St. Isidore the Farmer Parish

November 24th Update:

A few weeks ago, I shared information with you regarding the condition of Our Lady of Lourdes rectory and my decision to move forward with demolition. The former rectory is in need of much maintenance and costly repairs and is no longer needed as residential space for our priests at the parish. Selling or renting the rectory is not a viable option either, due to the close proximity of where the rectory is located next to Our Lady of Lourdes Church hall. Aside from the demolition project costs, the removal of the rectory will provide a cost savings to the parish of around $20,000 a year. As we plan for the future, it is our responsibility to be good stewards of parish resources so we can focus our efforts on mission and ministry. After consultation with our Finance Council, I submitted the necessary paperwork to the Diocese requesting approval to begin this project. This past week, we received permission to proceed with the asbestos abatement and demolition of Our Lady of Lourdes rectory at a total cost of $157,800. Next steps in the process will include the preparation of legal documents by the Diocesan Legal Office and the necessary permits by the contractor. It is estimated that the asbestos abatement will take approximately six to eight weeks to complete, and then plans for demolition will begin. Please know that the safety and well-being of our parishioners and parish community is our top priority. The asbestos abatement and demolition will adhere to all safety and air-quality compliance standards. This process is highly regulated and will not pose any risks to our parishioners, neighbors, or the surrounding community. I will continue to update you on the process and timeline in the bulletin and parish website as soon as additional information becomes available.

 - Fr. Harry

November 10th Update:
As we continue to live out our pastoral plan and lead others to Jesus, I am very mindful of my duty and responsibility to be a good steward of parish resources while fueling our mission of evangelization and discipleship for the future. 

St. Isidore the Farmer Parish is home to 6,730 parishioners spanning a vast territory of 245 square miles over three counties with six church buildings and fourteen additional buildings. Just a few months ago, many parishioners took advantage of the opportunity to tour our parish buildings at the Open Houses we held. Our Finance Council has worked diligently, along with our maintenance staff and myself, to maintain all of our parish buildings and properties, and I am grateful for their time and efforts. 

At this time, the current rectory at Our Lady of Lourdes is in need of much maintenance and has sat empty since Father Zach Galiyas left the residence approximately 16 months ago. Since the entire Clergy Team is now living at St. Ann’s Rectory in Bulger, there is no need to keep nor maintain the rectory at Our Lady of Lourdes. Due to the close proximity of the rectory to the church hall on parish property, selling or renting is not a viable option. Aside from the demolition fees, the removal of the rectory at Our Lady of Lourdes will result in a yearly cost savings of around $20,000 to the parish. 

Consultation with Diocesan Facilities Management and Maintenance officials along with our Finance Council has led to the same conclusion. Therefore, after much prayer and discernment, I am moving forward with the recommendation to demolish the rectory. An exact timeline for the demolition process has not been finalized since we are still working out all of the details. Please know that I will continue to update everyone on the process through the bulletin, on the parish website and with periodic announcements at Mass.

Fr. Harry
 

ADVENT CONFESSIONS

Wednesday, December 11

Just a reminder that neither Father Harry nor Father John will ever send an email asking you to get gift cards or send them money no matter the reason.  These are scams.  If you receive an email, be sure to check the email address.  Emails from the priests will either be from a diopitt.org or a stisidorethefarmer.org email address. You should be suspicious of any email claiming they are from the parish that are not from one of those domains. Please be vigilant.