We would like to give our parishioners an up-date on the progress of the church repair work:

• The pointing to the exterior north wall of the nave is almost completed. Work still remains on the flat-roofed first story walls along the side aisle and the sacristy.
• The flat roofs of the side aisle, the Fifth Street vestibule, and the sacristy still need to be replaced. This work is currently under way.
• Because of the pointing work at the Fifth Street vestibule, access through those doors may be limited at times. Handicapped access will always be available for Sunday Mass.
• We have begun the repair and repainting of the church interior. In this phase of the work, during the week, a minimum of scaffolding (10’ wide) will be erected at the clerestory (large, second story) windows – one window at a time. These scaffolds will remain in place during the week, while weekday Masses are celebrated. They will be removed for funerals and Sunday Masses.
• To repaint the upper sections of the walls and the ceiling, a mechanized boom will be used in the center aisle. This boom will be set in place on Monday and will remain in the center aisle during weekday Masses. It will be removed for funerals and Sunday Masses.
• When the scaffolds and boom are not in use (weekends), they will be stored in the rear of the nave, where several pews have been removed. They will be covered and roped off for safety and aesthetics.

We do not doubt that there will be some inconvenience during this work. We hope our parishioners can be patient. The interior work should take approximately three working weeks – completed by Thanksgiving. After the work is completed we will enjoy a beautifully restored edifice, keeping St. Joseph’s church the pride of our parish and a jewel in our diocese.

Thank you for your understanding in the weeks ahead.