St. Joseph Catholic Church, located in Auburn, NE, has been undergoing some renovation over the past few months. Cornhusker State Industries (CSI) was pleased to have been chosen to refinish and reupholster the Pews, Kneelers, Prie Dieus, Presiders’ Arm Chair, and Presiders’ Side Chairs and to refinish a few Hymnal Holders. The project also included constructing new Hymnal Holders to match existing ones, new Card Holders and a make a number of new Pew Ends to also match existing ones.

Churches with smaller budgets can get more done without compromising craftsmanship and quality. CSI offers excellent prices plus free pickup and delivery throughout Nebraska. Our crew made several trips to St. Joseph's to pick up all of the items requiring work. The pews turned out to be some of the longest and heaviest we have ever worked on. The work was completed in the Wood Shop located inside the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln. As many as 25 incarcerated men with expertise in this type work labored on this project at various times. They logged at least 2500 hours of work to get the entire project done. Several return trips later, our crew delivered and set-up everything back in the church.

Father Karl Millis says the church renovation is almost complete. Some painting is still in the plans as well as some additional work on the Altar.

This was one of many projects CSI has been involved in over the years related to churches throughout Nebraska. Our excellent reputation of outstanding work related to reconditioning and reupholstering of pews and other church items has kept many of our incarcerated men busy over the years. These men take justifiable pride in the craftsmanship of the products, while at the same time learn the importance of working responsibly as a part of our production teams and aquiring much needed vocational skills. We are all appreciative of the patronage of our customers, such as St. Joseph Catholic Church, as it is vital for CSI’s continued success in maintaining and expanding its programs and providing opportunities for incarcerated men to ready themselves for re-entry back to the community.