St. Francis and St. Mary parish in Brussels is ready to celebrate Easter in their newly renovated church. When Father Edward Looney first arrived at the parish in 2017, he was instantly informed of the pressing need to improve the physical condition of the church building. He established a goal of January 2021 for the improvements, and the pandemic could not slow down their progress. Father Looney commented, “What was unique about this project for our parish was that we had the funds available to use due to the generosity of our parishioners over the last several years and good fiscal foresight and management. No capitol campaign was needed for the project.” With the interior work, the church received new plaster, paint, carpeting, electrical wiring, trimwork, and much more. During the renovation, mass was held in the basement. Their goal was to celebrate mass in the renovated space by Easter, but it ended up being ready by Palm Sunday, and the parishioners were awed by the good work done. They now look forward to celebrating Easter in the newly renovated church, as well as many sacramental celebrations over the next sevearl decades.
