1. S T. C AT H E R I N E o f S I E N A C H U R C H
Town Hall Meetings
March 8 and March 16, 2014
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2. Share findings of the 2013-2014 Feasibility Study
• Parish Strengths
• Parish Challenges
• Reaction to Statement of Need
Timeline Leading to Vision of Our Future Campaign
•Vision of Our Future – Financials
Parish Property and Facility Needs
• Five-Year Short-Range Plan
• Ten-Year Long-Range Plan
Questions & Answers with Father Chester and
Parish Steering Committee
Opening / Welcome – WhyAre We Here?
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3. Family Atmosphere/Sense of Community
Father Chester
• Brings people together
• Never misses an event
• Leads by example
Parish is Welcoming
Small and Personal – “St. Catherine’s is like a family”
Many Ministries – “something for everyone”
Close-Knit and Supportive
Parish Strengths
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4. Space Limitations of Religious Education Program
Inadequate Space for Social Activities
Cost for Maintenance of Multiple Facilities
Separate Locations Hinder Sense of Community
Need for Strong Teen/Youth Program
Parish Challenges
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5. Majority of parishioner response was positive
• There is agreement with the needs as presented
• But…there were many questions…
We want to answer those questions.
Reaction to the “Statement of Need”
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6. St Catherine was built through donations
from the Raymonds family
• To serve as a Mission Church to Immaculate Conception
• With pew seating capacity limited to 96
• Less than 200 registered families in the first year
• From the beginning, growth was seen as a concern
Became stand-alone parish with its own
pastor
• Early growth quickly exceeded seating capacity
• Parish growth necessitated additional worship and community
space
• Diocese agreed to allow us to purchase 10 acres of 81 acres
it owned in Alexandria Township (aka Mount Salem Road
property) as possible construction site
Timeline Leading to Vision of Our Future Campaign
1992
1999
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7. Seating and space requirements became critical
• Number of Masses increased to six
• Television and folding chairs installed in the undercroft
for extra seating
• Folding chairs added to the Nave for additional seating
• Overflow folks regularly stood outside to view TV
Mass through the windows.
• Parishioners needed to utilize other churches for
large family events
• Disappointed families left the parish for lack of seating
• Building Committee formed
Vision of Our Future – Timeline continued
1999
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8. Embarked on “Vision of Our Future”
fundraising campaign
• 361 registered families at that time
– 224 families pledged $1.2M over 5 years
• Due to infrastructure costs, was determined not feasible
to develop Mt Salem Road property:
– needed to build new road and drainage
– requirement to build in the “vernacular of the land”
Search for available property near Church
• Our offers on two land parcels were declined:
– across from Church on Route 513
– half-mile north on Route 513
Vision of Our Future – Timeline continued
2000
2001THROUGH
2004
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9. Parish pursued purchase of property between
Church and Pittstown Post Office
• Worked with architects on plans for Parish Center
• Placed $75K deposit on property
Parish could not agree with seller’s demands;
negotiations stalled and ultimately fell through
• $75K returned to parish
Vision of Our Future – Timeline continued
2005
2007
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10. With permission from the Bishop–Fr. Peter
purchased the Lutheran Church in Perryville
• The purchase was seen as the best use of time and money
• Achieved the goal of a Parish Center that was desperately
needed
for a growing Parish and ministries
• Opening was delayed due to Township requirements for site
and parking lot alterations
• Purchase and renovation cost $1.48M – using $1.2M from
Vision of Our Future campaign plus funds from Parish
reserves
• Goal remained to one day build on or near Church property
• A secondary plan was immediately developed
Vision of Our Future – Timeline continued
2008
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11. To meet Township requirements, additional
land would be needed for any future
construction near the Church
• The Parish was hopeful that the Raymonds family would
one day donate their house adjacent to the Church
• Parish purchased a 4-acre parcel of land on the far side
of the Raymonds’ home with $400K loan from the Diocese
• The loan is paid off in 2012, several years ahead of schedule –
saving parishioners a substantial amount of interest
Vision of Our Future – Timeline continued
2009
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12. After generous parishioner donations of
Time and Talent, Parish Center opened with
seating capacity of 280
• Mass schedule reduced from 5 to 4 to save overhead
Vision of Our Future – Timeline continued
2010
Parish Center aerial view
(7.36 acres)
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13. What happened to the monies pledged
in the 2000 campaign?
Vision of Our Future Campaign– Financials
PARISH CENTER–COST SUMMARY
Expenditure Amount
Purchase of the Lutheran Church $850,000
Engineering fees 47,094
Parking lot expansion, excavation, detention
basin, storm drainage, curbs, pavement 450,000
Landscaping 55,823
Installation of indoor and outdoor electricity 31,500
Church furnishings 46,343
Church organ 3,000
TOTAL $1,483,760
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14. WhoAre We as a Parish Today?
650 families registered parishioners
360 active families (as determined by envelope use)
200+ students in religious education program
Mass attendance = 650 -700 people per weekend
37 ministries
6-10 other activities per year
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15. Parish Property & Facility – Needs
Local School Board’s reluctance to lease classroom space
to churches
Religious education program converted from weekly to
monthly sessions
The Board’s discussions were sufficiently dramatic to be covered
in local newspapers:
Increasing cost of leasing classrooms needs to be re-examined
Find a way to use internal assets
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16. Parish Property & Facility – Needs continued
Current Parish Center fulfills 2 purposes:
• It has relieved the seating problem
• It functions as a modest community center
However, a majority of parishioners prefer all Sacramental
activities to be conducted in the Church
Additional strain is now being placed on our current facilities
by:
• A modestly growing, more active parishioner population
• Meeting space needed for increased ministry activities
Continuous juggling/rescheduling between Masses and
events:
• Increases maintenance, accelerates wear and tear
• Can discourage event planners, defeating the purpose of growth,
community service, community building
We need additional meeting, educational and multi-use spaces
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17. Parish Property & Facility – 5-Year Plan
Raymonds family donated house and property
• Bishop Bootkoski designated house as Parish Rectory
• Parish owns three adjoining lots, totaling 13.44 acres,
enough to meet Township requirements to build
Current properties owned on White Bridge Road
2012
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18. Parish Property & Facility – 5-Year Plan continued
THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
Study feasibility of increasing Church seating capacity to 300
• Project Goal #1 – Maintain aesthetics of St. Catherine’s
• Project Goal #2 – Incorporate cost-reducing technologies
• Project Goal #3 – Include pending maintenance projects
Present Expansion Plan to Diocese for approval
Upon approval, begin fund-raising and detailed design
Identify maintenance projects for inclusion in expansion plans
Use the Parish Center throughout construction (2–4 years)
Reconfigure the Center to more easily accommodate Religious Education
and other Parish functions
Continue ongoing maintenance of the three buildings on two properties
Work to reduce operating costs of all Parish assets
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21. Professional Services$290,000
Architect, Engineering, Legal, Other Professional Services
Regulatory Compliance 217,000
Municipal Permit Fees, ADA, Bonds, Contingency and Misc.
Site Work 336,000
Site Grading, Excavation, Paving, Landscaping
Construction1,090,000
Demo and Protection, Building and Structure,Transept Windows
Systems242,500
Utility Connection, Mechanical, Electrical, Septic Upgrades
Interior and Décor 155,000
Furnishings, Audio, Sacristy, Undercroft
Parish CenterRenovations150,000
TOTAL$2,480,500
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5-Year Plan continued
CHURCH EXPANSION – PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE
22. Multi-Purpose Room
• Acoustical ceiling and folding acoustical walls
• Lighting – improve energy efficiency and placement
Support Areas
• Kitchen – improve efficiency and upgrade equipment
• Rest Rooms and Plumbing – assess and upgrade as required
• Increased Storage capability
• Patio Area – explore coverage to improve utilization
• Re-purpose Choir Loft
Cost-Reduction Efforts
• HVAC equipment and control system assessment
• Replace windows, doors and screens
• Reuse liturgical details to furnish Church
22
5-Year Plan continued
PARISH CENTER – POTENTIAL RENOVATIONS
23. A detailed usage plan for all existing property including:
Church – Projects:
• Parking Lot Repair $54,000-60,000
• Water Treatment System Repair 2,100
• Roof Repair Acquiring Estimate
• HVAC System Upgrade 28,000
• Improve Energy Efficiency – Upgrade Control 7,500
• Installation of Solar Panels On Hold
Rectory – Maintenance
• Installation of Neutralizer System Completed
• Repair damage Completed
• Ministry Storage Capability In Progress
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5-Year Plan continued
NEEDED ONGOING MAINTENANCE (regardless of expansion)
24. Parish Property & Facility – 10-Year Plan
THE 10-YEAR PLAN INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
Create a St. Catherine Religious Community Campus
• Take full advantage of three adjoining properties
Build an Education/Community Center on
White Bridge Road
• Maintain aesthetics of original Church
• Base design on religious education requirements and realistic
ministry/community needs
• Utilize Greentechnology
Upon completion of the new Community Center,
sell the existing Parish Center to partially offset
construction costs
• Eliminate second site operating expense burden of the Parish Center
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25. Parish Property & Facility – Questions
What will happen if we do not build and expand?
• Parishioner growth will be accommodated by additional Masses on the
weekends
• Holiday overcrowding will worsen
• Parish functions will continue to be space-limited
• Ministries, Organizations and other Activities will increasingly need to rent
space for functions
• Event and Meeting scheduling conflicts will increase
• Parish operating costs will continue to rise
• Maintenance projects will be supported by regular offertory funds
• Potential for Diocese to make us merge with another parish
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26. Church Expansion Project – Questions
Do we have permission to do this? From Diocese?
• Obtaining permission is a multi-step Diocesan requirement
• Step one is to present the need and proposed solutionto the
Diocesan committee for major projects
• The second step is to determine if parishioners agree and will
financially support the plan
• Only then will the Parish receive “permission” to collect contributions
and begin design and construction
Does the Church have debt/savings?
• The Church currently has no outstanding debt
• The Financial Council has authorized $500,000 of Parish funds
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27. Church Expansion Project – Questionscontinued
Why raise money and then be turned down?
We know from the past about all the red tape.
• A significant amount of expense is often incurred prior to and during
the permit application process
• It is important that our Parish doesn’t deplete our operating budget
during the process
• Having parishioners fully committed to the project is an important
cooperative and financial support piece
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28. Church Expansion Project – Questions continued
How will the Parish Center be used?
• The plan is to support the Religious Education program and to offset
as much rental expense as possible
• It will also continue to serve as community space for our ministries and
organizational activities and Parish events, such as Camp St. Catherine
and community dinners
• The facility will continue to fill these critical needs
• It needs to be maintained for current use and as a future asset
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29. Church Expansion Project – Questions
Will we sell the Parish Center?
• Not immediately – it is a critical support element in Parish operations today
• It could be sold after the dedication of the new Center
Who will the potential buyer be?
• The building is highly adaptable as administrative or service space
by dividing it into offices or work areas
– Possible computer or appliance repair
– Small warehouse or distribution operations
– Child care facility or senior center
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30. Summary
At this meeting, we’ve shown due diligence:
• Provided the full timeline/financials of past Vision of our Future campaign
•Summarized current and future property and facility needs
•Shared the findings of Ruotolo's feasibility study, including:
– St. Catherine’s has active, interested parishioners with >50%
having participated in study
– Feedback shows we have a strong, cohesive faith community,
as well as an excellent spiritual director in our pastor
– St. Catherine's community wants to be more fully connected through
liturgy in one building
– We need additional meeting, educational and multi-use spaces
Open to Questions from the audience
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Hinweis der Redaktion
“Father Chester is a breath of fresh air – we are blessed to have him”“Father Chester spiritually drives people to want to participate”“St Catherine’s is like a family”“it is a young, thriving and active parish”
The Parish Center is NOT like a ChurchThere is no future for the church without youth involvementWhy would we build if most masses are not filled to capacityWould all like to be in one location for Mass – while a dream, can we afford realityLike the small size of the little church – will the character be lost when we expandWe gave the last time but didn’t get what we paid forIn the past, things were done and we were kept in the dark and told laterWe would like full disclosure before we move forward
The Parish Center is NOT like a ChurchThere is no future for the church without youth involvementWhy would we build if most masses are not filled to capacityWould all like to be in one location for Mass – while a dream, can we afford realityLike the small size of the little church – will the character be lost when we expandWe gave the last time but didn’t get what we paid forIn the past, things were done and we were kept in the dark and told laterWe would like full disclosure before we move forward
41 with large donations ($5K - $50K)137 "No", or Wrong address - "returned"could not begin to build until we had 50% of financing
Difference in proceeds and outlay from Church reserve funds The need to increase capacity became critical in a very short time. Solution Design strives to be “the ultimate solution”. Opinion of the original donor has significant impact on planning. Construction on the Church site is impossible. Design for unique permit requirements makes use of the Diocese property unacceptably expensive. Attempts to “fast track” a solution begin to add complications. Successive site acquisition attempts are unsuccessful. Meanwhile the clock keeps ticking.
How were funds from the previous campaign used ? What happened to all the money pledged before? Use of funds raised in previous Campaign… Is any money left Some feel the plan has changed repeatedly causing confusion How any assets will be used going forward Recognition of gifts to the previous campaign
Sacramental Activities Communion and Confirmation Ceremonies Today three (3) of four (4) masses per weekend Holiday seating capacity more easily accommodated Processional services more easily arranged Parish Activities Camp St Catherine Religious Education classes and ceremony rehearsals Boy Scout Eagle and other ceremonies Parish Picnics Community / Parish Dinners Ministry & Organizational Support First Parish Tricky Tray K of C Council #15217 Blood Drive
Potential renovations will be focused on:Improved short-term utility for parishRegular required maintenance as a valued assetBetter resale valuePotential to sell it quickly with updated facilities/improvements toward the 10-yearplan
Project we would have to do anyway even if we don’t move forward with expansionAnd if we don’t expand, we could be absorbed by another parish (Immaculate Conception)
Green Technology = life cycle vs first-cost-based design principles
Completed step 1, working on step 2Church is VERY frugal and runs leanMajority of savings would be spent on maintenance projects
The facility will continue to fill these critical needs since the expansion of the Church won’t be large enough to replace these functions.