Summer Projects
This summer, pending approvals from the Archdiocese, we will be working on a number of projects on our parish campus:
1. Installing an enhanced security system and fire alarm in our Church. A couple of weeks ago a beautiful Church in Norwich, CT burned. The firemen said there was no working fire alarm and that the fire had burned for hours before it was detected. I am happy and so grateful that with our new fire alarm, we will be able to avoid this type of tragedy. (Paid for by the End of the Year Appeal)
2. The doors in the Parish Center will be replaced (one of them is locked with a padlock) and a new security system will also be added. (Paid for by the End of the Year Appeal)
3. Because our expanded PreK program is nearly full, we will be doing some renovations in the school to enlarge one of the PreK Classrooms. We will also be removing the asbestos and carpets which cover three of our first floor classrooms. New floors will be installed when the asbestos is gone. (Paid for from School Savings)
4. All of the windows in the School will be replaced and all of the blinds which date back to 1958 will be replaced. This will dramatically improve the appearance of our school, and also lower our energy costs in the winter. (Paid for with $130,000 grant, record auction proceeds and contributions)
5. We will repair the damage done to the roof on the old wing of the Church. This year’s blizzard broke a couple of rows of tile in the corner near the Friary. (Hopefully paid for from our insurance)
6. Finally, it is our hope that three Boy Scouts will paint all of the classrooms as part of their Eagle Scout Project once all of the work has been completed.
As I noted, we are able to do all of these things because of the End of the Year Appeal, the incredible success of our School Auction this year, and a $130,000 grant, which will almost completely cover the cost of the new school windows.
I am sure you will agree that we have a beautiful parish campus. Many who came before us sacrificed to give us our property and buildings. We all believe that it is our responsibility to maintain, enhance and pass on this gift to future generations. If you gave to the End of the Year Appeal or attended the School Auction, please be assured of our gratitude. You have given our Church a most precious gift indeed.
A special thank you to Ed Janik, who coordinates most of our major projects. He has a wealth of experience in project management, architecture and the building trades. His expertise allows us to get the biggest bang for our buck.
KGS
The Kensington Grammar School Committee continues to meet. At the last two meetings, we began to discuss and plan for both the design and function of our new property. Because we have to make provisions for future growth of the parish, a lot of study has gone into this first stage of the project. I promise to keep you informed as we make progress. In the next couple of weeks, we hope to see some more improvements on the KGS property. We hope to dig out all of the brush and Poison Ivy which is growing around the old tennis courts, fill in the broken spots in the pavement and make a path from the parking lot to the sidewalk.
Latest assault on Catholic Education
I am really concerned about the latest threat to our Catholic School system. For some reason, and I’m not sure why, politicians seem bent on punishing tax payer families who chose to send their kids to Catholic School. As we mentioned last week in Church, the newest attack from Hartford comes from the Appropriations Committee which has decided to delete 70% of the funding for Catholic School Busing. You can find out more information on this important issue on our website. stpaulkensington.org Please contact your representatives and let them know that we are not happy about this decision. Parents are the ultimate educators of our children and I (hopefully we) believe that the government should assist them with this most important task, not punish them. Get on the phone everyone. We need to make our voices heard.