Dear Parish Family, 

We want to let you know that the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), together with Fr. Bill, is taking the coronavirus emergency very seriously.  The PPC met virtually on Friday evening March 13 and outlined below are the plans we have put into place to safeguard our parish community.

Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Francis Chin, Kerin Coughlin, Carol De Santis, Josephine Dongbang, Mike McGowan, Phil Murray, Jane Olson, Donna Whiteford

Masses and Church Events

As per the parish email sent on Friday afternoon March 13 to all parishioners for whom we have email addresses, healthcare professionals and the diocese have provided guidance on how to manage during this emergency so that we all do our part to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

In summary, the Bishop has 1) Dispensed with the obligation of attending Sunday Mass until further notice, 2) Public Masses, sacraments, and funerals will continue to be held with caution to protect personal health, 3) To limit large public gatherings the Family Faith Formation, RCIA, and other group activities and events are suspended in person;  where feasible, St. Charles will be organizing opportunities to continue these activities online, and finally 4) Diocesan schools and academies will be closed beginning next week.

We recommend that all parishioners use common sense when deciding whether or not to attend mass. Continue reading “Corona Virus Emergency Action Plan – 3/15/2020” →

St. Charles Borromeo, Renato F. De Araujo, November 2009.

Below is an update on the church renovations prepared by Nick Strachovsky, our client representative at K.O.W. ARMA:

As spring approaches, our exterior renovation project is nearing completion. With warmer weather arriving in the upcoming weeks, some work that has been held can get started.

Work above the sidewalk bridge is well advanced. Masonry restoration work is nearly complete with some minor areas to touch up once the weather is on our side. All work at the top of the church is complete which is why the scaffolding was removed. Roof work is complete at the rear low roof on the north side of the church. Slate repair is in progress on the south side low roof. Gutter replacement work is almost done with minimal leader work remaining. All details have been worked out for the protective window system.

Stained glass repair is still in progress. Once complete the glazing system will follow. After the protective glazing is installed we should be looking toward removal of the sidewalk bridge. Once down there is some restoration work that remains at the 1^st floor. The entry steps to the church are slated to be reset and straightened. As many have noticed, some of the fencing along Aitken Place has been restored. The remainder of the fencing along that side will be removed shortly to be restored as well. This is being coordinated with some repair work that is needed on the ramp.

We are awaiting a schedule update from the contractor so we can share some more precise timing on work being fully complete. We are coming into the home stretch. Bathroom work is now being coordinated for the interior. We are days away from Landmarks’ approval. There is still a bit of time left for review by the building department, but our team is ready to get started as soon as permits are in hand.

This Christmas once again, our parish is partnering with HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services College Program to provide gift cards for 75 to 100 young people who are cycling out of foster care and will very likely not receive any gifts for Christmas this year.

We will be hosting a group of the young folks from St. Vincent’s at the Nativity Pageant Mass this Sunday when we will present them with gift cards for the group.

You can donate to this very worthy parish effort and help to bring Christmas joy to our young friends online at https://stcharlesbklyn.weshareonline.org/FamilyFaithFormationGiftCards. Please note that we only have a few days left to collect for the cards, so if you would like to contribute, don’t delay! We would be very grateful for contributions of any amount.

Thank you for your generosity and thoughtfulness.

St. Charles Borromeo, Renato Araujo, November 2009.

Below is an update on the church renovations prepared by Nick Strachovsky, our client representative at K.O.W. ARMA:

Progress on the exterior has been moving along well the past few months.  The brick repair is in final stages. The chimneys have been repaired and new chimney caps are in place. The sandstone above the sidewalk bridge has been restored. Cleaning of the bricks and brownstone is in progress.  The slate roof repair is complete with the exception of patching around the gutters. All work at the tower is complete and the scaffolding has been removed. The flat roof work and parapet repair is in progress.  

Exterior stained glass cleaning and putty replacement is mostly complete. All exterior window woodwork restoration is complete. The stained glass windows will be covered by protective glazing. The final details are being reviewed for the protective glazing fabrication to begin. Once protective glazing installation is complete, the remainder of the sidewalk bridge can be removed. Once the remaining scaffold is removed, the exterior repair below the bridge will  be completed and step resetting will commence.  

Plans for the interior bathroom work are being filed this week for DOB review. The bathroom work is anticipated to begin within the next few weeks.