A Letter From Our Pastor

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A Look at Some Creative New Ways to Live Stewardship During Pandemic

Keeping One Another in Prayerful Support as We Complete Our Enhancement Project

Dear Members of St. Joseph and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parishes,

I thought that I would use this August Parish Newsletter as an opportunity to update everyone in both of our parishes about what is happening with the St. Joseph Church Enhancement Project.

I am writing this on July 14, so by the time that you read this in August, there may be some further developments. But right now I can tell you that the heavy construction will be completed by July 31. To follow will be the completion and fine-tuning of the sound system, the installation of the induction loop hearing system, the installation of the video screens with their projection equipment, and the re-installation of the organ and the grand piano.

In talking with a number of parishioners, and not knowing where this COVID-19 pandemic will be taking us, the St. Joseph Social Hall seems to be the safest place for us to celebrate Masses on this campus at the present time. Our maintenance team members are doing a fabulous job making certain that the chairs — which are metal and can be efficiently sanitized, and are socially spaced in their layout to accommodate individuals, couples and families — and all touchable surfaces are disinfected before every Mass on weekends and on weekdays. I am very grateful to our maintenance team members for their diligence.

And rather than moving back into a newly finished church, which would need to continue with the sanitizing routine, including the newly cushioned pews — and not being able to welcome everyone back at full-occupancy, and having to rope off and tape off sections to achieve proper social distancing — it seems preferable to delay our re-entry until it is safe to really celebrate this when we can all be together again.

In the meantime, during the month of August, I would like to host opportunities for parish leaders and parish members to tour the finished project and see for themselves the results of the Church Enhancement Project.

So many St. Joseph Parishioners have made financial gifts for this project. And I want you to see firsthand what your contributions have enabled to happen. Two reactions that I am hearing already are: 1) “Wow! This is even more than I imagined it would be!” And 2) “It still looks like our church, only better!”

And for those St. Joseph parishioners who have not as yet made a financial gift, I am hoping that you will want to do so now and be a part of this historymaking venture.

We need to raise another $500,000 in addition to the already-raised $1.4- plus million so that we can finish this project with no long-term debt. And I am hoping that once everyone has the chance to see this completed project, we will be able to do this.

Three items for later dates, or if additional money is raised, are: 1) the installation of the stained glass windows in the Gathering Area entrance way, 2) the construction of a new steel bell tower to house our two original bells plus a digital carillon, and 3) a new digital organ to replace our aging 25- plus year-old instrument.

With you, I am praying daily for an end to this COVID-19 pandemic. May God guide those in research to discover a vaccine and a remedy for this invisible enemy. And in the meantime, let us keep each other in our prayerful support and our loving readiness to serve.

Gratefully in Christ,

Fr. Timothy J. O’Connor, Pastor