Our church building needs to be cleaner, more welcoming, better lit and heated and more beautiful. Perhaps it is the smaller things that people get more worried about.
One of the basic ideas that we have is that each important item in our church should have its own place of honour.
This includes the altar, lectern, tabernacle, priest's chair, baptismal font and the place of devotion to Mary, the Mother of the Lord.
As much as possible one thing should not crowd out another.
It is for this reason that we will be moving our statue of Our Lady to its own space. The area that is now the confessional box will be opened up to create such a place of devotion. It should look very good.
Speaking of the statue, I would like to canvass your opinion.
The parish has been offered a sum of money to buy a new statue.

If we accept the offer we could purchase something in wood (rather than plaster) and something that would perhaps emphasise more the image of Mary as a strong woman of faith and as the Mother of the Lord.
Furthermore, we could put the statue on a stand so that people could touch it (very much the custom among many of our parishioners) and so that it could be brought into the main body of the church for major Marian feasts.
However, I am aware that our present statue has been in our church for a length of time and may hold emotional ties for a number of people, I would be very happy to hear your considered opinions.
So, what do you think?