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Church Decorating Ministry “Exudes Joy” in Enhancing the Beauty of Our Church Home
When you invite guests to your home, you want it to look its best. The same goes for our church home — St. Benedict Cathedral Parish is beautiful, but the various decorations that adorn our church throughout the liturgical year make it even more beautiful.
“You clean the house for guests to come over, you make sure it smells good, you bake bread and put out flowers,” says Tami Orr, who coordinates the Church Decorating Ministry. “I think of this ministry the same way. We want everything to be beautiful for guests and parishioners.”
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Having been a part of the Church Decorating Ministry for about 15 years, Tami took over the coordinator role about seven years ago. For her, it is a blessing to lead the decorating at the Cathedral.
“This church is beautiful without any decorations,” Tami says. “This just really dresses everything up.”
The huge space means there is plenty of room for a lot of decorations, and since the renovations, many more decorative items have been acquired. The nearly life-size Nativity scene was purchased from Italy, while the creche was built years ago by a youth for his Eagle Scout project. A lot of gold accents are used with the decorations to complement the gold accents throughout the Cathedral. All of the decorations, no matter the season, lead the eye to the tabernacle.
St. Benedict Cathedral decorated for Easter, 2018
There are about 22 people Tami can call upon for help with decorating. All ages, both male and female, help out with the ministry. There is a lot of hauling and moving that is part of the process, but children can help put ornaments on the tree.
“You don’t have to be an interior decorator to help out,” Tami says.
In particular, Tami appreciates that this ministry brings such joy to others, considering it a form of hospitality.
St. Benedict Cathedral decorated for Christmas, 2020
St. Benedict Cathedral decorated for Christmas, 2020
“We have such a big church,” Tami says. “We just want to make sure everyone who comes here feels welcome. The decorations help with that.”
The ministry members slowly bring out items in Advent — Tami says this is fitting as it follows the anticipation of Christmas. The rest of the decorating is completed a few days before Christmas. The Lent decorations include a rock display, cross, crown of thorns, and railroad spikes.
“For Easter this year, we went all out,” Tami says. “With the pandemic for Easter 2020, I am so glad we went all out this year. I love the signs of new life — flowers, plants, and ferns.”
The decorations at the Cathedral make our church space all the more beautiful. As Christ’s home, it is only fitting that it feels as warm and inviting as our own homes.
“When we are done decorating, I just sit in a pew and look at it all,” Tami says. “It just exudes joy, and I love that.”
Be sure to take a moment to enjoy the Cathedral’s beautiful decorations — all those who work hard for this ministry want us to feel welcome and at home!
