There are still places in the world where doors are not locked, but there are also many where reinforced doors have become normal. We must not accept the idea of having to apply this system to our whole life, to life within the family, in the city, in society, and far less so in the life of the Church. … An inhospitable Church, like a family closed in on itself, mortifies the Gospel and makes the world arid. No more reinforced doors in the Church! – Pope Francis
If there is one thing I receive the most complaints about, other than the parking on our campus, it is our doors. The doors to the buildings on our campus, with the exception of the front doors of the church, are original to the construction of each facility. Our front doors are beautiful and a clear representation of the open and inclusive nature of the Catholic Church, but we have a lot to work on when it comes to the rest.
Most of the exterior doors of the campus are complicated, multi-paned glass doors. Many are in serious need of replacement. Painting them, which is incredibly labor intensive given all the small windows of glass, will not assist with the fact that many are unable to withstand the constant usage that our church and facilities now have on a daily basis. They cannot be reset on their hinges, or rehung, as the door frames themselves are also beyond their normal life span. It will cost over $3,000 per double-door to replace them. The church alone has 9 exterior doors (to include the Adoration Chapel), all of which will be replaced with our new access-controlled and managed solution, ensuring a safe and protected environment for our faithful worship.
Things are no better in the Parish Activity Center and Claussen Center, both of which are heavily used and their doors are in the same condition of the Church. It makes tremendous sense that we will use the opportunity of the Life Center to replace every exterior door on our campus at the same time, saving us significantly on the cost of labor, of doors, and in the access-control system. This plan is part of our Challenge Goal for our campaign. If your attention or excitement was not captured by our Life Center, this is now an opportunity for you to get involved for the future of our Parish Family and help us renovate the church and other buildings for so they can be used for decades more.
As we Build Our Future, Serve Our Past, we still need all the gifts, prayers, and support of our Parish Family to reach our Pinnacle Goals. If you have any questions, please contact Joe Lichwalla, the Campaign Coordinator at 239-495-2001 or email: [email protected].