Kathleen Tuttle / Special to the Eagle

Mike Minozzi in his home woodshop at the woodworking machine that he bought when he was 12 years old.

Kathleen Tuttle / Special to the Eagle

San Marco Catholic Church's new ambry displays the sacramental oils.

Kathleen Tuttle / Special to the Eagle

Left to right, San Marco Catholic Church facilities manager, Terry Ward and parish secretary Maureen Seabasty point to the new crucifix in the main room of the parish hall.

Two symbols of faith were recently added to San Marco Catholic Church. A hand-carved wooden crucifix was affixed to the wall in the main room of the parish hall, and a wood and glass ambry was mounted on the wall to the left of the altar in the church sanctuary. Both were labors of love created by former city councilman Mike Minozzi.

The crucifix was Minozzi’s first attempt at wood sculpture. He has done woodworking since he was a boy and bought his first woodworking machine when he was 12 years old — with money he earned from delivering newspapers. He began the projects in January and worked on them an hour or two a day and finished them earlier this month. Both pieces were installed and blessed June 16.

“Prior to the installation of the cross there was nothing in the large gathering space to indicate we were a Catholic facility,” Hilda Brosky, chairperson of San Marco Catholic Church’s Liturgy Committee, said.

The cross is four and a half feet tall, and the attached Christ figure is three feet tall. The cross is made of poplar. The Corpus is made of five one-inch boards of basswood glued together. This was used instead of a thick block of basswood, that could have warped and cracked. He chose basswood because it is free of knots, it’s soft, and relatively easy to carve. He used photos and a vinyl model to guide him.

Although Minozzi has done so many pieces of furniture for family and friends that he cannot remember them all, the sculpture was a challenge.

“When carving human bodies, it’s difficult to keep the proportions, unlike doing furniture,” Minozzi said. He was also challenged by the process of how to hold the material while hitting it with a mallet.

The ambry is a small cabinet where the church’s sacramental oils are displayed. It is made of oak and is 36-inches wide by 18-inches high by 14 inches deep.

“A lot of planning went into it because of the glass and doors,” Minozzi explained. He sketched the design for the glass and sent glass to his family in New York, who are in the monument business, to have them sandblasted. The ambry was also designed with a glass top so that the ceiling light would shine on the oils. Sunday was the first day many of the parishioners saw the ambry.

“The warm golden glow of the wooden cabinet caught my eye immediately when I entered the church,” said Karen Urbanik.

“As a Catholic church we are a sacramental church, and signs and symbols are very important,” Brosky said. “The holy oils are used at key moments in the sacramental life of the church: baptism, ordination, dedication of God’s house, and anointing of the sick. That is why the ambry is such a welcome addition to our worship space. Having the oils visible helps remind us of these sacred moments. Everything in church should point to the sacred and to God’s presence in our midst. The ambry gives the oils the reverence they deserve.”

The ambry holds three lead glass decanters that were donated several years ago by Jerry and Hilda Brosky. Each decanter is labeled and holds oil for a different purpose. The one marked SC is the Sacred Chrism and is used most often. It is used for “initiation” — the baptism of adults and babies, confirmation, ordination of priests and bishops, and dedication of churches. The one marked OI is the Oil of the Infirm and is used for the anointing of the sick. OS stands for Oil of Salvation. It is reserved for catechumens, individuals who are in the process of becoming a Catholic.

“The anointing calls upon God’s help and strength for them to persevere on their faith journey,” Brosky said.

The oils are a “sacramental sign of spiritual holiness in this life and the life to come,” Reverend Timothy Navin, Pastor of San Marco Catholic Church, said. Every Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, there is a traditional Mass of Chrism celebrated in every cathedral in every diocese. However, due to the distances involved within the Diocese of Venice, the Mass is celebrated on Holy Tuesday. In addition to the blessing of the oil, the bishop, priests, and deacons from the diocese come together to reaffirm their priesthood and deaconate ordination.

“We are very proud and honored to receive Mike’s gifts to the church,” Reverend Navin said. “I enjoyed the building process. It was a statement of faith,” Minozzi said.

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