• Weberding Carving Shop Main Page ***NEW***
• St. Gabriel’s project at Weberding Carving Shop ***NEW***

We are now using the Google Picasa photo album service to store our photo galleries. This new format will allow you to view a slideshow from within our website or you can click a link to go to the Picasa photo album page which will allow you to zoom in on the photos for a closer view. The photos are captioned and you can comment on each photo from Picasa webpage. We hope you enjoy this new format for presenting our photos. Click on the “Photos and Videos” button at the left side of our webpages or click on any of these links below to see the progress step-by-step.

• December 25, 2010 Renovation complete! Time to celebrate Christmas midnight Mass***NEW***
• December 17, 2010 The stained glass windows have been installed. The new furniture arrives. ***NEW***
• December 8, 2010 See our pews being installed. Stations of the cross are in place. We’re almost done!
• November 24, 2010 Go behind-the-scenes at Fox Studios to see our stained glass windows being created.
• November 9, 2010 We’ve got a new cross on the outside façade. Inside the painting is completed, tile is going down, and the baptismal font is under construction.
• October 8, 2010 Exterior landscaping, new doors, interior drywall
• September 8, 2010 Exterior brick work and interior framing
• August 27, 2010 Refinishing our pews
• August 26, 2010 Foam insulation added to exterior
• August 24, 2010 Final steel framing on exterior
• August 12, 2010 More framing and interior offices removed
• August 7, 2010 First steel framework goes up
• July 2, 2010 More demolition inside and out
• June 15, 2010 Demolition Begins

Look for more photos as they become available.

Photos of the conceptual design of how we might renovate the church will be available soon.

The opportunity presented to the parish was to utilize funds that had been raised in two previous capital campaigns to pay 50% (approximately $350,000) of the outstanding debt immediately. The remainder of the debt would be carried by the archdiocese at zero interest. Additionally the archdiocese has agreed to match dollar for dollar when St Gabriel makes the required annual debt payment. The plan would allow St Gabriel to eliminate the remaining debt over the next 10 years.

“With our current debt growing daily with interest, this was an opportunity to not only eliminate the debt, but do so by saving over $200,000 during the next ten years” commented Father Crawford.

The other part of the presentation by Mr. Schellinger dealt with the physical structure and plans for remodeling the church. As part of the financial arrangement with the archdiocese, St Gabriel has been given the approval to begin construction on remodeling the church. The construction project would have a guaranteed maximum cost of $750,000.

Mr. Schellinger presented a rough concept of what kind of remodeling we might be able to do on our existing church. The plan is to revitalize the building committee to work out a more detailed plan for the future of our facilities given our changing needs.

More background on this proposal is available in Father Larry’s message below.

After a question-and-answer session with the parishioners in attendance, a motion was made and seconded to adopt the proposal. There was some brief further discussion in which it was suggested we make every effort to contact people who had given to the building fund but who werw not able to attend the meeting. When the discussion concluded a voice vote was taken. There was a hearty round of “Ays” and when the “Nays” or called for there were none. The proposal passed unanimously. The vote will allow the parish to move forward and help create a bright and vibrant future, which will help the parish grow.

Highlights from this important parish meeting will be available sometime early this week on St. Gabriel’s YouTube channel with links from this website to the videos. We also hope to have images of the renderings presented by the architects of a possible design for remodeling our church.

Over the past several years St. Gabriel parish has experienced a number of significant changes.

• The demographics of our population has changed substantially
• The number of families has remained relatively constant, but the economic and social nature of our family has changed.
• The income level in the Sunday collection has dropped significantly
• The number of students in St. Gabriel School has declined and the educational cost per student has risen substantially. One of the reasons for drop in enrollment is the increasing inability of parents to afford private education; and there has been an increase in requests for financial aide.

In recent years there has annually been an operational deficit. At first the savings that had been built up over a period of years was used to cover the shortfall. Then the parish began to carry an operational deficit. At first it was just a few thousand dollars per year. But as income declined the deficit rose per year. Currently we are running an average of $10,000 per week deficit in payroll. Each week the deficit is added to our parish debt to the Archdiocese.

In recent years the Archdiocese has hired a man by the name of Mike Witka. He is Director of Parish Financial Services. Shortly after I assumed responsibility for the parish Financial Commission Mr. Witka contacted me urging me to formulate a plan to retire the parish debt. At the same time a number of parishioners were coming to me expressing concern about our debt and what we could do about it.

When I first became pastor in January 1999 the parish had just completed a successful capital campaign. There had been parish meetings and the decision was made to build a permanent church. Most of the funds taken in by the Legacy of Hope are still on deposit. Then followed the Legacy for our Mission capital campaign. It was our hope to get sufficient funds to begin construction on the Church. We tried to make it clear that it was not just a new church we needed. We needed space for ministry. We did not quite achieve our goal and over time there were several attempts to raise the needed funds without success. And as time past, and no construction, a number of givers discontinued payment of their pledge.

I have always been very conscious of the importance of using funds for the purpose they were intended. A few years ago I was approached by an Archdiocesan representative about using some of our capital funds to pay the debt. I refused because I consider it in appropriate to use funds for anything other than the designated purpose.

Once I became the “go to man” for the Finance Commission two things became clear. We were “dead in the water” regarding getting funds to build. The debit was mounting literally daily.

This past summer I had meetings with both Archdiocesan Office of Catholic Education and the Finance Services personnel. .

1. Discussions of the consolidation of Cardinal Ritter Jr./Sr. High School were progressing favorably. If this occurred this would alleviate our urgent need for space.
2. Although I had personal reservations, the way out of our financial situation was payment of the debt and I began talking about what might happen if we used some of our capital funds to pay down the debt.

The Archdiocese and I came to a tentative understanding that we would pay down half of the debit with funds from the capital campaign and retire the remainder over a 20 year period, interest free. Which I thought was kind – interest free. When the final agreement was reached – the Archdiocese had added an element. The Archdiocese would match us dollar for dollar that we paid on the remainder of the debt. So now we would be able to pay off the debt in less than 10 years.

Now the debt is manageable. With the educational partnership taking effect our educational cost will be manageable. The children will have gym space. Our current physical plant is now available for the parish for ministry; we have no need for additional space. I have ask Jim Schillinger of CSO Architect to give us a rendering of a concept of what is possible make our current worship space into a permanent church with the funds we have available.

But first I need your permission to redirect part of the capital funds for debt payment. Thus my need for the Sunday parish meeting.

Once I have that permission, I am going to revitalize the Building Committee. They will work on a permanent church. Then they will work on what to do with the remaining space.

We have much potential. I hope we work together and in the months ahead become more energized as a parish than we ever have before. We have our whole future ahead of us.