Renovations like those at St. Mary's are part of a wider movement in the Catholic Church, according to the Rev. Gregoire Fluet, pastor of St. Bridget of Kildare in Moodus. A return to classical styles of architecture and decoration in the churches coincides with a renewed emphasis on the “otherworldliness and mystery” of faith, Fluet said.“There is an effort to bring a certain sense of mysticism back to Catholic worship,” Fluet said. “I think in the '60s the emphasis was more on the here and now. But people look to religion to point them to truths beyond the here and now.”The work at St. Mary is more than superficial, Fluet said. “It's a rediscovery of our roots.
And, as someone astutely pointed out in a comments box last week, the Holiday-Inn lobby/multipurpose structures of the 70's just weren't going to last - not only would we get tired of them, the carpet would wear, the plastic chairs would crack and the banners would, eventually fall apart. Bound to happen.
