December 1, 2019
Dear St. Joseph Parish Family,
As you may have noticed, there's been a lot of construction at St. Joe's this year! Not only have we repaired much of the church building and shored it up for another generation, but most importantly the Holy Spirit has been at work throughout these projects. Indeed, I know that God desires our parish to flourish and thrive, and has therefore been empowering a transformation at St. Joe's.
St. Joe's parish is the oldest Catholic church building in Manhattan, and has a celebrated history. Together we are taking our place in that history and are blessed with continuing the legacy handed on to us. St. Joe's, our spiritual home, helps the wider community, the wider city, the wider Church, to be a better place. Our parish has an important role in the city and the Church, and as such our generosity to St. Joe's will reverberate beyond ourselves.
Today we are embarking on a capital campaign to raise funds to renovate Casserly Hall, to be renamed McGuire Hall after the renovation. This renovation will not only remedy serious code issues and delayed maintenance problems with the space, but also transform our lives in the parish. A new and renovated parish hall will allow ministries at St. Joe's to have the space to flourish. We will be able to host retreats, talk series, bible studies, social events for the parish, and much more. Our children's religious education program will be greatly enhanced, and we'll be better equipped to form the next generation of Catholics. This space will build our community and improve our lives together. It will allow us to expand our outreach to the wider Church and community. In addition, your generosity will also allow us to put a new elevator in the rectory, which, along with a lift in the renovated Casserly Hall, will provide disabled access to the whole property and therefore not only serve a wider community but also continue our mission of spreading the Word to everyone who seeks community and spiritual guidance.
St. Joseph's has always been a pivotal parish in the Archdiocese and in New York City, and McGuire Hall will help us continue that legacy for future generations. In renovating the physical church at St. Joe's we are also renovating our spiritual home for us and future generations– and beyond. As we embark in our goal to raise in pledges $700,000 by January 12th, the Baptism of the Lord, we humbly ask you to consider that no matter the size of your gift your donation will have an outsize impact.
In Christ,
Fr. Boniface
Click this PDF file for a longer, more detailed explanation of the past, present, and future work being done on St. Joseph's.
"The Church does not live contingent on duties, but instead the generosity of Her faithful! How grand is the confidence that God has extended to focus on our generosity and wait that we might respond!"