We have two projects currently underway. We have already replaced the interior doors to the church. Now we will soon be replacing the exterior doors. The original interior doors were extremely heavy, and their weight kept putting a strain on the hinges and mechanisms to open and close them. Parts were constantly needing to be replaced, but the manufacturer did not make replacement parts anymore. Nor could custom parts be easily made. Repair costs were very expensive, and custom replacement parts did not last long. When the mechanisms didn’t work, the doors would slam shut with great speed and weight, which risked causing injury, particularly to a child.

The new interior doors are lighter and allow for greater visibility into the church. They also allow more light into the back of the church where it tends to be dark.

The current exterior doors are also heavy, creating problems with the hydraulics and other mechanisms. There are times when the doors do not latch shut on their own which creates security concerns. Also, in staying partially open, warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer escape to the outside; or cold and hot air come from the outside into the interior (increasing our utility costs). More recently, the doors sometimes latch shut and jam. When this happens, the doors cannot be opened which compromises the ability to use those doors to enter or exit, resulting in a major concern in case of emergency. As with the interior doors, replacement parts are not available, and repairs are expensive and futile. The new doors will have more glass (but with security protection), which will make them lighter, and they will also allow for more light into the interior of our liturgical space.

The various islands throughout the parking lot are being prepared for the installation of rock in the spring to make them more attractive than the current dirt and easier to maintain.

On a final note, you may have noticed that the main entrance holy water fonts for blessing when entering or exiting the church have been moved from the inside wall of the church to the outside wall in the narthex. The new interior doors open both in and out, and when opened inward they block the fonts and create a log jam for people in the back of the church trying to exit. Moving the fonts into the narthex retains flow of movement. In addition, they are easier for people to see when they come into the church area.