"Remodel Update"

Dear Parishioners,

If you have driven, walked, jogged, or buzzed by the parish house, you will have noticed a whole lot of activity going on. Finally after two months of inactivity, the project has begun and much has been accomplished. All of this activity has been made possible through your generous donations.

Thus far the master shower, sink, and counter have been resurfaced and new hardware, plumbing, and electrical installed or upgraded. Most all of the carpet and other flooring has been removed. The washing machine and dryer are now in the appropriate location: the utility room instead of a closet in the center of the house. One fireplace has been removed (there were two). The electrical plugs throughout the house have been upgraded to three-prong outlets and GFCI’s (think safety plugs) installed in the bathrooms. Some lighting has been replaced or added. The cinder block walls have been sheet-rocked. Eventually these surfaces will need to be textured and painted.

The kitchen is next (seen at right). At this point, I am cooking out of my little trailer, because the entire kitchen has been pulled apart for the remodel. It’s like camping! Gracie, my dog, and I each have one chair upon which we can sit without getting carpenter’s dust all over us. Black is a precarious color to wear in this environment as you can imagine. At this time, the countertops are being raised to the standard height, reconfigured and resurfaced, the hood over the range will be vented correctly, the plumbing will be upgraded, and the cabinets will be reconditioned. Once this has been done, the duct work throughout the house will need to be cleaned and the floors resurfaced.

It has been wonderful to see the house brought up to new standards. Parishioners with particular business/construction expertise have been involved. Other things that need to be seriously looked at include the replacing, reconditioning, and or reconfiguring the furnace and upgrading the windows to increase energy efficiency (these will pay for themselves in short order).

As you know, this all takes money, and your wonderful donations have been very encouraging to me. Amidst all this, the parish has been struggling financially. So it is important that you know that this project has been paid for exclusively outside of our normal operating budget and is independent of your weekly donations for the ongoing ministries of the parish. As we start to look towards the end of this project, we estimate that we will run short of funds to complete it. It has been a “pay as you go” type of project. No funds have been or will be diverted from the normal operating expenses to complete it. Instead, I look to you to consider helping, once again, to bring closure to this remodel. Any donations you wish to make should be done independently of your normal stewardship to the parish. Please consider coming to the parish office to make a donation to the “rectory remodel.”

Again, thank you for all your support and prayers.

Sincerely,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor