by Anna C.
On May 15, during coffee hour, the team behind the Capital Renovation Project (CRP) offered a town hall, in which our architect Maria A. presented detailed 3D sketches our proposed design (one seen above) and helped us envision parish life in this new, enhanced space. All in all, it was a positive, inspiring meeting that not only made the value of the project quite apparent, but also made it seem doable and real.
Imagine if all the problems with St. Mary’s current facilities suddenly disappeared on one fell swoop. You could bring your relatives with disabilities to church, because there is an elevator that goes to all levels, as well as accessible bathrooms in the fellowship hall. You could have your daughter’s wedding reception in a beautiful hall nearly three times the size of the current one. You could attend community celebrations, like the annual dinner dance, or host charitable or fundraising events with food prepared on-site in a spacious, state-of-the-art kitchen. And, when the weather is nice, you can sip your coffee and enjoy a lazy breeze in a lovely covered outdoor pavilion adjoining the fellowship hall. These are, in fact, the features of the new expansion design, drawn up by Maria A. to address these known problems, and adapted over time with parishioner feedback.
The town hall was called to apprise parishioners of the progress of the project and confirm, once again, the value of the major investment we are making. The meeting began with a presentation given by Cathy D., a member of the Steering Committee of CRP, in which she outlined a number of social events and service efforts that we cannot host due to ill-repair, size constraints, lack of accessibility, and other aspects of our facilities that need improvement. Fr. David gave a timely example of our current limitations when he explained to us that his family had to move his son Stephen’s wedding to a different church because some of the guests were disabled. Maria’s impressive 3D sketches created a clear vision for how our projected plans for expansion would remedy those limitations in an astonishingly beautiful fashion. Accordingly, the town hall stirred up excitement and inspiration for a future that is, in fact, within our reach.
Here are ways that you can keep up with the process and progress of the CRP:
- Visit the upcoming CRP Corner at the Connections Corner. We’re planning a rolling slide show including all of Maria’s sketches and, eventually, the stages of the construction as they occur
- Pick up a paper materials from the Connections Corner. We have a brochure with the project’s evolution and current state, and an FAQ sheet that may just include some questions that you had wanted to pose
- Look for articles in The Veil
- Check out the CRP section of the St. Mary’s website (coming soon)
