To my very dear members of the St. Mary Magdalene Family,
 

Lord,
You fill the entire earth with your presence,
That your Name may be hallowed through all the earth.
Bless the work we have begun to build
A Home for all God's People.
Grant that we may rejoice in the work we have begun,
That we may soon celebrate the sacraments in your temple,
Our new parish church,
And in time to come, may we praise your forever in heaven.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This has been our prayer at every Mass since we began the "A Home for all God's People" capital campaign nearly two years ago. It is prayer many of you have learned by heart or carry the prayer card with you that you may join in when it is recited. Your prayers are essential if we are to build this House of God. That said, you may have noticed that dirt hasn't moved yet. You may have also noticed that I haven't said much - hardly anything, in fact - about the project. That is not to say that nothing has been happening. 

In June we received the general contractor's construction cost estimate based on 75% of the contract drawings. The cost was $7.6M. We have just shy of $3.0M which would require us to borrow the balance. Any line of credit has to be approved by the bishop as he is the title holder of the property a corporation sole. So, we gathered a number of bids from various banks and discussed them with the finance council of the parish. I prepared a report detailing the costs, not just of the construction, but also including the furnishings and decoration, for the bishop's consideration. The bishop was not the only person considering the proposal also the College of Consultors and the Diocesan Finance Council as canon law requires that the bishop ask for, and receive, their consent. I made presentations to them over the past few weeks and, this week, the bishop and I visited about it all.


I am happy to say that the bishop has informally given his blessing that we borrow $3,499,999 - one dollar shy of $3.5M. This is because the bishop does not have the sole authority to spend, or approve spending of, more than $3.5M without receiving the consent of the Holy See (canon law again). We are all anxious to avoid this as the Holy See moves according to its own pace. Our savings with the borrowed money and the ongoing redemption of the "A Home for all God's People" capital campaign will build the building. I believe that the funds for furnishing and decoration of the new church will come together as construction proceeds and the redemption of the current capital campaign over the next three years will ensure that more than minimum principal and interest payments will be met.

Nonetheless, we all know that the cost of construction materials have gone up substantially and I will be sitting down this week with the architect and the general contractor to identify areas where non-essentials can be cut from the contract and that the material specification ranges can be tightened up. I expect that the contract drawings will be issued for pricing before the end of year and that the general contractor will have a guaranteed maximum price in the middle of February. If it comes within spitting distance of $7.6M we will accept the price and construction could begin before Easter (April 4). 

I want to thank all our donors and benefactors who have made this progress possible. I am very thankful to Bishop Strickland for his prayers, support and encouragement - remember, he could have said no or, worse, referred it to Rome! I know a number of folks have been waiting to see progress before making a commitment to the capital campaign; if you are one of these folks I encourage you to make an end of year gift to "A Home for all God's People" or a pledge. For your convenience, we have set up an on-line giving "button"to the capital campaign, but, be aware, that this method carries with it transaction fees.

Meanwhile, please continue praying for the success of this major project!

May God bless you and your always, 

V. Rev. James Rowland, JCL, VF

Friday, March 27 - Stay-at-home order was issued.  Please read the letter from Father for more information.
Monday, March 23 - Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament - tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24 from 7:00 am to 5:45 pm

Friday, March 20 - All public Masses have been canceled.

Friday, March 13 - The experts agree that the current Covid-19 health crisis will get worse before it gets better. There are a number of points that everyone is asked to keep in mind:

• Please educate yourself about the illness on the website of the CDC.  Do not read, follow, or forward the advice of circular emails that are not from the CDC or other governmental sources. 
• Hand sanitizer is not the be-all and end-all for hand hygiene. Washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds frequently during the day is every bit as good, and there is not a shortage of soap. Remember to cover your coughs and sneezes and thoroughly wash your hands. Avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes. 
• In the parish, Masses will continue as usual. If you feel unwell or you have a compromised immune system or have an underlying health condition that would be worsened by Covid-19, DO NOT COME TO MASS; the obligation does not apply to you.
  • Communion will be distributed in the form of bread only. 
  • Please do not receive Communion on the tongue. 
  • The sign of peace will continue but without physical contact. 
  • Please place your weekly offering in the basket in the foyer of the church as the basket will not be passed through the pews.
  • We will not be serving coffee and donuts after Masses.
• All Faith Formation and Youth Activities will be suspended for the next two weeks. We will keep you informed if this changes.
• With regard to the Pub Trivia night, ACTS core has chosen to postpone the event. It is hoped that it can be rescheduled after Easter or early summer.  For ticket reimbursement please contact the office.  You will need to turn in your tickets in order to receive a reimbursement from ACTS.
• With regard to the men's ACTS retreat, after prayerful consideration ACTS core has decided to cancel the Men's ACTS Retreat and will reschedule for a date TBD. ACTS core asks for prayers for the safety of all.
• The K of C fish fry tonight has been canceled. 
•  Above all, DO NOT PANIC. Panic does not help. Educate yourself, take reasonable precautions, and PRAY that this virus will pass quickly, that we are spared, that those ill will recover, and that peace and mercy will be granted to those who die. This is a time for penance; to pray, fast, and give alms.