Priest's dream was truly an altar-ed state

Dreams can come true. Just ask Rev. Paul Roman, pastor of St. Mary's Church in Oneonta.

Several years after dreaming of a new altar for his church, Father Roman's vision became a reality with the recent dedication of the gorgeous, hand-crafted altar.

The elaborate oak altar is the product of several years' labor on the part of the Morley family, who had previously helped to renovate the sanctuary, and an art instructor from the State University at Oneonta, who designed the altar as Father Roman envisioned it.

Mind's eye

Father Roman decided it was time for a change. "I just thought that there should be something more appropriate for the church, but I didn't know what," he said.

He checked out various altars at churches he visited, some as far away as Europe and Israel, and he prayed for guidance in his search. One night, after intense prayer, Father Roman dreamt of an altar base with four angels, flanked by cruciform panels, each featuring wheat surrounded by red marble to signify the Body and Blood of Christ. He woke up around 4 a.m. and quickly sketched the design from his dream.

Dream come true

After visiting Ralph and learning of his many visits to cathedrals and his desire to someday build a religious artifact, Father Roman approached Yolanda Sharpe, a SUNY/Oneonta art instructor, about drawing the angels that would be featured in the altar. The drawings had to be quite detailed, since the four angels would possess characteristics of the Afro-American, Caucasian, Native American and Asian peoples, and would represent all nations, North, South, East and West.

Coming to reality

She agreed to design the altar, and Ralph Morley offered his services in building it. After four years of preparation and anticipation, the altar was dedicated by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard. Members of the Morley family assisted in the placement and unveiling of the new altar, and Ms. Sharpe sang solo during the prelude.

The dedication featured the blessing and sprinkling of holy water on the altar and the congregation, as well as the pouring of holy oil onto each of the altar's eight corners.

Having an octagonal altar is significant not only because the church's baptismal font is eight-sided, Father Roman noted, but also because the number eight figures prominently in Jesus' teaching.

"Theologically, it's powerful because that's what Jesus was all about -- the eight Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew," he said.

Father Roman is very pleased with the new altar, since it was designed and built by people who are involved in St. Mary's.

"All of a sudden, you've produced something that came out of the parish family," he said. "It really is a masterpiece."

And what's Father Roman dreaming of next? "Now we've got to talk about a matching lectern," he said.

(01-15-98) [[In-content Ad]]