Recent Projects
The Greenhouse Project
In 2023, in honor of Fr. Valencheck’s 25th Ordination Anniversary, the St. Sebastian Parish Foundation began raising money for the purchase of a new greenhouse for the parish. This new, stately greenhouse will not only enhance our grounds, but also provide floral arrangements to beautify our altar. In addition, the new greenhouse will house bulbs and plantings for our cutting garden and for the flower gardens maintained by the parish’s grounds crew. Also, this new greenhouse will be a place to cultivate and winterize plants, bulbs, and greenery that the parish would typically have to throw out or store at parishioners’ houses.
2023 #weGiveCatholic Dedicated to The Greenhouse Project
As part of this fundraising effort, all the proceeds ($11,400) from the 2023 #weGiveCatholic appeal were dedicated to the Greenhouse Project. Parishioners also received special offertory envelopes designated for the Greenhouse Project. Fundraising continued through 2024, with a grand total of $170,000 raised, thanks to the generous support of more than 160 donors! Installation of the greenhouse began in the summer of 2024, with an open house for the parish planned for May of 2025.
Alumni Alley Upgrades
In 2021-22, St. Sebastian Parish School renovated the easternmost school entrance along Mull Avenue to create a new main entrance. There is now a lobby area created by adding a second set of glass interior doors and walls. The final element of the project was to restore “Alumni Alley,” a collection of photographs of the school displayed along the walls where the stairs lead up to the main office. In 2023, Brenda Pier Beck, the St. Sebastian Parish Foundation’s president, and Kathy Holaday, the Foundation’s director, redesigned the display utilizing both old archival and current photographs. Please come for a visit and see them for yourselves!
Repairs: A/C Units, Roofs, Brickwork
The Foundation funded important and timely repairs to the parish buildings and grounds, including work completed on the air conditioning system in Byrider Hall as well as significant roof repairs for the rectory, rectory garage, main school building and Zwisler Hall. Funding was also provided for repairs to brickwork both near the rectory and along the Sacred Heart statue outside of Zwisler Hall. The installation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Shrine and the surrounding brick plaza were completed in 2015 as part of the Brick Lot Replacement Project. St. Sebastian Parish is proud to be the permanent home for this beautiful statue, which had previously inspired the people of St. Procop Parish for over 100 years.
Click here to go to the Foundation Through the Decades pages, where Foundation projects from the last 50 years are featured.