Last week I mentioned that I would be asking the members of the parish to know each other better. I have found no better way to do this than relational (one-on-one) meetings and have had almost 70 of them with members of the Parish. Through them I feel that I have been able to know you not just know about you far more than merely chatting after Mass or at parish Meetings. I think this is a very common experience and I have asked some people with whom I have met these past few months to have relational meetings with other Parishioners.

These are not interviews, nor are we asking for money nor, at least immediately, for participation in any parish function or ministry. They are a somewhat structured means of contacting each other person to person. Those of you who have had one with me have heard my story and I have heard yours. It is constantly amazing to me how this can reveal so many areas of common interest and concern that would have been otherwise closed. This is most surprising with people who have “seen” each other for years but never really knew one another.

Nothing is for everyone. There will be people who will read this and look forward an individual meeting with great enthusiasm. There will be others who would prefer a root canal. No one should feel in anyway forced. To those who are intrigued but unconvinced I would ask that if a fellow parishioner requests a meeting I ask you to consider it very seriously. It can be at a coffee shop, at home or in the rectory. When the greeting space is created in the rear of the church there will be an area set aside for them as well.

Many programs and projects will, no doubt, come from these meetings and that is good and to be encouraged and praised but the most important thing will be a sense of our community. It is a basic experience and belief of Catholic Christians that belonging comes before believing. By belonging we affirm our belief that it is the risen Lord that creates and sustains us against all things for all time.

CHURCH:

What you will see: You can now see the unpainted brick around the whole church.  As you can see from the areas of the church that are visible the paint removal was very successful, and the brick and mortar below are in very good condition for the most part.  A few isolated areas may still have some paint residue.  The paint has been mostly removed however a few areas of touchup remain to be completed once the weather warms.

We are now at the stage where the architect is finalizing the work to be done as he can fully inspect the brick and brownstone that was previously covered.  For the next two or three weeks you may see our intrepid architect Yves on the scaffolding creating a map of the broken brick and decayed mortar. This was intended to happen a few weeks ago but the weather was not very cooperative. This will be given to the company which will repair the façade and to the Landmarks commission.  You will likely see some investigation going on around the church including the windows.  This is to accurately express our restoration goals to Landmarks and the contractor. For security reasons alarms will be installed on the scaffolding itself.

What you can expect: Once the investigation from the architect is complete we will contract a very large and reputable construction company to repair the brick and restore the church facade. They will begin when weather permits and have a most impressive record for completing projects on time. Thus, I firmly expect the scaffolding to be down by July 4,^, 2018 and the job itself completed by Labor Day.

RECTORY:

Phone Service, Intercom, Fire, Smoke and Carbon monoxide alarms: These are all connected as they require wiring to be done behind the walls and we will only open them once.  The plans with proper architectural drawings for the fire alarm have been submitted to the Fire Department. This can take up to 3 months to process. Once these have been approved the work can be completed quite quickly.

I once more apologize for any difficulties in contacting the Rectory. We have resorted to a number of work arounds and, despite whatever message may sometimes be found on the system, the general voicemail does work and your calls will be returned. The bell for the office (rectory first floor) is also functioning.