Church Restoration Update

My dear brothers and sisters,

I wish to provide you with a brief update from our Nativity of Our Lord Facilities Committee regarding the ongoing internal restoration work of our beloved, almost 100-year-old parish church.

Four phases of work are being proposed:

1. Stained glass window repair: Our beautiful stained glass windows are held together by lead that has reached its useful life of approximately 90 years. Minor repairs have been made in years’ past, but now is the time to make the necessary major repairs, especially since stone and wall repair work will be going on around some of the stained glass windows (see below). In addition, the lower windows in the upper church will be replaced. In order to lock in a fixed price, the work on the lower windows is now underway. Stained glass inserts will be designed and inserted later in the process.
2. Plaster repair: There is a significant amount of plaster damage in several areas of the church including the north and east walls, and building entrances are also in need of repair.
3. Stone repair: There is also significant stonework damage, primarily around the stained glass windows in the main church, entrances, and stairwells.
4. Painting: Once all the work is completed, the church will need to be painted.  

Over the past twelve months, at least two bids from separate subcontractors have been received for each of the different projects. The total cost is estimated to be approximately $1.8 million dollars. 

Because this project exceeds the scope of the annual budget, we will be relying on the generous support of our parishioners above and beyond their annual stewardship pledges. 

Please stay tuned for more information in the coming months on how you can help.

We plan to start the rest of the interior restoration in January of 2023, which will take approximately six months to complete, and will include removing some pews and installing scaffolding. The plastic must remain on the north wall due to safety concerns until repairs are completed.

We ask for your understanding and patience with the upcoming construction, which will certainly continue to impact the liturgical experience for our worshippers. 

While we would have preferred that all this work could have been completed before (or after) Nativity’s 100th anniversary to be celebrated later this year, we are confident that this relatively brief interruption will help restore and enhance the beauty of our beloved church and ensure its viability for another 100 years.

Thank you to the Facilities Committee for their ongoing efforts on this project, including Nativity’s Facilities Director, Steve Boatman, as well as the following parishioners: Tom Dvorak (Chair), Scott Billeadeau, Steve Busse, Mike Goodson (Pastoral Council representative), Jeff Johnson, and Ian McKiel.

And may God bless you and your families.

Prayerfully, 
Fr. Patrick Hipwell, Pastor