Dear Parishioners:
Last Sunday, we had a beautiful Mass and reception to welcome the forty new families who have enrolled their children at OLM School. This year we begin with 246 students and have wait-lists for Grades Pre-K through 5. We continue to enroll new students in our Middle School, but openings are limited. What a credit to our Principal and Faculty and a great sign of hope for our school!
The first day of school at OLM School was a joyful occasion! New, returning, and first-time students all made their way into their classrooms, some with the help of parents! They begin a year of learning and praying! Homework, science labs, quizzes and tests, writing papers, art projects, reading books, and preparing for classes have begun with gusto! However, the mission of OLM School is more than simply educating the mind but also nurturing the souls of our students with virtues and faith. Our students strive to be both scholars and saints!
As said by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: “A good school provides a rounded education for the whole person. And a good Catholic school, over and above this, should help all its students to become saints.”
We thank our OLM Maintenance Crew, led by Paul Anderson, for getting the school ship shape for the new school year. They worked hard during the heat of August, cleaning and polishing floors, remodeling classrooms, and painting the hallways and classrooms with fresh paint. Indeed we are grateful for all they do to keep OLM looking good and beautiful!
The small parking lot next to OLM School was seal coated this past week to keep things looking good. Future Sealcoating Company did a great job filling the cracks, sealing the parking lot, and painting new lines. Also, the driveway behind the Rectory Garage was seal coated. The cost of this project was $10,000. It is funded by our Grateful for God’s Providence Capital Campaign.
We had hoped to repave all the parking lots and the road at St. Patrick Cemetery this year. However, due to the exceedingly high cost of asphalt at present, we are delaying those projects. We have parishioners in the asphalt business who advised us to wait for the high prices to come down. Let’s hope and pray they do!
We also are waiting for the new doors to the Church to arrive later this month. They have been delayed due to supply chain issues for months. Our contractor assures me they should arrive in late September, and installing the 22 new doors can begin.
Supply chain issues have also delayed the arrival of the new Sacred Heart of Jesus Statue. It was crafted by a sculptor in Mexico and completed a couple of months ago. However, it’s on a slow boat from Mexico, and is now sitting on a container ship in the harbor at Long Beach, California!
We hope to install new drapes in the four Church Confessionals this month. They have been ordered, but they, too, are delayed due to supply chain issues with the material. You may remember we removed the old drapes for health and safety issues during the pandemic. They were almost 40 years old and weren’t worth keeping once we took them down.
Also, last month we updated our Fire Alarm Boxes in the Church, Rectory, and School. The newly updated boxes were required to be updated by the end of next year. Doing the project early, we received a discount. However, the project still cost us $7,000. But better to be safe than sorry!
This summer, we had to work on the electrical system for several rooms in the Rectory. This project was done in late July and took a couple of days for the electrician to complete. It cost just over $2,000. But we have electricity throughout the Rectory now!!
Our Monthly Building and Grounds Collection partially funded most of these building projects. Thank you for your continued generosity in supporting this most important monthly collection. We couldn’t do it without your financial support. In buildings as old as ours, there is a never-ending list of to-dos, not to mention surprises along the way!
If you’re tired from reading this maintenance report, take some time to rest from your labors and celebrate Labor Day! Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats! A Very Happy Labor Day!