Out with the Old… Interior Renovations Continue

The second week of our church renovation is finished and much of the interior demolition is complete, making way for the many needed improvements. While it may seem as though some of the repairs could be done without such major interior work, getting behind walls and ceilings was not possible without total removal. Our new church interior will feature

• A complete new lighting system
• New plenum air ducts (which are needed for better air circulation and currently notin the church). These new ducts need to run alongside the old ones as per current code
  New ceiling system to facilitate better acoustics and help distribute equipment for better sound quality throughout the church
• All new pews.  Many of the old pews were broken or damaged by termites
• New sub-floor which will create a surface on which tile can be installed.
• New interior walls to provide better acoustics and improve design 
• New bathrooms to improve handicap access and replace inadequate fixtures, some of which were moisture-laden and falling off of the walls. 
• A much larger lakeside narthex and expanded choir room
• New room to house  equimpent panels and grounding

Anyone who has remodeled an older house can attest to the dust and mayhem of necessary demolition, but the fresh new space will be well worth the efforts.

Click here to see the latest renovation video and get the scoop on our progress thus far. 
For a sneak peak at what the sanctuary will look like once the renovation is complete, visit http://www.holyfamilystpete.com/BuildingCampaign.html

Check the bulletin for announcements on walk-through tours of the church during renovation, which will be scheduled once the construction supervisor gives the “OK.”  Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

One down, 27 to go! See the video…

Thanks to your faith and generosity, renovations on our church began last week, as did our first week of Masses in Diffley Hall and Holy Family School.  Our adventure has begun!

Work on the church began immediately on Monday, May 10, and our parish administrator, Peter Andre, captured a first look at the interior demolition.  He has posted the video on YouTube so we can all take a peak and see what’s happening.  

We hope to post frequent photos and videos so we can all watch our new worship space take shape and walk the journey of renewal together.

Watch the Holy Famly Parish Web site or this blog for regular updates.  See you Sunday!

A Sneak Peak at Renovations

When a campaign begins, it is hard to imagine that the day will come when the work will actually be complete.  Well, today we are just six weeks away from starting the much needed improvements to our Church,

A summer worship schedule has been developed that we believe will meet your needs and hope that each of you will enjoy as we prepare to move back into our Church towards the end of the year.  Masses will be held just a few steps away in Diffley Hall and also in Holy Family School and, although it will be cozy, we can rejoice in our teamwork that is making our parish better and stronger day by day. We will still have 5pm Saturday and 7:30, 9 and 11am Masses on Sundays, plus additional Masses around the same times to ensure we can accommodate everyone.  The new Mass schedule will begin on May 10 and will be posted shortly.

So what will our new space look like? 

A short ‘fly-through’ video has been created by our architects to give you a sneak peak at our worship space renovations.  To video the video, just follow this link or go to http://www.holyfamilystpete.com/BuildingCampaign.html.

Remember, this does not show everything in the Church, just the major changes.  Things like the stained glass windows are not being moved and will continue to be a significant part of our Church for many years to come, but are not detailed in the video.  Next week we’ll have images and architectural drawings available here in the church and in Diffley Hall.

Our last week in the church prior to the renovations will be May 8 and 9.  Please be sure to attend and take part in our special ‘moving’ activities as we “pack up” our parish family to prepare for these exciting improvements and start our Pathway to Summer Worship. Thank you for your prayers, your participation and your commitment to renewing Holy Family Church. 

Because of you, our parish family home will be refreshed, renewed and ready for future generations.  Have a Blessed Easter!

Our Children Give Thanks

The school building renovations are complete!  Everything looks great and is working well.  Students of Holy Family School and our parish Faith Formation classes created many charming thank-you letters and posters to say thank you to the parish for the work that was done in the school.   Click here to read some of them.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the Our Faith, Our Family campaign.  Church renovation planning is in the final stages and construction announcements will be coming soon.

Calling all Parishioners!

Please support Holy Family Parish's capital campaign!

Over 649 parishioners, that’s 36.7% of our members, have pledged to the very successful Our Faith, Our Family campaign.  We are extremely grateful for this tremendous support and we need everyone’s participation to make our worship home the best that it can be. To date we have over $1,900,000 pledged, but are still $500,000 short of our goal. 

What can you do to help?

This weekend, Dec 12-13, Father John will be preaching at all masses and encouraging every parishioner to contribute what they can to this worthwhile project.  Please take this opportunity to prayerfully consider a gift, increase your pledge or even to encourage others to contribute as well.

Remember, your pledges now will allow the architects and planning committees to incorporate as many of the needed upgrades and renovations as possible into the final design plan.  In addition, charitable donations made by the end of the year offer tax benefits as well.

Please be a part of this inspiring project.  We all look forward to celebrating together in our renovated church next year.

Our Faith, Our Family Renovation Update

We are all looking forward to the upcoming church renovations and many volunteers are working hard; continuing to raise funds, working with the architects and liturgical planners to improve our worship space and ensuring every penny is wisely spent. The school renovations are finished and fully paid for thanks to your generosity and sacrifice. Now we move to fulfill the second part of our promise – renovating the church and doing so on time and on budget. We hope to begin the renovation process in early May, 2010.

Renovation planning is in its final stages.  If you have not pledged to this campaign, or have been considering an increase in your gift to this project, now is the time.  Every dollar contributed allows the committee to ensure our new worship space meets our current and future needs.  In addition, meeting our financial goal now means less debt for the parish to carry moving forward.  Please consider a gift before the end of 2009. 

 What are the elements of the renovation design?  Stay for a few minutes after masses on December 5 and 6, and get a brief overview of the changes you can expect to see when the renovation project is complete.  Father Paul will speak after the 5:00 mass on the 5^th and Father John will present after all masses on the 6^th.  Members of the steering committee will also be on hand to answer questions.   

The Our Faith, Our Family campaign pledges total $1,939,126 to date, with over $1 million received to date.  We are so close to our goal of $2.5 million, with $500,000 left to go.  Your gift will make a noticeable difference in what we can do.

Thank you for your continued support of this project. This time next year we will be moving back into our newly renovated worship space and are looking forward to that special day.

Take a peek at the new Holy Family School windows

As you can see from this photo, replacement of the windows in the school has begun.  The new windows along the bottom floor are energy efficient and beautiful, too.  This is a view from the south side of the building.  Progress is moving forward inside with the new sprinkler system as well. 

We’ll continue to keep you updated as the work progresses.  Bless you for your continued support of the “Our Faith, Our Family” renovation project.

Your Faith in Action!

School renovations have begun!

Less than a year after we officially launched the ‘Our Faith, Our Family’ capital campaign, work has already begun on the first portion of the work. Crews began work in the school on June 8, preparing for the upgrade of the fire safety system.  The new windows are on their way and replacement will begin towards the end of June.  New hallway carpeting and smaller portions of the project will be completed in August, prior to the students’ return.  Watch for your opportunity to tour the school and see the upgrades!

NOTES:
 - Holy Family Summer Camp 2009 is being held in Diffley Hall.
 - There will be no coffee and donuts or pancake breakfasts after Masses until August.
 - Watch the bulletin for Gift Shop hours.

Fundraising Update:
Thanks to the support of so many parish members, our campaign continues to be successful.  Latest figures:

Goal: $2.5 million
Pledged: $1,989,000
Pledges/Donors: 624

If you have not had the opportunity to support this project, we ask that you prayerfully consider a donation to help renovate our parish family home.

You are Invited!

There will be several opportunities to attend the ‘Our Faith, Our Family’ capital campaign reception next Sunday, March 8th. These receptions, like those held last Fall, are to share the plans and financial needs for the parish renovations. New parishioners, seasonal parishioners and those who were not able to attend a reception last Fall are invited to come and learn about this exciting project.

Receptions will be held after each Mass on Sunday, March 8, in Diffley Hall, in lieu of regular coffee and donut fellowship. If you have already attended a reception, please extend this invitation to others.

Those planning to attend should RSVP by Wednesday, March 4 by calling Tony Kapkowski at 522-7156 or 385-9137. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support of the ‘Our Faith, Our Family’ capital campaign.

Plans moving forward for HFS Renovations this summer!

In preparation for the school renovations, the steering committee and school representatives had very positive initial meetings with the construction company and architects. Detailed plans are now being developed, with the goal to start work in early June and finish in early August, with plenty of time before students return. The construction company will be meeting with the faculty and then each teacher individually to understand their classroom needs before, during and after the renovation.

Detailed project plans and budget will be finalized in March, along with confirming permits and selecting the windows. Team meetings to plan for the church renovations will begin in April and continue throughout the summer and fall.

Great News!  Summer Camp ’09 is definitely on! Diffley Hall will be used for this popular program from June 8 through to July 31.Watch the bulletin for details.

As always, the steering committee and all the volunteers working to renovate our parish home are truly grateful for the continued generosity of our parish. If you have not pledged to this wonderful project yet, please consider a gift or pledge. You can call the office for more information.

Blessings!