If ever a church renovation was the collective feat of a faith community, it is the beautification of St. Isidore Church in Yuba City.

A groundswell of support for the project began when two married couples arrived at the rectory door to make donations the day they received a “wish list” of needs from Father Manuel Soria, pastor.

Next came an unprecedented $12,000 second collection for the renovation project one week after it was formally announced during weekend Masses.

Then there was the generous request from a parishioner who asked to refinish all the pews for a fraction of the cost.

Sometime during all this activity there was a telephone call from a family who wanted to donate doors, ceiling fans and choir chairs as a legacy to their children.

These were just a few of the people who filled St. Isidore Church on June 12 for a Mass of blessing in celebration of the church’s transformation. The event was held on the 44th anniversary of the dedication of St. Isidore Church in 1960.

Renovating the church was a hot topic parishioners were talking about when Father Soria arrived at St. Isidore as pastor more than six years ago. As a result, the team worked with Marirose Jellicich, a member of the diocese’s liturgical commission, to give the project direction prior to adopting a renovation plan.

Then in 1999, a survey was conducted at all Masses to assess needs for the parish.

“It’s extremely important for parishioners to understand the reason for change and for people to take ownership of things we’re doing,” said Father Soria, who recalled the assessment process resulted in a surprising discovery.

“We found the number one priority at the time was youth ministry, and the second was building a parish hall,” he said.

While parishioners’ desire for a renovated church had not diminished, they recognized hiring a youth minister and making basic improvements at St. Isidore School came first.

So parishioners started a three-phase campaign to fund a school renovation project in 2001, construct a $2.9 million parish hall in 2003 and then renovate the church.

When parishioners saw what they had accomplished with their improved school facility and parish hall, they couldn’t wait to start the church renovation project.

The original campaign plan called for renovation to begin after school and parish hall costs had been paid. However, a plan to finance the renovation project was adopted without using campaign funds in order to proceed immediately.

It involved the creation of the church “beautification wish list,” which included carpeting and painting the interior, sanctuary improvements, a new sound system, lighting, ceiling fans and a new baptismal font.

The total cost was nearly $224,000.

Jim Collins, a member of the beautification committee and a parishioner for 34 years, said from the moment a letter about the project was mailed, there was no stopping the train.

“Even though many people have given to the other two projects, everyone decided to dig a little bit deeper,” he said.

The vision for the project, Father Soria said, has been to create anew what the church’s architect had originally achieved at St. Isidore.

“This is a church environment that gives you the sense you are in the presence of the divine, that you are in sacred space,” he said.

He also learned a valuable lesson from one donor when he thanked the man for such a beautiful gift to the church.

“(The donor) said, ‘No, Father. The gift is for God,’” Father Soria said.

Karen Brown, business manager at St. Isidore, sees the renovation project as also providing spiritual rewards for future generations.

“Many people have been here since the church was built and feel this is their church,” she said. “This project is part of trying to continue to bring the Holy Spirit into everyone’s lives.”

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