DONATIONS NEEDED

We are pleased to announce that the renovation of the restrooms in the Oratory hall is now complete! The mid-October update showed the completed men’s restroom.  The following photos show the refurbished new ladies’ restroom in the hall.

Compared with the deplorable conditions only a few months ago (see old photos here), these new, bright and clean facilities are a tremendous improvement for the gathering of our families in the hall for many years to come!

For logistical reasons and for the comfort of our Oratory families in the cold winter months, it was decided to renovate the women’s restroom although we had not yet collected all the necessary funds.

Thanks to your generosity, the funds are slowly coming in.  So far we are $17,635.00 short of our collection goal. (The cost was $31,000 for both restrooms, for materials only.)  Your help is deeply appreciated!

As noted in a previous post, we began in mid-August the much needed renovation of the restrooms in the Oratory Hall. Given the increased use of the Hall facilities by the growing Oratory community, addressing the dilapidated conditions of the restrooms had become a top priority in our restoration efforts.

It took less just under two months to complete the first phase of renovation: the overhaul the men’s restroom. We are pleased to report that, from the new ceramic-tiled floor to the new drop ceiling, and including the fixtures, lighting, painted walls – everything is new and clean!

The cost of materials for the renovation so far is $15,000, of which $9,180 have already been collected. The total cost would have been far greater had we not received the generous donations of labor cost from the two contracting companies: Brooks Plumbing and OAS Construction Company. We are very grateful to these companies and to all benefactors who have contributed.  We need just $6,000 more to cover the total cost of phase one.

In the meantime, for both logistics and hygienic reasons, we have begun work on renovating the ladies’ restroom this week. With the cold weather coming on, our families and guests would be better served if both restrooms were functional. The material cost for this phase will be $16,000.

It must be emphasized that the cost borne by the Oratory is only for materials. We are deeply grateful to both Brooks and OAS Construction for their generosity in donating the labor portion. Without this kindness and their competent work, this much-needed renovation would not be possible.

While less glamorous than restoring the art and architecture of this church, repairing the Hall restrooms underscores the fact that Saint Francis de Sales is more than a historic landmark. This is where a community gathers for worship and for mutual support.

We would be grateful for your continued help to finish this task.  Any donation towards this effort would be deeply appreciated. Thank you for your generosity!

The church hall at St. Francis de Sales Oratory is one of the original buildings on the church campus to survive the tornado of 1896 which destroyed the old church. During the rebuilding of the main church, which stands today, the hall was used for the celebration of holy Mass. Over the century, it was necessary to maintain the hall continually because of its heavy use as the community’s primary gathering place.

In 2011, one part of the hall which is long overdue for overhaul is the restrooms. Both the men’s and the women’s bathrooms have fallen into deplorable conditions. Without immediate attention, hygiene and safety are becoming serious concerns, especially because the hall is again in heavy use by our families and by children on campus during the week.

In late July, we began to address this issue by remodeling the men’s bathroom first. The work involved removing the existing tile floor and all fixtures, installing new fixtures, partitions, drop ceiling, lighting and ceramic floor tiles, then repairing the wall and painting. At this writing, we have reached the midpoint in the renovation of the men’s room, after passing the code inspection by the city.

Thanks to the generous donations of labor for this project by Brooks Plumbing and O.A.S. Construction Co., the cost of this project is only for the materials. A total of $30,000 is needed to completely renovate both bathrooms, $15,000 per bathroom for the purchase of fixtures, plumbing supplies and other construction materials.

Right now we are collecting funds to complete the men’s room renovation.  We still need $11,900.  After we have received the funds for the men’s room, we will begin the renovation of the women’s bathroom.

This is an important project as the St. Francis de Sales Oratory community continues to grow. Your support is vital and is deeply appreciated. Please donate for this project!

Present condition of the women's bathroom in the hall

Work in progress, ready for code inspection

Drop ceiling being installed (September, 2011)

Golden Brick Award 2011 for Courtyard Renovation

For the third time since 2008, the Oratory has received the annual Golden Brick award from the DeSales Community Housing Corporation; this time, it’s for the courtyard garden project. In accordance with its mission to promote the renewal of the Fox Park and Tower Grove East neighborhoods, the Corporation recognizes outstanding projects which improves and beautifies the neighborhood. On behalf of the Oratory, Canon Michael K. Wiener attended the reception on Thursday, June 16, and gratefully accepted the award from Executive Director, Mr. Tom Pickel.

Previously, the Oratory had been recognized for the renovation of the sacristy (in 2008) and the renovation of the convent (2010.)

In contrast to the previous two awards, the “2011 Golden Brick” highlights an exterior improvement of the church. The courtyard garden project began with the installation of a wrought iron gate, delineating a garden space between the rectory and the convent. Once excavation began, it was discovered that underneath the asphalt was a lovely old brick courtyard. Over half of the salvaged old bricks were of very good quality, and are reused today in the paved walk way in the newly designed garden.

An American poet from the Nineteenth Century, Lucy Larcom, once wrote, “He who plants a tree, plants hope.” Slowly, the small trees, shrubs, and perennials are gradually taking root in this garden on the St. Francis de Sales campus. Where the ground was once paved with hard asphalt, soft rich earth now nourishes an urban oasis of verdant plants and pretty flowers.

The visibly vigorous plantings on our campus are indeed lovely additions to the Oratory’s exterior and reflect the growth of the Oratory community. This garden project was made possible through the generous donation of a benefactor, and many man-hours of hard work contributed by a Oratory members. As on previous two occasions, this Golden Brick award belongs to all of you, for without the dedication and unwavering support of all Oratory members and friends, the continued restoration of St. Francis de Sales would not be possible.

This November, as we celebrate the 102^nd anniversary of the dedication of St. Francis de Sales, we present the beginning of phase two of our garden renovation, an on-going effort to beautify the exterior of the Oratory campus. Instead of asphalt and concrete, the inner courtyard between the church and the “1888 Building” will be transformed into a lively green space, perhaps even with a bench and a fountain.

The work has begun with the competent expertise of Clayco Inc., helped by a donation from a generous donor of the Oratory. So far, the asphalt between the rectory and the convent has been excavated and the debris hauled away.

The removal of the asphalt yielded a wonderful surprise: underneath was an old, broken, but lovely brickwork surface. Many of the old bricks were well preserved enough that they could be salvaged and re-used to make a new walkway in the redesigned garden.

The work continues this Fall as we prepare the grounds for further construction by digging out the walkway and laying down a 4-inch layer of gravel. We can always use more help in this effort to enhance the church grounds. Please contact the rectory if you are interested in contributing.