A NEW PROPOSAL FOR OUR CHURCHES AND PARISH CENTERS 2023

We have been sharing our plans for the Parish Center renovation project which consisted of an addition onto the former Rectory in Mt Washington to provide space for an expanded religious education program, Parish ministries, and a social hall for Parish gatherings, receptions, and other Parish activities.  To support the project, a fundraising campaign was planned for 2022. You may be wondering what happened to those campaign efforts and what’s planned for the property associated with our Parish.  

WE’RE A NEW PARISH NOW

When the proposed changes for the Rectory began, it was designed to support the needs of the St. Mary of the Mount parish.  In the time that’s passed we’ve not only become a new parish that now includes two churches, but we experienced a two-year global pandemic which caused an increase in construction cost and allowed us to take a hard look at all of our current and future facility needs.  All of which made us pause, rethink our approach, and consider a wholistic way to address the needs for both the Mt. Washington and South Side churches.  

This change in focus positions Mary Queen of Peace Parish to build and grow together in a way that allows us to sustain both locations.  We now plan to invest in the maintenance of both churches as well as design and develop gathering spaces in both communities. 

We are excited to move forward with this effort. The presence of our Parish in both communities can be an important component of community engagement and offer an alternate view of the Church working in the community.  We will need to work together, as one Parish, to make this happen and even though we’ve made changes, we’re still dependent on your support, your donations and your time; therefore, we’ll be reaching out to your during 2023 with additional and more specific information as we lead up to the kick-off of the 2023 fundraising campaign.

INCLUDED

• Renovations for dynamic gathering spaces in both communities.
• Much needed roof and gutter repairs and replacement for both churches.
• Repointing both St. Adalbert and St. Mary of the Mount churches.
• Monetizing real estate assets to reinvest in the parish to help reach our goals.

EXCLUDED

• A new religious-after school-program/facility.
• A brand new and larger reception building for wedding and social events.

What to expect Now and what to Expect Later
It has been decided to focus our initial efforts on space that is currently underutilized and can be repurposed as small gathering spaces.  You may have noticed that some of these enhancements have already been completed - like the updated bathrooms and the newly painted stairwell at St. Adalbert. The next round of work will consist of:

• The 3-car garage at the former St. Mary’s Rectory will be repurposed into a place for church members to gather before and after worship.  
• The lower level of St. Adalbert will continue to be refurbished and reorganized. In addition, an accessible place to congregate before and after mass will be created in the rear of the church.

What to expect now

Renovations at both locations will begin as early as February 2023:

• Enhancements to the lower-level at St. Adalbert will consist of painting, cleaning and returning functionality to the kitchen.
• Repurposing the former St. Mary of the Mount Rectory garages will begin.  
• Disruption to church services at St. Adalbert and parking at St. Mary of the Mount will go unaffected during these renovations.  

What to expect later 

• Creating accessible space for before and after masses in the back of St Adalbert Church as well exploring an accessible restroom.
• Repairs to roofs and gutters at both churches.
• Brick repointing, interior wall repairs, along with similar repairs will take place at both church locations.
• Consultation will continue with the architect to finalize renovations to the building at 403 Grandview Avenue.  
• Disruption from these activities will be more noticeable and careful planning will take place to minimize impact to masses and special events.  

Fundraising – What to expect next

Before returning to active fundraising, we want to ensure:

• Donations made to date will be allocated based on the previous intent of the donors.
• Long-term plans are being finalized, providing a clear understanding of our fundraising needs and goals.
• A fundraising campaign will begin and will be allocated to our Parish’s most immediate needs.

We’re excited to see progress in these efforts and thank our parishioners who have donated to the parish, positioning us to begin this important work.  We will continue to update you on progress related to the renovations and will provide additional information in the Spring related to the fundraising campaign.