Renovation News!
Dear Fellow Parishioners,
Here is an update on the latest capital projects that we have going on at our facilities. We are very grateful to those contributing to the Capital Campaign fund. With rising costs everywhere, we appreciate your generosity in keeping the facilities in good condition as we continue to do God’s work.
The former St. Joseph Rectory is now a Catholic women’s house. It will be renovated for the first time since it was built back in the late 1960’s. There will be upgrades to the bathrooms including new fixtures, and there will be new painting and flooring throughout the house. This project is set to begin July 11th. We offer continued prayers to the ladies as they discern their vocations.
Plans for the St. Joseph Church office renovation are also underway. This area will be remodeled as a gathering space for parishioners for events and also will be utilized by parish staff and volunteers as a meeting place for work-related activities and a place for other organizations to meet. Two walls will be taken down to make room for larger gatherings. There will be sliding doors installed on the east side wall which will make access to the shrine/patio easier for congregating. This project is awaiting approval from the diocese.
The new boiler at St. John Elementary school is still on order and is being delayed by supply chain material availability and delivery delays. It was originally planned to be delivered in the beginning of May but now will not be delivered until November. We currently have one boiler being used which is in desperate need of repairs; however, it is being subjected to the same issues and timeframe as the new boiler. The heating system calls for two boilers with one used as a backup. We pray that there are no more delays.
We are moving forward with hiring a sacred architect to start the design work as we look at beautifying the interior of St. John Church, as part of our final Witness to Hope projects. The diocese has approved of the hiring, and we will be working on signing a contract very soon. Having this design work along with a Master Plan, will provide us direction and continuity as we do capital projects at the St. John campus.
The demolition of St. Joseph School will start on July 15th. It has been delayed as the contractor hired for the demolition has needed more time due to weather constraints to complete a different major job. The contractor will remove the bell tower first as we preserve it as a commemoration for the school. We have a committee formed that is putting together an event to commemorate the school as we look back at the tradition and history of the school which had educated many students in the Catholic faith. The committee is looking at the means of saving bricks as mementos and to be used as a base for the bell tower. You may have noticed that the school building has been used for fire department training by the Jackson Fire Department and other township fire departments the last couple of weeks. They were very appreciative of having the opportunity to train their fire fighters which will help our community in response to fires.
We encourage you to keep using the yellow donation envelopes that go towards our capital projects. We certainly appreciate your donations. Thank you so much for your investing in the future of St. John the Evangelist Parish!
May God’s peace and grace continue to be set upon us as we move forward in maintaining our facilities where we gather in his Holy Name.