CHARLOTTE — St. Gabriel Church has undergone a technological transformation, enabling the parish to enhance the worship experience for people in the church and at home.
The Charlotte parish – one of the largest in the Diocese of Charlotte – raised more than $250,000 to fund significant upgrades encompassing audio, lighting, security and visual tools including livestreaming equipment. The four-phase project began in January and the final equipment was installed earlier this month.
The need to modernize the parish’s technological capabilities was highlighted when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented parishioners from attending Mass in person, said parish communications director Darby McClatchy. With all churches closed for several months last year, the parish turned to its aging equipment to keep parishioners connected digitally.
“The systems in place served us well for four decades,” McClatchy said, yet “they weren’t doing the job anymore.”
Previously, the church used a camera on a tripod to record videos of select Masses, which were then edited and posted online afterwards.
Last summer, the church’s sound system stopped working, and the hearing-impaired technology became increasingly unreliable. The church turned temporarily to a portable audio system that was being used for outdoor Masses, but it was inadequate for regular indoor use.
Now because of the improvements, St. Gabriel Church has an improved sound system and upgraded lighting, including a spotlight to use for worship services and Eucharistic Adoration. The setup has four cameras controlled by a joystick, a monitor to see all of the views, and the ability to switch between the cameras. Large screens are mounted on the walls on either side of the sanctuary to project prayers, hymns and other information for the large number of worshipers gathered in the 1,000-seat church. The new audio system also has enhancements for those who are hearing impaired.
The project was funded entirely by parishioner donations, including a legacy gift from an anonymous donor.
The church livestreamed its first Mass using the new equipment on Holy Thursday, McClatchy said.
The parish’s director of technology, Ben Vigil, was instrumental in the project, she noted. He oversaw installation and programming of the new technology.
Since Holy Week, the parish has received quite a lot of positive feedback about the upgrades and people are enjoying the livestreamed Masses, she said. The church is livestreaming Masses on Sundays at 9 a.m. (Watch online at www.stgabrielchurch.org/livestream.)
A typical Sunday Mass is getting about 300 to 500 live viewers and more people are tuning in after the broadcast for a total of 1,200 views on average, McClatchy noted.
“It’s important to be able connect with people online, especially now,” McClatchy said. “We’re thankful to finally be here.”
— Kimberly Bender, Online reporter