COVID Support from the Foundation

The Helen Barry Hamlin Library Fund supported remote learning with the purchase of audio/video equipment in the fall of 2020. The upgrades included new sound bars, XD microphones, and document cameras for each classroom. The new equipment provided significant and timely improvements for the learning environment for all of our students, especially those who chose the school’s remote learning option during the pandemic.

The St. Gabriel Fund was established to fund the purchase of “live-streaming” equipment for masses, weddings, funerals, concerts and more. The fund also provides ongoing support for maintenance and purchases such as licensing fees. Initiated in 2020 during the pandemic, the St. Gabriel Fund provided crucial funding for the establishment of the parish’s broadcasting systems, which helped the parish stay connected and minister to its parishioners.

Chalk the Walk: 2020 #weGiveCatholic

The proceeds for the 2020 #weGiveCatholic effort, “Chalk the Walk,” were designated for the repair and restoration of the beautiful, original sandstone walkways around our school and rectory. Thanks also to the students who decorated the sandstone walkways with messages written in chalk and starred in special video messages for the project.

Padre Pio Chapel

The Padre Pio Chapel was dedicated and blessed on September 20, 2020. The chapel is in the back of the church, in the corner room that previously served as the baptistery and most recently served as the Fr. John McDonough Library. Generous donors provided the funding, so that in 2019 the McDonough Library was moved to a new and wonderfully renovated space in the server’s sacristy. These same generous donors converted and furnished the room into a beautiful chapel that serves as a place for prayer and reflection as well as an accessible confessional. Also funded by Foundation donors are the protective frames and paintings displayed in the chapel.

Priest Patio and Prayer Garden

A donation to the Foundation in 2021 from a thoughtful and generous family enabled the creation of a new patio for the priests located between the church and the rectory. The work involved the installation of a cement patio and fencing, the purchase of patio furniture and a fire pit, and the construction of a new doorway to provide direct access to the patio from the passageway between the rectory and the church. The priests now enjoy access to a peaceful, private outdoor space, perfect for quiet prayer, reading or informal gatherings.