The Church of Saint Mary

Catholic churches are known for their beautiful décor, which typically include a multitude of tile, stone, and/or marble surfaces. Unfortunately,  these surfaces also make it very difficult for Catholic parishioners to hear the sermons due to the echo and reverberation that go along with them. For persons with hearing loss, these surfaces make enjoying the Word especially difficult.

The Church of Saint Mary, located in Tulsa, was the first Catholic church in the state of Oklahoma to provide induction loop technology to its parishioners. The hearing loop system removes the echo and reverberation that one typically experiences in a Catholic church.

The hearing loop  installation required a multi-system design to meet the needs of the Church during the concurrently running flooring remodel project.  Assist2Hear worked both with a parishioner who served as their internal project manager and the construction company performing the remodel to ensure a smooth installation process.

Four separate hearing loop systems were installed in the final product – two phased array systems and two perimeter loops. In doing so, the Church was able to remain open for services with only a single section closed for renovation each week. Each hearing loop system involved flat copper wire installed underneath porcelain tile resulting in a stunning new sanctuary floor that includes an intricate mosaic tile design!

The church’s hearing loop installation was not without a bump or two….in one instance a wire was damaged during the tile installation.  The expertise of the Assist2hear installation team allowed for the cut to be isolated and repaired with minimal damage to the Church’s newly installed flooring.

Upon completion of the hearing loop system, Assist2Hear and the Catholic Church of Saint Mary hosted informational sessions for the congregation members on how to use the new hearing loop technology installed in the sanctuary. To date, feedback has been tremendous, with many happy Catholics sharing their joy regarding their renewed ability to clearly hear the Word of God despite the many beautiful but hard surfaces in the sanctuary.