My fellow parishioners,
I am very pleased to inform you that a draft design for a parish hall is on display at the entrance to our church. You may also view it on our parish website: stclement-ottawa.org.
The following are the main features of the proposed design:
Main Floor
- A banquet room with a stage and a seating capacity of 300 persons for parish activities, such as weekly Sunday coffee, potlucks, breakfasts, dinners and receptions, as well as, conferences, children’s activities, bazaars, and general parish activities.
- A large, modern kitchen with all the necessary conveniences.
- A much larger Catholic bookstore/gift shop, offering quality reading material in both official languages as well as religious articles.
- 16-12107- Church Hall – Ground Floor & Basement
Basement
- Reception area with an office for the secretary and each priest; a boardroom for parish council/finance meetings and ample storage space.
- Meeting rooms for catechism classes, choir practice, adult faith formation, and our various parish groups.
- Office space to be rented out to the national offices of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Canada, Inc.
- Accessible by elevator or stairs.
Overall Concept
The plan is to construct the hall on the site of our current rectory, which will need to be removed to provide the required space. But God provides: we consider it to be providential that the nearby house at 566 Old St. Patrick Street became available for purchase at the same time that we were considering different options. This house will be renovated to provide a comfortable home for our priests:
16-12107- Church Hall – Elevation: Front & sides
16-12107- Church Hall – General Site Plan
While we do not yet have firm estimates regarding the total cost of the hall, the project will require financing which will be obtained through a mortgage from the Archdiocese at a favourable interest rate; we also still have significant funds available from the sale of 87 Mann Avenue for a down payment.
At this time we are developing a business plan outlining how we propose to raise funds to pay the mortgage. For example, there will be added revenue from the rental of office space to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter; we will also benefit from profits obtained via a much larger bookstore. The hall itself will also enable us to hold fundraisers in house, with many possibilities for events aimed at the external community (i.e. concerts/conferences). All of these activities will require an energetic and sustained effort on the part of all parishioners, who are eager to see the parish come together to share our Catholic faith with others.
As a parish, we have grown in number since our move to our beautiful church; the baptisms keep increasing, new faces keep coming, and new families keep registering. I believe that a hall will help enormously in bringing us closer together as a community, enabling us to grow in faith, fellowship and charity for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls.
I encourage you to review the hall design and provide feedback. There is a box beside the display in which you can place any comments and suggestions you may have. Your input will help us identify our key needs and ensure that we “get it right.” If you have questions or require clarification on any aspect of the design itself, feel free to contact Mr. Stéphane Lalonde 613-446-9972 or Mr. Frank Tanner 613-233-1146, Ext. 226.
Thank you for keeping this project in your prayers; I would invite you all to say the perpetual novena prayer to St. Joseph found in the cards at the entrance of the church. May St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus and chaste spouse of Mary, continue to provide for our temporal and spiritual needs.
As St. Teresa of Avila once wrote: “To other saints, Our Lord seems to have given power to succour us in some special necessity; but to this glorious saint (I know by my experience) he has given the power to help us in all things.”
Ite ad Joseph!
God Bless,
Father Erik Deprey, FSSP
Pastor