What Should We Do? Renovate, Build or Close...
Ronnie has written a very thoughtful comment that you will find in its entirety under my first entry below. She brings up 3 important questions that we should be looking at. Here they are:
1. If we decide to renovate the church, will we be able to repay the loan? We are a small parish with many members on fixed incomes and few young people to carry on.
2. Should we sell the present church, rectory and land so we can build elsewhere? One of the possibilities is to build on diocesan land formerly occupied by old St. Joseph's Church in Jackson Ward.
3. Should we disband the parish and go elsewhere?
Please take the time to tell us what you think we should do.
Labels: ceilingdisaster
posted by mary ann @ Tuesday, November 28, 2006
8 comments
8 Comments:
wasn't it not said that rebuilding another church elswhere would cost millions? true people are living on fixed incomes but it doesn't stopped them from going on gambling trips and labor day vacations and whatever other vices that they/we may have. It's less costly to pay back 200 thousand dollars than 3 million dollars. If people want to disband and go elsewhere thats their choice. I can't speak for everyone but I know I'm here until the end.
I think we all want our parish to continue in some form or another. We are a close-knit community and whatever the final decision is, we will support it with all our hearts.
A couple of weeks ago, when I first heard the suggestion about rebuilding on diocesan land in Jackson Ward, I thought this was an excellent idea. I still do. If the diocese donates the land to us and then we use the money from the sale of the church property, we could build a small church that would fit our needs. (We wouldn't have to build a cathedral!) Also, we may be able to plug into grant money that might be available in that area.
St. Elizabeth is my home church. I was baptized there, received the sacraments there, was married there. I am also getting old. If our parish is to survive, we need young couples to carry on. They are the ones who will have to carry the burden of whatever debt we take on.
As far as I'm concerned, the most important thing about our parish are our people. We can gather anywhere as long as we can stay together. If the decision is made to sell the church property, I will support it. The only thing I would want to save is our beautiful St. Elizabeth window. :)
It saddens me to think that St. E would move from it's present location. However, the church is not the building, its the people.
As far as cost are concern, It will not get cheaper as you wait to make a decision to build, renovate or close. One plants, another waters and God gives the increase. Believe when you pray, and God will move on your faith. New members, some younger, some older and some in between will come and loans will be repaid. Just believe!
St. Elizabeth is in our hearts and souls, which is not contained between walls. It's time to use our heads, not just our hearts to make the right decision.
This blog was a good idea. Because the opinions here are more towards rebuild, move on. suggesting that others are too sentimental or clouded with impossible dreams. If the option is rebuild or join another parish then why is there still a building fund?
I think it is a good thing to have as many people as possible express their thoughts about the church renovation or whatever is going to happen.
I certainly don't want to move on to another church. There's no where else I want to go. As Cathy said, the church is in our hearts and souls. I don't care where we celebrate Mass, as long as we are together as a parish community.
If the decision is to renovate the church building, I will be right there supporting it. If the decision is to build in Jackson Ward (if feasible), I will be right there supporting it. I DON'T support breaking up the community and going to separate churches. If that happens, we will have failed.
My question is: is the decision still up in the air? Or has it definitely been made? When all the info is in, we need a parish meeting (NOT during Mass); where we can hear all the options and then come to a decision.
As I wrote previously, I am no financial expert, But I don't feel to build a church to "suit our needs", as Mary Ann said, would cost millions...I also wrote that I do REALIZE that might NOT be POSSIBLE for us to do... but that would be my HEART's desire. God supplies Our finances & I believe we SHOULD give back to HIM, each of us knows our OWN financial
situation & what we do with it is between GOD and US. We cannot work with "what others SHOULD do". I am thinking realistically, as someone commented in church one Sunday.."we're looking at dollars & cents here." I would feel better to close than to default on a loan that we could not repay. I also wrote that I WILL SUPPORT WHATEVER DECISION THAT IS MADE...AND I WILL.
I will support St. Elizabeth in whatever decision is made and I feel that people will continue to support as long as they get updated and ongoing information. It is important to have accurate financial information and projections. I don't think you can err on sharing information, but one can err on holding information.
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