The Church of the Assumption in St. Paul published an article in its June 28 bulletin about the church’s new holy water fonts that they received just prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. 

“The fonts were hand-crafted by parishioner Bill Wegwerth,” the bulletin says. “A firefighter by trade, Bill has been working with wood for 35 years.”

Wegwerth’s family tradition of woodworking was a skill that he taught himself and has used for the benefit of the church before, having built extension pieces for the high altar several years ago. Before building the fonts, Wegwerth did some research and found that many fonts are mounted on the walls of churches, but Assumption has always used pedestal fonts, which is what Wegwerth built.

Bill Wegwerth | 6-28-20 Bulletin.pdf

He glued nearly 70 pieces of wood to build the fonts and designed them so that they matched the architecture of the church’s exterior.  

“Although there are several types of wood in the church, Bill chose oak for the font,” the bulletin said. “He wanted to add some color so he used red and gold paint at the crosses on the base. He hollowed out the top of the fonts to fit a glass bowl that can easily be removed and cleaned.”

Assumption now has six fonts: two for each of the entrances to the church. 

Wegwerth and his wife, Sandy, have been parishioners at the Church of the Assumption for many years and are blessed by the knowledge that the fonts will be used for many years to come. The Wegwerths have said that the church is one of the most welcoming and comfortable bodies of believers that they have ever been a part of. 

“The parish is incredibly grateful to Bill for his craftsmanship and the beautiful work he did,” the article said. “We look forward to the time when we can safely use these lovely fonts again.”