Projects:

Under the leadership of Maestro Aurelio Porfiri, our Director of Music, the community of Santa Susanna has built a very fine music program. We have a choir made up of our parishioners, plus a special group, called the Santa Susanna Singers, who join us for the important liturgical feasts and seasons. Maestro Profiri and the Singers also participate in various Masses and services at St. Peter’s Basilica. In fact, he is a staff organist there, and often plays at the Wednesday Papal Audience, as well as for weddings and the Sunday evening Mass in the Basilica. His musical expertise has added a rich dimension to our liturgies over the past seven years. This has been more difficult lately with the deterioration of our organ.

Our goal now, after investigating this for the past three years, is to repair and clean our Ruffatti Pipe Organ in our Church. With the advice of Maestro Porfiri, and several consultants at the Vatican and in Rome, we have divided the project into two phases. Part A, which we will begin in August of this year will involve the cleaning and repair of each organ pipe, both the zinc and wooden ones, as well as replacing all the gaskets. A new electric blower will be installed, which will increase the flow of air into the pipes. All other parts of the instrument that surround the pipes, including the windchest, pipe racks and pipe supports will be cleaned and treated. Finally, the instrument will then be reassembled, voiced and tuned. The cost for Phase One will be $19,600.00. We are happy to say that we have raised nearly raised 75% for this first phase.

Phase Two involves the rebuilding of the windchest itself which has developed defects that will continue to damage the instrument if it is not changed in the next couple of years. Our organ builder, Mr. Daniel Taccini has proposed eliminating the existing system and converting into an electrical system. To do this, the windchest must be transported to his workshop and modified accordingly. Then it will have to be reinstalled and reconnected, with all the necessary attachments. This process will take approximately two months, and we are hoping to accomplish this in the summer of 2007, if we can raise the necessary funds in time. The cost is approximately $28,000.

If you are able to make a contribution to this project, please contact Fr. Greg at rector@santasusanna.org or write to him at Paulist Fathers, Via Antonio Salandra, 6, 00187 Rome, Italy.

The Access Ramp

Our Handicapped Access Ramp was installed at the beginning of June 2005. This was a project that took approximately five years. The delay was caused by the need for the necessary permissions from the City of Rome, given the historicity of the facade of our Church. We are happy to report that our Ramp is being used by many people, who have voiced their appreciation. The plaque on the Ramp states:

The Archdioceses of Anchorage, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville, Military Services, Newark, New York, Portland, San Francisco, and the Dioceses of Altoona-Johnstown, Baker, Buffalo, Dodge City, Gary, Lansing, Las Vegas, Richmond, Salt Lake City, Sioux Falls, Scranton, Springfield, Wichita, and Youngstown.

And the following individual donors, or in their memory: The William F. Lewis Family, Lawrence and Sue Altier, Msgr. George Dobes, Flora May Lecato, Paul A. Korody Jr., Carlo and Concetta Postiglione, Susan Thomas, Linda Jane Miconi, Daniel Koporec, Gina Barile, Marie E. Grobusky, Margaret and Fred Robichaud, Anita E. Manuel, J. Owen Todd and Eileen Todd, Attilio Piazzesi, Mark Colombano and Lisa Colombano Marking, the Sergio Alberico Family, the Shedid Family, Carolina Culverhouse, the Chapel Community of NSA (Naples), the Knights of Columbus, the Paulist Fathers, and the Community of Santa Susanna Church, the American Parish in Rome.

The following projects are on hold until we complete the repair of the organ and the repair of the Church's heating system:

Repair of the Saint Genesius Fresco:

Some few years ago after a problem with the roof was finally repaired we discover that some water damage had occured with the beautiful fresco of Saint Genesius entering into Heaven. The damage is repairable and it is only fresco in the church to need work. If you would want to assist us, we believe the cost runs about 25.000.00 US Dollars and a donor plaque in your name would be added to the chapel. The fresco is by the Mannerist artists Giovanni Battista Pozo, who died in 1591, at the age of 28 after just completing this fresco cycle. This chapel represents the body of his work and the fresco which is quite beautiful needs to be rescued.

Cleaning of the Great Painting Over the Main Altar:

Over the great main altar of Santa Susanna sits the massive (some 25 feet in height) painting "The Death of Santa Susanna," by the Mannerist artist Tommaso Laureti which was completed in 1591. This painting has been sought by several recent shows on the the theme of the age of Carravaggio. We however will not let it leave the church and it is so essential to our worship space that we cannot imagine praying in the space without it. But it is badly in need of a major cleaning. The estimated cost is about 35,000.00 US Dollars. The painting had darkened due to candlelight and smoke, to the point that some of the marvelous detail in the work are only visible when you care up close in front of the work. Can you help, we need your assitance.

The Christmas Creche:

The Church of Santa Susanna is the proud owner of a magnificent 18th century Neapolitan Christmas chreche, purchased many year ago. Some of the figures need repair and cleaning and others new new clothing. But we would like to do something very special at Santa Susanna. Romans have a wonderful custom of visiting chreches throughout the Christimas season and Santa Susanna welcomes thousand of people who come to the church. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a truly American creche in Rome.

We have been in touch with several creche makers in Naples and they are willing to construct (in the traditional Neapolitan manner) several new additional figures for the set. We have selected a series of American saints that we would have present at our chreche in Rome. Here is a tremendous opportunity to reach thousands of visitors about the history and tradition of our own American saints. Each figure would be about 35 to 40 centimeters high. This figures could include: Elizabeth Seton, Kateri Tekewicka, Junipero Serra, Isaac Jogues, Mother Cabrini and Katherine Drexel for example. To repair our present figurines runs about 500.00 US Dollars per piece and to create these new figures in the traditional style runs about 2,000.00 US Dollars per piece. Are you interested in helping us to create a unique Christmas attraction in Rome that teaches the world something about our rich American spiritual traditions? This project is on hold at this time (June 2006)