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)
