The season of advent is the time of waiting and preparing for the Lord's appearance as one of us. In the Northern Hemisphere, Advent corresponds to the coming of winter when the earth is shrouded in snow and chill and nature seems to have surrendered to death. We are encouraged during this season to look inward, to listen and to watch, to prepare our hearts, to make ready a place for the reign of God to begin again in us.

The deep violets and blues of the tapestry signify the night sky, the darkness of winter. Here and there, the darkness is cut by a shaft of light.

The days leading up to Christmas present us with images of the coming Savior in the antiphons of evening prayer. One of the most beautiful is O Dayspring. "Into the dark and cold of winter breaks a blinding light of warmth of brilliance." The gospels tell us of the night sky filled with light, the song of angels and the promise of peace. A star leads those who are watchful for signs to the foot of the manger. The tapestry brings to fullness what was hinted at in the Advent hanging.

The Ordinary Time tapestry symbolizes the cross as the tree of life. The red of the cross reminds us of the Passion and Death of Jesus. The colors purple and violet reflect the glory of His Kingship and victory. The greens symbolize the life we all share through Jesus' cross. The tapestry is meant to be a celebration of Ordinary Time or the time outside of our other liturgical seasons. The four quadrants alternate colors as they move around the cross which reminds us of the changing rhythms of our lives and the steady passage of time.

Lent is the season of penance and reflection. The colors associated with this season in the liturgy are violet for penitence and scarlet for the Passion of Christ. Many of the readings of Lent talk about the desert as a place of loneliness, desolation and retreat. In the desert, the starkness of the landscape and the quality of the light allow us to see with clarity and heightened perception. In our own country during this season, we are making our way through to the end of winter and waiting for the coming of spring and new life. The blacks, grays, and muted browns are the colors of the desert and winter. The reds and violets remind us that each of us must endure a bit of the Passion ourselves on the path to self-knowledge. It is not easy to see our flawed nature, but true grace comes when we realize that God loves us as His creation, not just for who we might become in the future, but right now, just as we are.

The tapestry is composed of two section, water and fire. Both are integral symbols to the Easter Vigil and to our salvation history. The fire is a symbol of the Light of Christ, the morning star that never fades, taken from the Exultet of the Easter Vigil. In the Old Testament, it is the visible sign of God's presence to the Israelites as they flee from the Egyptian armies which pursue them. Thus, the pillar of fire and the pillar of smoke are the beacons that lead the Israelites by night and day, and also a defense against their enemies. The water is also a symbol of our salvation story. By water, God destroys the earth in the story of Noah, but saves His faithful in the ark. By water, the Israelites escape from Pharoah's armies. By water, we go down into the water to die and rise with Christ. From the water comes a tender shoot, the symbol of new Life in Christ.

The original painting of Our Lady is above the main altar of St. Alphonsus Ligouri in Rome. Redemptorist priests who, for the last 250 years, have promoted devotion to the Blessed Mother under the title, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, staff the Church. This devotion with its prayers has spread worldwide. This Byzantine portrait depicts Jesus as a young child having rushed to His Mother Mary when He had a vision of angels who were predicting His death. Thus, the instruments of his crucifixion appear in the painting. We are invited to "rush" to Mary when we are in need of help.

Wicks Organ Company built the original organ in 1972. It was unique since the pipes and keyboards were all attached in a 92 square foot case. It had 15 "stops" or tone variations such as flutes or reeds. Though strong enough to support the bigger feasts, the organ lacked softer tones and depth. In February 2000, the organ was dismantled and taken to Highland, Illinois to be reworked by the Wicks Company. Among the results is a movable console that has become useful to accommodate concerts and various choir arrangements. We now have a total of 50 "stops" to choose from to vary the sound of the pipes. Most of the pipes from the old organ were incorporated into the new arrangement along with some new tones such as chimes and festive trumpet that are produced digitally. The organ also has MIDI capability, which means new tones can be "learned" by the organ by a keyboard or computer source. Finally, the casework was rebuilt and finished with black walnut and oak to match the other liturgical furnishings of the church.