The air conditioning was installed in the church the week of October 10-14, 2022. Thank you to all those whose donations helped this project become a reality. We’re looking forward to the next hot day!
AIR CONDITIONING FUNDRAISER (FINAL UPDATE): We did it! Thanks to your generosity and the equally generous matching gift, we were able to raise $80,007 towards the installation of air conditioning in the church. We surpassed our goal of $79,000 in only two and half months! Amazing and thanks be to God! Having reached our goal, we are closing the fundraising drive. Your kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated. God bless you all!
Previously…
Thank you very much for all those who have already donated to our fundraising campaign! We truly appreciate your kindness and generosity. With the proceeds of the St. Stephen’s Day Picnic, we have reached our halfway mark of $39,500 towards our goal of installing air-conditioning units in the church ($79,000). Moreover, we have a very good news! A generous friend of the parish has stepped forward and pledged to match the donations received from August 27 through September 25 – up to $19,000!All donations, large or small, are greatly appreciated and now they are worth double! Please share this news with others and those who have not donated yet. Contributions can be made with your donations in the weekly offertory basket with a check or an envelope marked “For air conditioning,” here on our website with a note of the same, through the mail to the Parish’s address or on gofundme.com search “Emeric”.
Thank you!
Previously…
We are in the midst of summer. Along with that comes the heat and humidity that seems to be worse and longer lasting in recent years. At this time of the year, having Mass in our church building can be very uncomfortable. Temperatures inside can rise up to 90° F (32 °C). Many of you have been suffering through the heat for many years and some parishioners do not attend Mass at St. Emeric on days when the heat can be oppressing. With this in mind, I, along with the support of the members of the Parish Council, would like to have air conditioning installed in the church.
In lieu of installing central air conditioning, which would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, we have received estimates to install whisper silent, esthetically pleasing, ductless air conditioning units in the church, three on each side of the walls between the stained-glass windows and one unit in the organ/choir loft. The cost for this project would be just over $79,000.
While we can afford to use some limited funds from our existing savings and try to apply for grants for this project, it is imperative to receive the financial support of all parishioners. All donations, large or small, would be greatly appreciated and can be made with your donations in the weekly offertory basket with a check or an envelope marked “For air conditioning” or on our website with a note of the same. We would particularly be pleased if families or individuals, who are capable, make a donation for this cause in the amount of $1,000 or more.
Air conditioning in the church will make it very comfortable to pray and offer the Sacrifice of the Mass especially for the elderly who may not be able to attend for medical reasons during the summer heat. Many of you may have noticed the peeling paint on the ceiling and walls of the church caused by the lack of climate control over the years. Our church building will be 100 years old in 2025 and will need a costly repainting again because of the deteriorating conditions caused by the heat and humidity. An air-conditioned sanctuary should keep repainted walls and ceilings lasting much longer than in the past.
With a tremendous effort and support from all parishioners and as funding is accumulated and materials become available, work can begin soon on this project. Please consider making your donation to the best of your ability and may God bless you for your continued support of St. Emeric parish.
FROM THE DESK OF FR. BONA: As we are in the middle of the air-conditioning campaign, I would like to provide answers to two questions: (1) Do we really need it? (2) Aren’t there other matters that we need to address?
(1) As for the first question, it is true that the air-conditioning will make it more comfortable for us. It will also enable me to have 30 minute-long homilies (just kidding). On a serious note, the climate control of the environment in the church fulfills a very important maintenance role. I do not know if you are aware of the fact that the last time our church was painted was only in 2006. Not even 10 years after it, the paint started to peel off. As time went on, the rate of speed at which the paint continues to peel off has only increased. I am shocked how in my two years here the paint peeling has spread throughout the church ceiling and walls. When I came, I saw only the rather extensive damage by St. Joseph and one other place in the nave. Painting is very expensive and should last a good 30–40 years at least (before beginning to deteriorate or need freshening).
The way our church ventilation is set up is inadequate. There is no way for us to ventilate the upper 2/3 of the church and so the heat with humidity is trapped and begins to negatively impact the paint over time and lead to its earlier deterioration. We are in need of new painting, and I would like us to accomplish it by 2025 for the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the current church building. A functioning climate control in our church should significantly help us in preserving the paint in the church and save us from expensive and unnecessary painting projects in the near future.
(2) We are not forgetting the other needs of the parish either. For example, a few weeks ago we received $11,000 from Bethlen Gábor Foundation in Hungary (BGA) for roof repairs (by the stained glass windows, the drainage pipes, and vents) and for repairing the water damage in the Mindszenty Memorial Room. We have already begun to look at our possibilities in repairing the steps in the church inside stairwells and perhaps next year some sidewalk repairs can be accomplished as well. We continue to do maintenance on the church: we have fixed electrical problems with certain lights in the hall; lights in the kitchen and the outside lights were fixed and switched to LED to save us on electricity. A non-functioning motor in one of the kitchen stove exhaust was replaced as well. Additionally, several volunteers have been working on cleaning and making our church surroundings look beautiful. There is always work to do around the church and I am very grateful to those who lend their time and efforts in helping the parish. If you are able to help with some of the work or know someone professionally whom we could ask, please let us know. Your continued support toward St. Emeric Parish is always greatly appreciated. Please continue to use the various possibilities for giving. Thank you for all your caring, Fr. Bona
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