TOWER:  The gold leaf is complete on the rose “window” medallion at the top of the tower.  LED lights have been installed but adjustments are needed.  The mosaic of St. Rose of Lima is ready for the tower but installation will wait until all construction has ended to minimize the potential of damage.
 
BACK EXIT: The back exit of the Gathering Space is completed.  Railing has been installed as well as the sidewalk connecting to the lower Church sidewalk.  The sod was laid at the beginning of July and is looking good.  There are a few areas where it appears the roots did not take.  These small areas are scheduled to be replaced.  What a huge difference this makes.
 
ROOF: The roof is in place and has made the interior of the gathering space waterproof.  The roofer is almost complete.  The end pieces of the roof and the flashing on the sides are the main areas that remain.  Also the walls surrounding the heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit (HVAC) on the roof have been built and covered.  
 
WINDOWS & DOORS:  All the windows are in place as well as the doors for the new entrance and the back stairs exit.  There is a plastic barrier between the sanctuary doors and the construction area.   This plastic barrier is temporary.  The old outside doors are going to be refurbished and used inside the Gathering Space.  
 
ELLIPSE AREA: Excavation work for the front walkway to the ellipse area is complete and concrete has been poured.  All this work is for our safety as well as beautifying the ellipse.  The fountain has been set, the brick work is almost done and there remains some electrical work, and finishing landscaping.
 
INSIDE:  The sprinkler system has been installed and was successfully inspected by the county.  The HVAC duct work is complete and the AC was successfully tested this week.  Rough In wiring and plumbing is completed.  Drywall has been hung with sound deadening insulation.  Spackle has been applied, sanded and a primer coat of paint has been applied.
 

A lot has happened in the last two months.  There is still more work to be completed but the total list of what needs to be completed is growing shorter and shorter. 
 

Many things are happening regaring the Gathering Space, mostly on the inside where little can be see when you are walking by

WINDOWS: The windows are being installed around the space.  The smaller sized ones are being installed first.  The large size will be next but will take a bit longer to install due to the size and weight.  The windows are so clean, they are almost invisible.  Once you notice the windows being complete, the next step is to remove the Church Foyer doors and drywall work will begin inside.  This will be a significant event so don't be surprised when it happens.  

WIRING:  Although there are only a few rooms being built inside the Gathering Space there sure is a lot of wiring to make everything else work !  

HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING: The main heating, ventalation and air conditioning (HVAC)  system has been installed on the roof.  The main duct work has also been installed inside the Gathering Space .  There is significant progress but still work to be done.

TOWER:  The first lights on the Tower are ON !!  The circle on upper parking lot side of the Tower is lit.  The circle facing Clopper Road as well as the lights for the Cross and the mosaic of St. Rose of Lima are also being installed.  We hope to see all the lights on for the tower soon,    

ELLIPSE AREA: Excavation work in the ellipse area is picking up again.  Preparation for beautifying the ellipse and new sidewalks will be coming soon.  You will notice a bit more of the sidewalk disappearing……Please note that access to the right set of temporary doors to enter the Church is limited.  This is temporary.

Now that the roof has passed county inspection, it allows for more work in the occupied area.   If you take a look at the recent pictures in the Photo Gallery (the pictures at the bottom are the most current)  can see the construction workers space is getting smaller and the framing for the front door is well underway !   

Some of the upcoming events are: 

• Installation of windows and doors
• A large HVAC unit will be lifted by crane to the roof.  There will be two smaller units installed installed at ground level. 
• The electrician has started installing light fixtures.  All will be LED !

Also, the replacement window sills outside the classrooms in the basement of the church have been replaced.  The sills were all broken and allowing water to start seeping inside.

Because the Gather Space is under roof, there is less likelihood for weather delays.  If everything goes as planned with no significant delays, we anticipate completion mid to late July (no promises being made).

On Thursday, April 18, 2019, the cross was affixed to the top of the tower.  The construction of the tower is “completed”.  The scaffolding is being taken down, the white cement container has been disassembled and will be removed, the gathering space will have the remainder of the corrugated steel ceiling put in place, some equipment will be removed and more.  Many things that were waiting for the completion of the tower can now begin. 

Other things that have been done while work was being performed on the tower:

• The new breezeway sidewalk has been poured between the church and Parish Center.
• The handicap ramp has been poured.  This will allow handicap access to/from the Gathering Space and Parish Center without having to go outside
• The new concrete exterior stairs by the Lower Level entrance of the Church entry doors (required by code) have been poured.  Grading the hill will soon begin once we have a long span of dry weather.
• The new stairs to access the Woodlands Room from the Gather Space will not be a straight shot but go along the Parish Center wall and into the Woodlands Room.
• Infrastructure activities for plumbing and HVAC have begun.

Pictures of many of these activities are in the Photo Gallery above.

(Photo of the tower at night courtesy of Paul Riekhof) 

March is here!  A significant amount of work has been done on the Gather Space during the past two weeks.  The exterior stairwell (a required emergency exit) was dug out, created and filled in.  Hopefully the weather will not delay the framing and pouring of concrete to complete this piece of the building project.                      

The metal roof and tower are going well.  Now if the weather would be a bit more cooperative.  Also, framing for the different rooms within the Gather Space and the ramp to and from the church have begun.  The ramp will allow access to and from the Church and PC in a wheelchair, walker or anyone that would have trouble with stairs. 

Next on the schedule will be removal of more sidewalk in front of the Foyer.  This is required for additional foundation work related to the front of the Gathering Space. 

Feel free to browse the construction pictures above.

Mother Nature has been kinder to us over the past week and a half.  We had rain, and cold temperatures instead of snow and single digit temperatures.  Though we had a slow start, now the construction is full steam ahead.  The foundation for the tower was poured and the tower is being built.  Plumbing between the church and Woodlands Room (closest to the Woodlands Room) has been laid, protected and being worked on.  Construction is begining for an emergency exit against the breezeway wall.

After consulting with the construction Superintendent and Fr. Mateo, it was decided that THIS weekend, February 16, we will start using the side entry doors to enter and exit the Church.  Access to the front doors will be unavailable except as an emergency exit. 

In preparation for temporarily closing the front of the Church, a cement sidewalk was poured over the existing gravel walkway from the metal exit doors closest to the front of the church.  Door pulls will be installed on the exterior side of the two sets of double metal doors by this Friday February 15, 2019.   

If you are unfamiliar with these exit doors, when inside of the church facing the front of the altar, these doors are to the left. On the outside, they are behind and to the left of the outdoor statute of Mary.  Soon the outdoor statue of Mary is to be moved from its current location.

Click on the photo album below or HERE for additional construction pictures.
 

Well Mother Nature has not been kind to us since the construction began.  Rain, snow and single digit temperatures have significantly slowed construction.  Cinder blocks, a rather large cement mixer and other construction material have been placed in the church circle and the upper parking lot. 

Several parking spaces in the upper lot have been fenced off because of the construction material.  We understand that this will cause an inconvenience  and we ask for your understanding during the construction.  Also, please do not enter or exit the church from the main level during normal work hours.  Please use the entrance in the lower parking lot.  There is significant work being performed and your safety is paramount.   
 
As for the construction, during the first week before Mother Nature took its’ course, the builders were excavating a large hole to the right of the Church. The  hole will contain the foundation for the church tower.  The base of the tower will have a mosaic of St. Rose of Lima which will be approximately 10 feet tall and 7 feet wide.  
 
This mosaic is being created by Rambush Studios (https://rambusch.com/) who also worked on the Trinity Dome and the Rosary Walk and Garden at the Shine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.   

Below are several artist renderings of the mosaic for St. Rose.  You are looking at the back side of the mosaic so the coloring will be different when the mosaic is placed in the tower.  The images below have been reversed so you could read the message that will be displayed.  

Overview of the back side of the mosaic:

The picture has been  "flipped" so you could read writing that will be on the right:

The picture has been  "flipped" so you could read writing that will be on the left:

Construction of the Gathering Space started Monday morning, January 7, 2019.  This means that access to the Church and Woodlands Room has changed and will continue to change during construction. Please return to this webpage for up to date information and pictures when they become available.

Currently, you can still access the Church from the upper parking lot.  The sidewalk passing the Blessed Virgin Mary in the front of the Church is currently available BUT construction work has begun in that area so PLEASE BE CAREFUL.   There are no changes accessing the Church from the lower parking lot.   Access to the Woodlands Room from the Church is no longer available directly from the upper Church area.  To get to the Woodlands Room or other rooms in that building,  you must exit from the lower entrance of the Church (downstairs) and walk to either the lower level parking lot door (and take the stairway) or the use the right front door of the Woodlands Room (facing Clopper Road).  You may also exit the Church to the upper parking lot and take the brick walkway adjacent to the cemetery around to the front of the Woodlands Room.  

Access to the Church from the Historic Chapel is to take the brick sidewalk to the upper parking lot and use the sidewalk passing the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Parlor in the Church is no longer available.  

Doors from the Woodlands Room closest to the Church are closed and have yellow CAUTION tape across them.  Please do not use these doors except for an emergency.

Inclement weather is expected this weekend so PLEASE be aware of your surroundings as you walk to and front Church.  

Current News
 

Ground Breaking on December 2, 2018 
 

Back in early September, I announced to the Parish that we have received the building permits from Montgomery County for the Gathering Space.  There were many obstacles that were overcome in obtaining the permits and new obstacles presented since.  Because of the time in obtaining the final permits from the county, construction cost rose by over $300,000.  Through the diligent work of the Finance Committee and the builder, we have reduced this unplanned increase to a manageable amount.  The final cost is still higher than the original estimate of a year ago but manageable.  This is just one of the delays we unexpectedly encounter since September and have overcome.

I am happy to inform you that we will have a ground breaking ceremony for the Gathering Space on December 2, 2018 immediately after the 11 AM Mass.  All are invited to come and join in the Groundbreaking Celebration!  Bring a small spade or hand shovel.  Light refreshments will be offered after the ceremony. 

I also ask for your prayers that construction will be smooth and we will have the Gathering Space completed before Pentecost. 

Thank you for your support and may God Bless you.