Nevada’s St. Mary’s Church reveals stunning interior transformation

NEVADA, Mo. — An area house of worship has hit a milestone, and while the outside may look the same, the inside has undergone a stunning transformation.

The exterior of St. Mary’s Catholic Church hasn’t changed much in the 125 years it’s been standing in Nevada. A testament to the quality of construction back in 1899.

The inside, that’s another story.

“You can imagine when you walk into a church that’s now been colorized,” said Father Pete Savidge, pastor, St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Over a 10 week period employees of Ecclesiastical Studios and Sons transformed a pretty church into a stunning one.

“I was just amazed, it just gave such a different appearance and I was so happy to see all of the cracks, the water damage repaired, it was just wonderful,” said Virginia Habjan, longtime parishioner.

“Everybody was kind of wow, this is not the place we remember, it was, it was kind of a shock for a lot of people when they actually took a look at it and saw what it could actually become,” said Father Savidge.

With the exception of repairing damage from a leaky roof, the team, which has worked on other Four State Catholic churches over the years, took the structures inside and cleaned and repainted them, to reveal details that went unnoticed for decades.

“I was just amazed, it just gave such a different appearance, I was so happy to see the cracks and the water damage repaired, it was just wonderful,” said Habjan.

Those interested in checking out the new and improved church, can do so during an open house on Saturday. It runs from 11 am to 3:30.

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