Social Hall Water Event – Update February 2019 

During the winter storm event on February 5th, a fire suppression system pipe (dry system -where there is a condensate bell that collects water) froze which caused the pipe to break. The broken pipe released water which flooded the outside stairwell on the Southeast side of the building. While this system was correctly purged this past Fall, an unprecedented occurrence of temperature changes and condensation resulted in an unusual amount of water in the pipe. 

The water filled the exterior stairwell and flooded the Social Hall, Faith Formation Offices and Library during our first snow closure. Our professional fire system monitoring company received an alert from the equipment and notified the parish personnel who at once discovered the problem, shut off the water and immediately contacted the local fire department. Upon arrival the fire department pumped water out of the stairwell into the parking lot. Fire System personnel arrived to start the repair of the pipe and the Director of the Archdiocesan Property & Construction Department arrived soon after, who confirmed that we were following all the necessary procedures in this situation. 

A professional water/restoration company arrived to assist with the next steps of moving furniture and equipment out of the affected areas and started the drying process. The entirety of the Faith Formation Office has been emptied and relocated to the classroom wing.

Whenever damage occurs on construction dating prior to 1980, the diocesan standard is to take samples before any repairs can made. The test results of the samples taken of the drywall and insulation came back normal, but the tiles and newly exposed glue indicated the presence of asbestos. Asbestos has been related to serious health issues and is no longer used in current construction. As a result of the water damage some of the floor tiles have begun to lift and break. Specialists have assured us that prior to this damage there has been no danger of exposure. The Social Hall and adjacent areas are therefore now closed to public use. Access to these areas is restricted until proper abatement has been completed and all hazardous material removed. These decisions and steps have been made in collaboration with Facilities & Grounds, Finance Council, Pastoral Council, the Director of Property & Construction Department of the Archdiocese, our insurance company and our Pastor Fr. Ed White. 

The affected areas are therefore off limits for an undetermined amount of time. We hope to have the floor cleaned down to the bare concrete in time for the March 30th Men’s Conference, then have new flooring installed by Easter, April 21st. Thank you for your patience and flexibility. We’re sorry for any inconvenience that this causes to our ministries. 

Above all we ask for continued prayers and count this event as a blessing that we are growing in communion with one another through the Holy Spirit as our Comforter. St. Paul wrote: 

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Respectfully .
Eric Miller, PA for Administration 

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In Review: The Big Snow
Thus he makes the snow like wool, and spreads the frost like ash; He disperses hail like crumbs.
Who can withstand his cold? Yet when again he issues his command, it melts them; he raises his winds and the waters flow. -  Ps 147:16-18

This past week has been a challenging one for our parish family dealing with unusual snow, slush and ice, both in our own neighborhoods and our parish home. The difficult conditions required closure of our parish grounds and facilities for the better part of the week. Such a decision is not an easy one, as our parish life is so full of activities and prayer which define us as a community. Here are some details which help  complete the picture of the situation:

The pre-storm event of the social hall floodwater being pumped into the lower parking lot (see earlier article below) made for extremely dangerous conditions as cold temperatures created our “skating rink” with ice as high as the parking lot speed bumps. Continued cold and stormy conditions made its removal problematic. This required traffic to be restricted to only the upper lot.

The storms that followed accumulated more than 8 inches of snow, far beyond the capability of our own snow removal resources. The combination of ensuing wet snow, rain and freezing rain resulted in a deep accumulation of heavy, wet-concrete slush, with layers of hard ice beneath.

Staff and volunteers who came to assess the situation realized quickly how unsafe the conditions were for both automotive and foot traffic. Being that parishioner safety is a primary concern the decision was made to close the campus and remain linked with the Kent School District closures which allowed the easiest means of communicating our status. Note: those who subscribe to our parish communication network, Flocknote (see lower left panel), have received regular updates as the week progressed.

It would finally require a commercial snow removal company with heavy equipment to sand and clear the lots. We found ourselves as one of many clients waiting for these services. When they were able to work on our property it would take more than 6 hours with multiple machines and at least 2 truckloads of sand! 

In addition to the parking lot concerns, staff and volunteers needed to address the effect of this heavy snow load on the roofs of both the main Church and Outreach Annex. Repairs were necessary and channels were dug in the snow to allow for water to properly drain and avoid catastrophic damage.

Efforts are underway to further clear the parking lot and walkways. Special thanks to the staff and volunteers who worked through their own storm related challenges to come and care for our facility. A thank you also goes to parishioners who understood these challenges and honored the closure. Our parish is rarely such a cold, quite place but this allowed work to go forward as needed and insured the safety of all.



NEWS: Faith Formation and Social Hall Flooded During Snow Storm
A Fire System dry pipe broke and caused flooding in the Social hall and Faith Formation offices.  Water damage repairs are already underway. The Faith Formation offices have been emptied, moved and staff will be working out of a temporary office in the Social Hall. Please note that during this time there may not be personnel ready to take incoming calls. While they will be checking messages, the Faith Formation Staff appreciates your patience. Please note, it is unclear when the Social Hall will again  be usable. Fr. Ed is being kept up to date on what is happening. Thank you for your patience and prayers as the repairs continue.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All activities in the Church hall are cancelled until further notice.