From the Pastor

Dear friends in the Risen Lord,
 
     As you can see, the new rectory is quickly taking shape across Briarcliff Road. The house contains a bedroom, bath and study for each of the parish’s two full-time priests; two guestrooms for the seminarian interns and visiting clergy who are a frequent presence in parish life; a common area (living room, dining room and kitchen) for priestly fraternity; and a laundry room. A partial unfinished basement has room for storage and a small exercise room. (An elliptical trainer will be the pastor’s gift to the new house.)
 
     There are many reasons for gratitude surrounding the new rectory: Marta Lane (IHM School’s retired Spanish teacher) and the Gamoneda family made the property available to us at very reasonable terms; we have been assisted by a wonderful architect in Ryan Webb and a gifted designer in Maryann Blackburn—both from the IHM community—and our builder, Neil Johnson of Canonbury Homes, who belongs to Holy Spirit parish, has brought the project along on schedule and (so far!) under budget.
 
     For those still contemplating their pledge to the 2019 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, it is worth remembering that the Archdiocese purchased the property for us the minute it became available, and held it for us for nearly two years at no cost until we were prepared to move forward with the project. They are able to assist parishes in this way because of our gifts each year to the Annual Appeal, so please be generous in your 2019 Annual Appeal pledge.
 
     I am grateful to those who funded the rectory’s solar panels through iGiveCatholic on Giving Tuesday last November. And I am profoundly grateful to those who support IHM every week or month in the parish offertory. Because the capital campaigns for the new church were so recent, we did not conduct another capital campaign for the rectory; the construction cost will be retired, along with our remaining church debt, from our regular Sunday offertory and our debt reduction collections.
 
     According to our builders, we are on schedule to apply for a Certificate of Occupancy around July 1. However, I caution against premature celebration; that Certificate of Occupancy will come from the same county office that took 7 months to issue us a building permit last year! Still, I look forward to the opportunity to show you the house once it’s finished and furnished. I am confident it will serve the parish well for generations to come.
 
Easter blessings!