Mandate of the Ad Hoc Steering Committee to Guide the Discussion on the Future of Our Old Church Buildings
Our parish has been greatly blessed. In the course of our 80+ years at this address on Maumee St., we have grown and grown so that we have twice needed to build a bigger sanctuary in which to celebrate the holy sacraments. God has been good to us, and it is an honor to be able to pray in such a beautiful church building as the one we dedicated in 2010. This leaves us, however, with two old church buildings. The one we call "the original church of 1941" (presently used as a pre-school and as Kolbe Hall), the other we call "the new old church of 1959" (sometimes affectionately called "the pole barn" or "the Butler Building").
At the Parish Town Hall Meeting of April 10, 2016, parishioners began a renewed discussion about what to do with these two buildings. It was pointed out that both old churches have already been "desacralized", that is, formally declared by the Catholic Church no longer to be places of worship; we are, therefore, free to decide what to do with them. The Parish Pastoral Council is continuing a dialogue with the parishioners about what to do with our two “old” churches. To this end, in late 2016, the Council formed a special ad hoc steering committee to guide and animate the discussion.
Parishioners have expressed many ideas with regard to the future of the two old churches. There are many facts to consider as well as many emotions. The job of the steering committee is not to make a final decision but to make sure that the discussion is timely, that all voices are heard and all facts both researched and considered, and finally to make recommendations.
Those recommendations are sent to Fr. Bob, who brings them to the full Parish Finance Council and Parish Pastoral Council. Based on these council’s advice, Fr. Bob can send a proposal to the Diocesan Finance Council, who, together with Bishop Rhoades, can make a decision concerning these buildings.
On this webpage, you will find more information about the steering committee's work.
Peace and all good,
Liat Peters (Pastoral Council President) and Fr. Bob Showers (pastor)
December 28, 2016
At the Parish Town Hall Meeting of April 10, 2016, parishioners began a renewed discussion about what to do with these two buildings. It was pointed out that both old churches have already been "desacralized", that is, formally declared by the Catholic Church no longer to be places of worship; we are, therefore, free to decide what to do with them. The Parish Pastoral Council is continuing a dialogue with the parishioners about what to do with our two “old” churches. To this end, in late 2016, the Council formed a special ad hoc steering committee to guide and animate the discussion.
Parishioners have expressed many ideas with regard to the future of the two old churches. There are many facts to consider as well as many emotions. The job of the steering committee is not to make a final decision but to make sure that the discussion is timely, that all voices are heard and all facts both researched and considered, and finally to make recommendations.
Those recommendations are sent to Fr. Bob, who brings them to the full Parish Finance Council and Parish Pastoral Council. Based on these council’s advice, Fr. Bob can send a proposal to the Diocesan Finance Council, who, together with Bishop Rhoades, can make a decision concerning these buildings.
On this webpage, you will find more information about the steering committee's work.
Peace and all good,
Liat Peters (Pastoral Council President) and Fr. Bob Showers (pastor)
December 28, 2016
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AS OF JUNE 2017, THE STEERING COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF:
You can always write to the full Steering Committee using the special e-mail address steeringcommittee@stanthonyangola.com |
MEETING SUMMARIES
Please note that these different meeting summaries are offered in the interest of transparency. The discussion of a brainstorming committee with 15 members or more can often be free-wheeling and fast moving. Different secretaries have attempted here to capture the gist and tenor of the discussions. These are not complete transcripts!
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A statement from the Special Steering Committee, to be read at all Masses on the weekend of March 18-19, 2017
The special steering committee guiding the discussion about the future of our buildings would like to share some information regarding the church campus with the congregation:
The special steering committee guiding the discussion about the future of our buildings would like to share some information regarding the church campus with the congregation:
- The structural condition of the 1941 church has greatly deteriorated.
- Among the most significant concerns include:
- Deteriorating basement walls
- Outdated electrical components
- Roof that requires significant repair or replacement
- Asbestos in the tile and concrete subfloor in the basement.
- Multiple building professionals have reviewed the issues with the structure and have expressed great concern about the effectiveness of renovating the old church to meet the long-term needs of the parish for classrooms and meeting space.
- Based on the decrepit state of the old church building, we felt it was best if we no longer allow ourselves to rent this space to Bright Beginnings Preschool after their school year ends in June.
- A steering committee has been formed to propose options to meet the future requirements of the parish community. There are about 14 members on the committee. We have held several meetings already and more are planned.
- As a reminder, the new-church building committee’s original plans from a few years ago included the demolition of the 1941 church and construction of additional classroom / meeting space to the east of the parish center.
- If you would like to discuss this topic in more detail, we will be holding a meeting on March 25th at 11:00AM in the parish hall. All are welcome.