Gilding of St. Alphonsus

Twenty members of the Society of Gilders donated their time and expertise last week to restore the gold leaf to the Communion rail at St. Alphonsus Church. 

The painstaking process, said Michael Kramer, president of gilding society, included a forensic paint analysis that restores the rail to the off-white color that was used in the 1880s, about the time the gold leaf was added to the 1859 church. On three previous trips, the professional gilders have done work on the main altar and tabernacle. “What we’re trying to do is continue the tradition of craftsmanship and artisanship,” said Kramer, of Olney, Md. “This is transformative to the space.”