” fellow volunteer Julie Conroy of Canadensis, added. “There are quite a few people that get involved and everybody does a little something.”
Most Holy Trinity Parish was formed as a consolidation of three area parishes so the decorating committee has plenty of supplies to work with.
“This is a family. Your church should be part of your extended family. Wherever they need me, that is where I go,” volunteer Ayleen Rios of Tobyhanna, emphasized.
“Everybody has a talent and you just have to find where their niche is and fit them in!”
The Most Holy Trinity Parish decorating committee invites everyone to see their work beginning Palm Sunday when there will be special palm decorations adorning each pew and then the following Sunday where Easter lilies will be prominently featured throughout the parish.