Last fall, there was a flood in the rectory. We have now completed the repair of damage in the kitchen, laundry room, basement and hallway in the rectory. Two new floor drains were installed in the laundry room to ensure that this does not happen again.
During this work, asbestos was identified in the basement floor tile. We have now replaced the floor tile and completed renovations to convert the underutilized downstairs kitchen into more functional storage space. This work has given us an opportunity to throw out a lot of the old material that was no longer being used. When the rectory was built, there was a living area for a house keeper. St. Joseph's has not had a house keeper for more than 25 years. This area is now being renovated to provide needed office and meeting room space. It will also provide a new washroom for rectory guests, parishioners using the office and give privacy for father's house. We will also add an intercom function to the phone system to improve communication within the rectory. This work is expected to be completed at the end of April. Two weeks ago, we had a leak in the south hall entrance to the church. Repairs are now being implemented. We are also going to provide some signs to help visitors find the church, hall and office more easily. We continue to evaluate the needs of our church. One of our future projects may include providing wheel chair access to the office and rectory area. This will eventually be a requirement of the building code. Gary Varsava Project Manager
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Dear Friends in Christ: At the beginning of our 40 day Lenten journey, we were marked with ashes in the Sign of the Cross – a stark reminder that we are going to die, all of us, sooner or later. Now, at the Easter celebrations, those ashes are washed away when we are “soaked” with the same Easter water with which The Elect are baptized! Death no longer has a claim on us. We know that God has the last word – and God’s word for us is the same as His word for Jesus, who was crucified, died and laid in the tomb. LIVE! And so we do; WE LIVE – IN HIM!. WE LIVE! WE LIVE IN HIM! And that is what we celebrate this Easter and every Easter! It is why we “pull out all the stops” – the Easter fire, the huge Easter candle (Christ our light!), the many Scripture readings that point us to LIFE, the Easter water (Baptism – new life), the incense, the bells, the flowers – all of our senses are inundated because this message is so very important! BECAUSE HE LIVES – WE LIVE! WE LIVE FULLY NOW, and we enjoy the blessed promise that WE WILL LIVE ETERNALLY WITH HIM THEN! This is the hope that keeps us focused every day. So, how do we choose to live? Like Him, we choose to live for others; that is the ideal toward which we strive each day, every day, one day at a time! It is what our Lenten discipline has helped us practice. It is expressed in the many small sacrifices we accepted, culminating, perhaps, in our Share Lent offering which supports the unknown poor in faraway places, waiting, longing for, our solidarity and support! Together now, united in Him, we set out on 50 days of joyous Easter celebration – celebrating LIFE and self-giving LOVE. During these days, our FAITH in Jesus Christ can deepen, our HOPE in the fullness of life with Him can become ever more convinced, and our LOVE for one another, especially those in particular need, can increase! HAPPY EASTER!
+Douglas Crosby, OMI Bishop of Hamilton |
Father's Blog
Rev. Fr. Christopher Tracey
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