Church Repairs & Projects
Keeping our beautiful cathedral-sized church and our six other large buildings in good condition is very important to us. Deferred maintenance can be disastrous and very costly in the long run. Therefore we prefer to stay on top of issues that arise. In the photo above, you can see new lighting that was recently installed in the sanctuary. Below are several other projects we are currently working on.
Father Smith Center
The Father Smith Center is directly below our church. It used to be the lower church but was modified into the Fr. Smith Center where many of our social programs take place as well many of our church functions. We are currently repairing damaged walls and ceilings. It is our hope to eventually remove the drop ceiling to reveal the arched crypt ceiling that was the original ceiling of the lower church.
Dominican Sisters Center
We are currently renovating out Dominican Sisters Center, which is the residence for several of our sisters. When our school reopens under the auspices of Brilla Charter Schools, ten teachers/aides will also reside in the center.
Food Pantry
We have opened up and will renovate the area for our new food pantry. This area is in the Father Smith Center directly to the left of the small altar. The drop ceiling was removed, which revealed years of neglect. Other hallways and corridors which were installed in the 1970s/80s were removed to open up the space.
Handicap Ramp
We now have a restored handicap entrance ramp along with a new architecturally appropriate guard rail. The previous guard rail was a cheap, rusted metal pole type that didn’t match the other rails on the front steps of the church.
Stained Glass Panel
We discovered one of our stained glass windows in the nave was missing a section. Thankfully, a parishioner saw the piece of glass that fell out of the window and returned it to us. The entire pane was removed, repaired and reinstalled. The company that is doing the work was very impressed with the high quality of our beautiful windows.
Southeast Vestibule Doors
These two inner wooden doors (handicap entrance) were reconditioned after the fire on March 5, 2010. However, these doors face southeast and receive direct sunlight a good part of each day. Also, water was making its way onto them even when the outer doors were closed. We have fixed those issues and the doors have been stripped, restained and varnished.
Gallery (balcony) window
Our beautiful window in the back balcony is starting to show signs of needed repair. Much of the caulking and protective inner sections around the glass have aged and fallen into the balcony. The lower panes are leaking onto the back wall of the church and onto the pews beneath. We are currently in the process of getting estimates so we can start work on this rather large project.
In the image above, water can be seen seeping into the church through the bottom panes of the large window in the balcony.
The image above shows another section of the balcony window that is leaking. Water stains can be seen on the stone below the windows.
Towers
Keeping water out of our towers is an ongoing endeavor. At the first sign of leaks inside the church, we send the roofing company to the roof to find and fix the leaks. The image above is the north tower, where, in addition to leaks, the wire mesh that prevents pigeons from entering and nesting had fallen away. Pigeons had been roosting and pigeon carcasses and droppings were creating problems. We have fixed the leaks and cleaned the tower and installed new wire mesh to prevent pigeons from entering.
Ambulatory
(passageway behind the altar)
We recently discovered major water and steam pipe damage in the passageway behind the altar. These sections had been covered for years by large wooden closets where vestments and church decorations have been stored. The issues and walls have been repaired.
