School is out. And with that, we have moved through spring and entered the lazy days of summer. But the days are hardly lazy around St Isidore. We just checked in with Dan Tobin, Director of Operations for the Parish, to see what is in the works for the campus.
Dan tells us that the first order of events is the revitalizing of the parish grounds; the cleaning and sprucing up outside to enhance the visual which greets every visitor and helps create a good first impression. This task falls to the Patrons of the Vine Ministry, led by Julee Woodman and her band of faithful hardworking volunteer gardeners. The flowers and the shrubbery that you see are the results of many years of hard work and loving care by the Patrons. They meet on the first and third Saturdays of each month to work their and God’s magic. If you are interested in joining our Patrons of the Vine Ministry, please contact Dan via the information listed in the front of the bulletin.
Much of the other summertime work will not be so visible to the eye. Due to completion of recent past outside projects, such as the parking lot paving, installation of new LED lighting, roofing repairs and installation of new energy efficient windows in the school, this summer’s work list will consist more of inside work.
One of these is the replacement of the nearly thirty-five year old boilers which heat the chapel and the school. Another is the replacement of the HVAC system in the Parish Office. Both systems will be more energy efficient in keeping with our stewardship of God’s creation in caring for the earth.
Beside these, there is the normal routine maintenance to the school and other buildings: painting, minor repairs, some new furniture.
One big item, currently invisible to the eye, but nevertheless steadily progressing, is work on the Perpetual Adoration Chapel. Meetings are regularly being held between ou
r architect and our ten-member parish advisory committee. Now that our fundraising is nearly complete, the tempo will pick up rapidly. Meetings with the Village of Bloomingdale are being arranged as the final design is completed and construction bid documents prepared. The tentative time schedule is for ground breaking in June, 2018 with completion in October or November, 2018.