August 22, 2006

DIAMONDS in a NEW SETTING

Definition...
Bevel...any inclination of two surfaces other than 90°, as at the edge of a timber, etc.

# 5 Meeting Date: 08 / 22/ ’06 @ 7:00 p.m. in the parish hall. Father Hemann opened the meeting at 7:04 with prayer. Brad Mollett, the architect, and Father Brian Hughes were present. Also, the following committee members: John Blanco – Jean Burns – David Forbes – Peter Goldsmith – Mike Hittle – Sherry Hittle – John Kallin – Allan Lansink – DarleneAnn Lansink - Dixie Lansink – Ken Newquist – J. D. Parks – Diane Patera – Mike Stover. Tammy Lansink, Youth Minister, attended; also, the Construction Contractor for the Religious Educational Center (dedicated in 1965), parishioner Carlton Petersen accompanied by his wife, Kay.

Peter Goldsmith read the notes taken at the meeting from the week prior. There were some errors noted which were corrected before being put on the website.

You might say the meeting started with a “WHOA!!”. Father Hughes with his extensive knowledge of the ‘ins and outs’ of building churches put a halt to the orientation which had been presented to the parish the past weekend. He definitely had some changes in mind and until it is ‘set in stone’, there will be no further maps or designs presented for viewing. Be patient, though, because when the bugs are all worked out, the good news will spread quickly. Father Hughes gave all present a lesson in the history of the church, how things were conducted, where someone faced, the fact that way back everyone stood for the WHOLE Mass, etc. Our bishop feels that our present pope will go back to some of the former positions. In the meantime, we need to move forward. To be somewhat ready for a change, the altar should be such that the priest may preside at Mass from either side of it...facing the people or having his back to the parishioners. St. Mary’s at Spirit Lake was men-tioned because theirs is centered on a platform.

When Father Hughes mentioned a choir loft, he had many present wondering in which direction he was going, thinking that we would have to have the ‘upstairs’ variety. Not so. He said that it had to be of a significant design element where there was prayerful decorum of the choir members which is very important. The choir should be part of the assembly and definitely needs to be heard. It should not crowd the sanctuary; it should never overshadow or distract from same. The choir should be a part of the gathered community with full sacramental participation of the Mass. And we need to create a space for the possibility of someday having a pipe organ. Also, notation was made that parishioners should not be split on different levels nor have some on one side and others on another side. An example of this would be St. Thomas Aquinas parish at Ames IA.

The nursery brought about a spirited discussion. Originally it was the thinking that a nursery / cry room was one and the same and that sixteen seating places would be adequate. When it was brought up just how many little ones and soon-to-be little ones are presently in the parish, it was made clear that sixteen seating spaces would never be adequate. Then Fr. Hughes stepped in and said that there would NOT be a cry room for families with their infants and little ones; rather a space provided for changing (like a small restroom), nursing, and disciplining......then returning to the main nave with said child. What Fr. Hughes did say was that 60 % of our parishes have nursery rooms...maybe there is another name for them, but they are the areas where the younger children go during the Liturgy of the Word for their own readings and homily which is more on their plane. Once these activities cease, they return to the nave and rejoin their families for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Depending on the placement of our new buildings, we could add $200,000.00 in cost for site work. The need to level some areas will provide dirt for filling the present basement. Fr. Hughes was very complimentary in regard to our campus saying that other than Fort Dodge and Emmetsburg, our whole campus is one of the best...a good, quiet area. We need to consider when placing our new church and hall as to how we want our grounds to look. Accessibility of the parking lot is a factor. Fr. Hughes gave examples of parishes which have cement all the way around them (do we want that?) and also another church built in the middle of the woods (is that what we want?). The relationship of the parking lot to the site needs to be addressed. Then the question came up if we should sacrifice the ball diamond for a parking lot. It was then revealed that once Ida Grove gets its west access accomplished, the ball diamonds would be located somewhere in that area of the city. That being the case, we could possibly sell the area along the west edge of our church property if we find we don’t need that particular space.

How do the inside and outside work? One must remember that FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION. There must be a connection. There is a desire to have a traditional entrance; it needs to be closest to the parking. The courtyard for many is a very vital area as it guides the people through the secular to the religious. The church will be a Romanesque one but NOT the hall; it will have its own character.

At this point of the meeting, the group decided to check out the site before dark and all went outdoors. There was an abundance of opinions with each having its own merit. Should we use some of the existing parking lot for construction? It was mentioned that the parking lot could possibly end up being raised two feet. Just how many trees do we want to destroy? On which level should these buildings be; the various slopes of the ground were being evaluated. Taking note that future pastors would likely be older than our present one, how convenient do we want the rectory to be to the church? The order of construction was a matter of concern. It had been thought that the hall would be constructed, and then used as the church while the church was being built. That didn’t really fly with Father Hughes. His plan would be to build the church...take the high altar, what windows we want and the Stations of the Cross out. We would install some clear glass, some places could be boarded up, etc. but we could still have Mass in the present church though it wouldn’t be all that beautiful for approximately eight months. We would be without a hall for a while, but in some ways we are without one now since we often use the Lutheran Fellowship Hall. Our new hall will be closer to being a square one rather than a long one. Being outdoors and seeing the various slopes, the question was asked: Do we have a topographical map of our church property? Someone did believe there was one produced at the time the rectory was built; otherwise, we need to acquire one. If not located, the pastor, along with the directors of the parish, have the authority to go ahead and order one. Our orientation of the new facilities depend on this survey.

Fr. Hughes questioned the need for three office areas: new church area, present rectory area and the Education Center...that one being quite congested. He said it was not wise the way we were setting up our office system and that they need to be pared down. He said we need to make a conscious decision and not to just stick one here and another one there. Also to be sure they are adjacent to where they are needed. One conclusion was to have a shared office space in the new church area, a 12’ x 16’ area for two people; it could have two phone lines, if necessary. It was brought up if the deacon should have his own office. No definite office decisions were made. Then our guest priest questioned the coat room and it was then decided that it would be along the hallway to the parish hall or a similar area; as for being used for Mass, he stated that, as a rule, Catholics are reluctant to hang up their coats during Mass.

Choir...Father Hughes asked how many choir members we had. Answer: 12-16. He then asked if there would be any chance of a joint OLGC – Sacred Heart choir and that prompted a definite “no”. Bantered around was whether choir members should be seated in straight rows or in chairs. Having a place for their instruments needs to be considered. The placement of the organist is an important factor. The practice room for music raised an eye brow for Father Hughes, but he was informed that this area was needed and could also be part of the seasonal storage space.

Hearth Room...it will need to be used for various purposes. We were asked about how many people it would have to hold if it were used for meeting with a bereaved family. No less than forty when you consider siblings, spouses and families; in fact, it was said that forty people would be cramped in the presently-considered room. This room would have the comforting aspect of a fireplace, coffee table, comfortable chairs and a couch. Would it double as a Bride’s Room? Would it have book space to serve as a library? This could be the room where mothers could nurse their babies......that being brought up, the question was: Will it be equipped so that those there could hear and keep up with the liturgical service? Yes! Also brought up was the need of a “flower room” as for regular services and for weddings, etc. That was quickly answered......the vessel sacristy would double as a “flower room”. Speaking of weddings and funerals, Fr. Hughes questioned our need for the size of hall we need, if we have events as large as what space we are considering...the answer was “YES”. There was a question about dram insurance if wedding receptions included alcohol; Father David was going to look into that and who was responsible.

Exterior finishes still need to be addressed. Father David said he will be getting the preliminary results of the feasibility study on the 24th of August, with final results on the 7th of September. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, the fifth of September. At 9:06, Fr. David declared the meeting adjourned and said a prayer noting just how much work these sessions have been and asking for guidance as we continue our task.