Dear parishioners,

I wish to take this opportunity to thank the parish and finance councils as well as those volunteers who have been involved with the acquisition of the former National House of Prayer building and development of our plans to retrofit the building for our parish hall.  It’s been three months since we took ownership, and we are already enjoying its use with Sunday coffee, catechism classes, and meetings of various parish groups.

I think it is important to update you on the progress of this important project for our parish.

Before doing any kind of restoration to an existing building, we had to obtain “as built drawings”, which are precise plans of the existing structure.  With these “as built drawings”, we considered several new options of floor plans taking into consideration universal access, heritage, the requirements of the Ontario Building Code, and the City of Ottawa’s regulations.  We are awaiting a report from a structural engineer that will inform us of the reinforcements likely required to the building before we move ahead with a proposed floor design.  We have obtained proposals for the preparation of a detailed design from three architectural firms recommended by the Archdiocese. Since it will likely take a long time for the production of a full set of drawings and approvals by the City of Ottawa, as a first step we plan to build a ramp on the east side of the church to provide all parishioners access to the building by early spring.

Additionally, we applied to get a full municipal tax exemption with the City of Ottawa, based on the fact that our use of the building is an extension of the services provided by the parish.  A positive response is expected early this year. Also, the City of Ottawa promotes a program offering a $25,000 grant for property owners restoring heritage buildings, and we are preparing an application to take advantage of that grant for 2020.

Meanwhile, the parish and finance councils decided to postpone our capital fundraising campaign until we have detailed plans to present to you for your review and comments.

I thank you for your patience and wish you all a Happy and Blessed New Year.

In Christo Jesu,
Fr. Erik Deprey, FSSP
Pastor