DOUGLASTON — Msgr. Edward Doran, a retired priest living at the Immaculate Conception Center (ICC) in Douglaston, visits the center’s chapel each morning to pray for active priests and his fellow retired clergymen.
Now, he enjoys saying his prayers in a newly renovated chapel.
A major renovation of the chapel was completed in October, and on Wednesday, Dec. 4, Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated Mass at the ICC and blessed the chapel.
For Msgr. Doran, it was like the dawn of a new day.
“The renovation of the chapel is an experience that just brings us way, way up,” said Msgr. Doran, 84, who attended the Mass. “It’s obviously always been a place of worship, but now every element of it sings out, ‘Worship the Lord. Worship Jesus.’ ”
He added that the chapel is a “beautiful setting” that is “tremendously uplifting for senior priests.” The renovation was the chapel’s first major face-lift since 1998. The chapel was erected when the ICC was built in the late 1960s.
Bishop Brennan said that like the Jubilee Year of 2025 — a year in which Catholics worldwide will renew their faith — the ICC and the chapel are also experiencing a new beginning with the renovation.
The ICC served for many years as a place of discernment for young men entering the priesthood but is now primarily a retreat and conference center that also provides a home for retired priests in the diocese.
The renovation project included constructing a new space for the tabernacle in the sanctuary, building a new crucifix, removing the large screen that used to obscure the organ, installing new electrical wiring, and painting blue stencils high above the altar in tribute to the Blessed Mother.
Anthony George, owner of D’Ambrosio Ecclesiastical Art Studios Inc., the company that completed the renovation, said it was a collaborative effort with input from Bishop Brennan and senior priests. The goal, he said, was to respect the history of the chapel while adding a few new touches.
D’Ambrosio Ecclesiastical Art Studios, which was founded by George’s family in 1920, has worked on a number of renovation projects in the diocese.
“The fact that we were given the opportunity was a blessing,” he said. “Working here with a bunch of the senior priests who knew the company and worked with us in the past was an honor.
“Every day was a blast, and it was just a real honor being able to work in this space.”
One of the most striking changes involves the chapel’s Stations of the Cross. George and his artisans built wood frames for each station — which are white in color — so they would stand out against the white walls on which they are mounted.
“How can we make them really pop and accentuate? We lost them with the busy background, so we were able to make some nice millwork frames,” George explained.
Bishop Brennan likes the new look of the stations. “They were always there, but they kind of blended into the wall — the white on white. Now, with the color in the background and the wood framing, they really stand out,” he said.
Bishop Brennan added that he is especially pleased that the tabernacle is now in the sanctuary, rather than in a separate room like it was before.
“This makes [the tabernacle] more visible to all when they come regularly to visit,” he said. “People can come in and pray before the Blessed Sacrament as they wish.”
Father Denis Herron, a retired priest who lives at the ICC, entered the chapel before Mass and looked around in awe. He was ordained a deacon in the chapel in 1972 and noted the “many great memories” that he has there.
“To see it get a whole new look is wonderful,” Father Herron said.
