Building and Maintenance Committee Update
By Fr. Vincent Gilmore - Pastor's Letter - Week of Sept. 18, 2022
Dear Parishioners,
I want to bring everyone up to date on our first Building and Maintenance Committee meeting held on Sept. 1. The purpose of this committee is to advise and assist the Pastor in the execution of building projects and the maintenance of all our buildings.
There are a few projects that need attention. The priest’s Rectory was sold in Valley about four years ago and the old convent needs attention to be better suited as a Rectory. Also, since the St. Mary's School building was sold, we need to discern what space enhancements are needed moving forward at St. Mary's campus. Work is also needed on St. Joseph’s at Jump Off Joe in Valley.
As far as the rectory, I have decided to renovate the old convent into a living space for two priests, a guest room and a chapel. The living room should be large enough to host meetings with a dining room large enough to host dinners. I am working with Whit Baker on floor plans and talking with a local contractor.
The committee talked about adding on to the hall for more space and storage, but also considered transforming existing spaces by creating more flexibility with a movable wall. At our next Pastoral Council meeting I will be asking the Council to assess the space needs for the St. Mary’s campus. We have some resources from the sale of the school to put towards this project.
As far as maintenance, a focus needs to be on St. Joseph's at Jump Off Joe. There is a lot of deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed on the exterior of the building. Don Mally has been working hard the last few months renovating the bell tower area. There was a lot of bird poop that was removed, rotten wood replaced and new flashing installed. There are many holes in the building created by woodpeckers and squirrels that need to be repaired, and the building is badly in need of painting.
As for regular cleaning and maintenance needs at St. Mary's, thank you to those volunteers who have answered the call to help. Some people have already stepped forward to help with the lawns, sprinklers and bathroom cleaning. Thank you so much!
Lastly, we plan to enhance and update our parish database and directory soon. We may ask parishioners to fill out an updated parish census, so please watch for news on that in the coming weeks.
(The building committee members are: Guy Burnell, Carl Schauppner, Chris Anderson, Dean Proszek, Jerry Griffith, Matt Cobb, Ron Christian, Whit Baker)