From “leaving our parish” to “Two thumbs up!

Every once in a while we hear a story that illustrates the incredible importance of intelligible sound to the worship. Power Sound of New England recently completed an audio system renovation for Our Lady of Hope in Ipswich Massachusetts.  Recently Deacon Carl Robertson shared such a story with us.  We with his kind permission are posting it here…

 

From “leaving our parish” to “Two thumbs up!

"I was greeting parishioners at the side door after Mass on Saturday evening; it was just two weeks before the new sound system was to be installed at our church. A gentleman approached me with his wife and, after an exchange of greetings; he told me that he was leaving our parish as he planned to attend another church.  Surprised, I asked why?  He went on to say that he simply could “not hear” the spoken word in the church with any clarity.  He noted that in addition to the “horrible” sound quality from the PA system, the activity and noise from restless children made this untenable for him.  I then invited them to follow me and brought him and his wife to our newly constructed family room in the back of the nave. I pointed out the large windows overlooking the interior of the church, and the speaker in the room for the people to hear what was said in the church proper.  I shared that this would be a welcoming and comfortable place, offering families an ideal place to worship with children.  (Now some weeks later, I can say that the room is widely used, and parents of very young children have told me they are very grateful for this.)

I then pointed out to the couple two areas at the front of the church, just in front of and on either side of the Sanctuary, where two new nine foot high speakers would be installed; these would replace the sixteen inefficient speakers now hanging throughout the church.  Even though nine feet high, I told them that the speakers would be almost invisible for they would be only about six inches in diameter.  I assured them that I was confident that the Power Sound system would give us the glorious sound we wanted. I asked that they not go to another church, just give me two weeks for them to "test" the new system when installed." 

~ Deacon Carl Robertson; Our Lady of Hope, Ipswich, MA