I am always jealous this time of year when parishioners call from their summer residences and brag about the wonderful cool weather they are experiencing. Every once in while, I am able to comment that it is cooler in Naples than it is in the Midwest or Northeast. The LOW temperature in Chicago this past Tuesday was 80 degrees while we enjoyed a relatively cool 75 degree morning. This heat wave is slowly working its way eastward toward the New England states. While I feel for those sweating it out in areas not used to experiencing such temperatures, at least they are getting a brief taste of what we deal with for months on end in the summer.
After weeks of delays, the parking lot project is now complete. I am confident that you are pleased with the end result. The new traffic flow seems to be much more efficient and the parking lot itself looks brand new. Several parishioners commented to Fr. John with positive remarks following Mass this past weekend. Obviously, this is only a temporary fix and we will have to install new asphalt at some point in the future. By re-sealing, we have added many more years to the life of our existing parking lot. Ironically, we are once again in a stretch of dry weather now that work is completed.
Since I am talking about the parking lot, we are also in the process of repairing the lighting in the north parking lot behind the Claussen Family Center (CFC.) If you have ever visited this lot after dark, you surely have noticed that adequate lighting it very difficult to come by. We are trying to save the existing bollard fixtures by replacing ballasts and changing the lighting to a more efficient bulb. Even when the fixtures were new and working well, the lighting was marginal at best. We hope this temporary fix will brighten the CFC parking lot.
The Paniccia Prayer Garden is an absolute masterpiece and the benches and Stations of the Cross have yet to arrive. The installation of landscaping is now complete and looks so much better than I ever envisioned. Due to the fact that we were able to install the landscaping very early in the growing season, we will have nearly four more months for the shrubs to mature. I would like to commend Hector with Melendez Landscape, Inc. for taking the extra time to pick out the best shrubs that he could find. We really hit the jackpot and when you see the end result, I am sure you will agree. The private serene environment which I have alluded to since day one is actually taking shape. The confederate jasmine has already started its course of weaving its way through the lattice around the gazebo. I am not sure how fast it grows, but after only five days it is well on its way to filling in the holes. The Podocarpus shrubs which surround the perimeter of the Prayer Garden are massive and have already taken the shape of a hedge due to their extreme girth. Installation of irrigation has been completed and has been fine tuned to ensure that we don’t lose any of our plantings. Electrical installation continues for the next several weeks. The electric was somewhat complex as each Station of the Cross requires power in order to illuminate at night. The installation of the water feature will begin this coming week. As a reminder, St. Francis of Assisi (who has already arrived) will be perched atop this waterfall feature in the center of the garden creating a dramatic effect. I have included pictures of the landscaping as well as a crude aerial from the roof of the PLC.
If you have ever driven down the service road from the Claussen Center to the Church, you may have noticed the incredibly unsightly air conditioning units located immediately outside of the west entrance of the church. We are going to plant a very mature Ficus hedge around the air conditioning pad to block the view of these units and create a much more aesthetically pleasing environment. The new hedge should be installed by this weekend.
Have you read the latest edition of the Florida Catholic? Father Patrick Conroy, son of our very own Ruth Conroy, was sworn in as the chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives in late May. Fr. Conroy is only the second Catholic in House history to be named chaplain. Congratulations to Fr. Conroy and congratulations to Ruth for raising such a fine son. The information may be located in the July 15th Florida Catholic, page 13.
As a reminder, there are still two benches remaining for purchase. Th
ese benches will be located immediately in front of the church and may be engraved, honoring or memorializing a loved one. The cost to purchase a bench is $3,000.00. The benches are solid granite and are very attractive. If you are interested in purchasing either of these two remaining benches, please contact me at 566.1678.
Due to the recent rain, our Memorial Garden looks better than ever. We continue to make enhancements to the landscaping and the new memorial granite benches will be arriving in the next couple of months. If you are interested in purchasing a space in our garden at a mere fraction of the cost elsewhere, please contact me at your earliest convenience to setup an appointment. The all inclusive price is $1,200.00 and includes the opening, closing, urn, headstone and plaque.
Please remember to support the Catholic Faith Appeal. We have dipped below where we were at this same time last year and I am getting more than a little concerned. If you are able, please consider making a donation the CFA. Thank you in advance for your generous consideration.
Thank you so much for supporting St. John the Evangelist.
