I’m committed to Restoring St. Joseph’s, because I love being Catholic and have grown to love this parish family. I want to see our church stand tall for years to come.
— Father Paul Strommer
Project updates:
Check it out,
Things are happening!
Scroll to the bottom of the page to access a pdf version of the graph to the right.
(Summer 2023)
Where are we now?
Over the summer, much work was done on the exterior of the building. An unneeded chimney was taken down. The bricks were saved and reused. As the tuck point work progressed, broken bricks were replaced with those saved from the chimney project.
The biggest news is the sale of the rectory! That sale added $135,096 toward our fundraising goal.
Speaking of our goal… thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our parish, we are 65% of the way there, and pledges keep coming in. What a gift! (Fall 2022)
Update: Our fundraising has reached 71% of our goal, and restoration of the bell tower is underway. (Summer 2023)
A vicious freeze/thaw cycle after a winter rainstorm exacerbated existing issues with the exterior of the building, making the tuck point project the highest priority. What is tuck pointing?
Now that the decision has been made to go forward with the Restoring St. Joseph’s project, you might be wondering, what now? The first priority, which has already begun, is tuck pointing. But what is tuck pointing? Perhaps we could liken it to the pitch of the ark, which kept the water out and those inside safe and dry. Masonry is beautiful but vulnerable to harsh weather. Moisture combined with freezing temperatures degrades mortar over time. Eventually, the degradation reaches a point that water breaches the exterior, causing interior damage. Tuck pointing is the process by which the mortar is repaired and replaced. It keeps our interior dry and safe from damage, which is why it is the first priority. Completing this project ensures subsequent projects will be protected and worthwhile. We have already invested so much in the beauty of our church in recent years, from the St. Joseph’s statue outside to the shrines of the True Cross and St. Joseph inside. We want to protect those efforts of the past as well as those of this project which we have just undertaken.
Please direct your questions or comments about our project to: stjosephscapitalcampaign@gmail.com
Files: Progress report, what has been done, and what is up next
Updated progress report, as of August 3, 2023