“If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor.” - Psalm 127:1
I hope you are enjoying the new year and that you survived the snowstorm! It has been a few months since the last construction update, so I am writing with some improvements.
CONVENT OPEN HOUSE - FEBRUARY 28
Although the sisters moved into the new convent in July 2024, we are finally going to bless the convent on Friday, February 28, 2025. We were waiting for Mother Anna Grace Neenan, O.P. (Prioress General of the Nashville Dominicans) to be able to travel to Louisiana for the occasion. Archbishop Aymond will bless the convent and chapel earlier in the day. Then the sisters will host an open house from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. This will be the ONLY TIME the cloistered part of the convent will be open to the public. We know that it is the Friday of Mardi Gras, but this was the only day we could schedule with Mother’s schedule. We hope you can join us for an open house / tour of the new convent.
The three SCS priests moved into the “new” rectory on Bonnabel during the week of Thanksgiving. It is very nice to be able to walk away from the office and have a separate living space. THANK YOU to the many people who donated things to make the renovations possible: Heather Somers (donated all of the lighting fixtures and fans), Lester & Diane Boihem (donated the security cameras, wifi access points, internet wiring, and a generator), Angelo Philips (donated dumpsters from Beverly Disposal), JT & Meghan Robinson (donated landscaping plants), Mike Matthews (donated the rear awning), Dana & Cathy DeGeorge (donated mirrors), Steve & Leslie Breaux (donated carpet), Susanne Baber (donated an altar for the chapel) Jimmy & Diane Gatti (donated a St. Joseph Statue), Beverly Scala (donated a Mary statue), and Tina D’Antoni & Bill Coco (hung all the pictures and blinds). Thank you to the following people who donated furniture to the new rectory: Lawrence & Micki Chehardi, Phyllis Taylor, the Kampens, Margaret Hay, Taylor & Macie Billings, Jack & Ellen Leary, and an anonymous donor. Thank you also to vendors who sold us items at cost: LAS Shutters (Julia Jeandron) and Triton Stone (the Jensons). Thank you to all of those who helped work on the rectory in any way! In a special way, I always want to acknowledge Milton & Clair Wessing who generously left St. Catherine in their estate. Their bequest made the purchase of the new rectory possible.
For your own safety, please stay out of the construction area. Please do not enter the fenced off area or the construction zone. If you have any questions, please direct them to either me or John Hummel and we will be happy to answer them.
FORWARD IN FAITH CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
As of February 2, we have raised $7,900,000 in our Forward in Faith Capital Campaign. This 79% of our $10,000,000 goal has been raised by 1019 donors. So far, 33.9% of our 3,000 parishioners have contributed to the campaign. THANK YOU to everyone who has helped make these projects possible!! Thank you to the many donors who have contributed to the Forward in Faith Capital Campaign (www.scschurch.com/donors).
If you have not made a pledge to the capital campaign, I humbly ask you to consider supporting the campaign. When these projects are completed, we will all benefit from them. If every parishioner makes a contribution, we can easily reach the last 21% of our goal!
THANK YOU in advance for your patience as we experience inconveniences with the construction. As the projects continue, so will the disruptions. Please help us be good neighbors and follow all parking rules. We ask for your patience with any inconveniences and know that they are temporary until the construction is completed.
If you have questions about any of these projects, please feel free to reach out to me. When everything is completed in the next two years, the progress will be well worth the inconveniences! I think we will all be very proud of the improvements! We will be ready for the next century of ministry in Old Metairie. Thank you for all of your support with these projects as our parish is moving “Forward in Faith!”
Fr. Tim Hedrick
Pastor
MAY 2024 UPDATE
NEW CHURCH HVAC