Dear Friends,
You may have noticed that I have not been around the parish the last two weekends. I left shortly after the Spaghetti Dinner to take a vacation with a few friends to Israel. I am back – not rested of course – but I am back. The trip went very well except for the fact that the big Italian bike race began in Jerusalem this year, which made getting around Jerusalem difficult for a few days.
You have probably also noticed a few changes going on in my absence:
The repair of the church roof has begun and should finish in the next week or two. We have been chasing leaks around the roof for the three years that I have been here and the interior damage to the church walls has continued to grow. The parish received a bequest this past year from an estate whose use was limited to capital repair and construction on the church itself. We are using that estate money to repair the roof. The cost for the repair is over $100,000. It does not totally fix the roof, but repairs the worst areas where the most damage was being done. We will probably have to do additional repair work on the roof in the next five years to those areas that are failing fast. The roofing company tells us that the main areas of the church roof are in good shape, but the lower areas near the parapets and walls are compromised.
The front doors of the church will be replaced soon. The doors have served the parish well for many years and are now falling apart. In preparation for the door replacement, the woodwork around the front doors is being stripped of the paint and is being restored to its original look. The new doors will be stained to match the woodwork and the front of the church will look much as it did in 1908. If you are wondering about the “style” of the new doors, just look at the side door on the south side of the church. The estate monies are also covering the cost of the doors and wood refinishing.
There are new cushions in the pews! Our pews are very old and are not the most comfortable pews in the world. Hopefully, the cushions make your prayer time in the church a bit easier – though still not truly comfortable. The cushions are not permanent, but simply sit on top of the pew. You may notice that they slide a bit, so you may need to push them back in the pew if they come forward. The cushions are fulfilling a promise made by former pastors that the parish share of the money from the Archdiocesan campaign would go to cushion the pews. The cost of this was not great, but hopefully will aid your comfort while in prayer.
An engineering study by Alvine Engineering is underway to determine the best way to heat our church. The boiler is reaching the end of its lifespan and will need to be replaced. We saved the boiler from St. Patrick’s Church before it was torn down, however, it may be extremely costly to install it because of the need to replace many of the old pipes and radiators. The Pastoral Council decided we should look at all options before we move forward. The direction the engineering study is presently exploring is a forced air system similar to the one installed at the Cathedral which would come up through the floor. Once we have received their report we will get some bids to determine what this would cost. Then, we will have to come to you for an extra gift since we do not have money on hand to replace the heating system.
Mr. Marlan Burki, All Saints School’s Principal, is retiring. Mr. Burki has been at All Saints for 12 years and is moving to his farm located near Tecumseh, Nebraska. He was instrumental in keeping the school open during the crisis in 2012 and has worked hard to make the school attractive to immigrant and minority populations. The school serves families that come from more than 15 different language groups. We extend our deepest thanks to him for his many years of service to All Saints School. Please, wish him well, if you see him in the next few weeks.
We had a wonderful Spaghetti Dinner a couple of weeks ago thanks to all the hard work of so many people. It was a great success once again! It is a tremendous builder of community and helps All Saints School financially.
Last of all, Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms! May your day be filled with wonder and love.
Peace,
Fr. Damian