October 2008

Dear Friends,

I would like to take this opportunity to express my most sincere wish that you had the wonderful occasion to celebrate Thanksgiving with your beloved family and friends and that through this occasion took a moment to pause and to reflect on the abundance of God’s blessings in one’s life. Our 7th Annual Thanksgiving Collection of Non-Perishable Food Items was a huge success and undoubtedly the greatest example of generosity that our community has ever exhibited. Our people who did the distribution of the collected items estimated that approximately $50,000.00 worth was collected that weekend.

However, at the beginning of October, I had the opportunity to speak to the parish community about the Ste-Anne’s Restoration Program and the future challenges that are before us. I would like to again take a moment to express my personal gratitude as well as that of the Fund-Raising Committee for the exceptional generosity of the community of Ste-Anne’s throughout the past year. Over the past year, {as of Thanksgiving Weekend}, 573 individuals as well as parish groups have contributed nearly $400,000.00 towards this project as well as pledging nearly another $110,000.00 over the next 2 years for a total of about half a million dollars. This is an exceptional achievement in the midst of very harsh and hard economic times of which we are presently living in, most especially in the Essex-Windsor region.

Throughout this past year, we have addressed two of the five projects, obviously the two smaller ones. The parish centre kitchen was completed this past May and was funded mostly by the Easter Collection {for which you so generously contributed}. We are presently in the midst of the stained glass window project as certain windows are removed, repaired and returned and thus other windows then follow the same process. This project is now complete in the Chapel and we are now working on the windows in the main church with the finish date of September 2009. The other three projects, the roof, the refacing of the stone on the church and lastly the Bell Tower are in that order of priority and will be addressed as the funds are collected.

I don’t believe that I need to re-express the magnitude of the project nor the very challenging price tag to address it. The great challenge for us at Ste-Anne’s will be on how to get there. First of all, it is important to say that we will not get there in a short period of time. In order to complete all of the said projects, I am predicting anywhere from seven to eight years to collect this amount of money at the present rate. Secondly, I am asking everyone to give serious consideration to contributing. Less than 20% of our registered parishioners have given or pledged to the campaign so far. Ste-Anne’s Church has been beneficial to the entire community of Tecumseh and is reaching out to all to help her achieve her goal of full restoration for future generations. I would like to see parishioners talking to each other and encouraging each other to help out in this campaign. Neither I nor my fund-raising committee can do this on our own. We really need to work collectively to make this happen.

And finally, I am asking serious consideration to pledge for a longer period of time or for those who have indicated a one-time only contribution to consider a possible second donation to the project. It is important for the parish of Ste-Anne’s to understand that there is no miracle that is going to happen. There are no government grants or diocesan funds that are available to us. There are no churches in our neighbourhood that are going to be sold where we will benefit from the proceeds. We are completely on our own in raising this money and we will take the time and the effort it takes to get to our collective goal. While it will not be in the near future, I am optimistic that we will get there together. There is no doubt in my mind.

You will notice in this package that we have once again included a pledge card and envelope assuming that you used last year’s at the launch of the campaign. Once again, I urge your serious consideration to make either a contribution or a pledge or even a little bit of both to help Ste-Anne’s draw herself closer to her goal and enable us to trigger the necessary projects to commence. Please note that all contributions will be receipted for income tax purposes and thus will also benefit you in that way. I am humbly asking you to do what you can and to do it in a way that is both life-giving for you and your parish.

I thank you once again for your attention to this matter and I pray that together we will rise to the challenges before us with hope and anticipation for a better tomorrow for you and for Ste-Anne’s Parish.

Lent 2009

Dear Friends,

I sincerely hope that you are enjoying this beautiful Lenten Journey and are anticipating with great joy the Easter Celebrations that will soon be upon us. Winter was extremely long this year and I have no doubt in my mind that all of us are really hopeful that the better weather will be here to stay. This winter has also been extremely challenging in terms of the state of the economy and we pray that there will be a turnaround soon as people are really struggling and it is affecting them personally as well as their loved ones. We can only hope that better days are ahead. We will also keep in our prayers those who have been directly affected.

I last spoke to you about the Ste-Anne’s Restoration Program at the beginning of October and for the most part not much as been said about the state of the project since. I thought it would be a good occasion to write to you in order to give you an update and to assure you that we have been working on the project though not very publicly in the past few months. I thought I would “sneak” this letter in the Easter mail-out in order to save on postage. And speaking of savings, I would like to take a moment to express gratitude to the C.W.L. of our parish for all of their hard work in calling everyone registered in the parish in order to have a more accurate count both for our records as well as for the mail-outs. Between the Christmas mail-out and the Easter mail-out, we have removed approximately 500 households from the list due to the information obtained by the C.W.L. on our behalf. Our count now stands at 2,500 families in the parish.

After a few meetings with the representatives of the Diocese and the Architect, the Building Committee is prepared to present to the Diocesan Building Commission in May a revised plan that is within our means. Unfortunately, it will not accomplish all of the work required at this time. I believe that this is responsible stewardship and necessary at a time when the harsh economic realities make it very challenging to raise funds for all of the projects required. Therefore, what is being proposed is a Phase 1 and a Phase 2 portion of the project. Phase 1 of the project is what is being proposed to be done over the next year and Phase 2 is what is being proposed to be delayed to another generation which could possibly be 10 or 15 years from now. With a Phase 1 program, we will be doing the things that are urgent and necessary while remaining within a budget that we can afford. Even with this in mind, we will still require a loan from the Diocese to cover the costs of what we will be doing but I believe the loan will be manageable over the next few years. As my predecessors {Fr. Lionel Bélanger and Fr. Larry Brunet} have done, I would like to see the parish debt free when my term at Ste-Anne’s is completed in 5 years. I call that responsible stewardship and responsible management and I hope you agree. It is unhealthy to take a parish beyond this point as a parish begins to live for its debt rather than being able to enjoy the gift of God’s community within our building.

What will Phase 1 include? In Phase 1 of the project, we are proposing the reinforcement of the church roof structure followed by the installation of an asphalt shingle that will take our building through the next generation. We would have loved to have installed a new lead-coated copper shingle roofing system but we can’t afford it this time around due to the reality that there are other projects that require our attention. The latter will then have to wait until the next restoration project. Secondly, we are proposing the removal of the exterior stucco, the installation a new concrete foundation and the installation of a manufactured stone wall on just the north wall which is the wall that is the front of the church and which includes the wall of the bell tower. Again, due to finances, we are proposing delaying doing the same to the east and west walls as well as all the walls covering the chapel. The latter again will have to wait until the next restoration project. And finally and what most have been waiting for, the restoration and reinstallation of the spire and belfry and the placing back of the four bells that are a key component of our church building and the history of our parish. All the rotting wood inside the tower will be removed and the masonry on top of the tower will be redone in order for the bell system to sit entirely on the masonry system and not on a wood insert which is what caused our crisis in October 2007.

Without giving specific figures, we are looking at approximately half of what we had previously announced, delaying obviously the other half to another generation of parishioners and possibly to another Pastor. It would have been nice to do it all but it is not feasible or reasonable to do this at this time.

Having said that, I do remind the parish that we are still going to incur a debt which means that our fund-raising efforts are not over. I will admit that the fund-raising committee suffered some serious setbacks in the past year but we have also learned valuable lessons as to what works and most importantly what doesn’t. Having said that, we are again back on track for a new season of fund-raisers. First of all, I would like to take a moment to express on behalf of the fund-raising committee our most heart-felt thanks to those who have contributed and/or pledged towards this project. Without your support, we would not be where we are today and for that we are grateful as it enables us to move forward with the part of the project that was just mentioned. For those who still have pledges, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of that money for the repayment of the debt that we are about to incur. As always, we also would like to encourage those who have yet to contribute or pledge that it is never too late to do so. And finally, I would like to draw your attention to four fund-raisers that are on the horizon and can also be seen as community builders in this special year of the 150th Anniversary of our parish. On Sunday, May 24th, BOSTON PIZZA is sponsoring a Celebrity Pasta Dinner at the Knights of Columbus Hall. On Saturday, June 6th, AMBASSADOR GOLF CLUB is hosting again this year a fund-raising Golf Tournament. On Sunday, June 14th, PAT & HANKS FISH & CHIPS RESTAURANT is sponsoring again an All-You-Can-Eat Fish Dinner in the Parish Centre. And finally, on Sunday, July 26th {Ste-Anne’s Feast Day}, LA CUCINA RESTAURANT is sponsoring a Parish BBQ which is also a fund-raiser for our project and we will have the great honour of having Bishop Fabbro join us for this wonderful event as we have the great privilege of celebrating our Feast Day on a Sunday and with our Bishop.

I once again thank you for your genuine support and dedication to Ste-Anne’s Parish as we continue to work together to build the Kingdom of God here at Ste-Anne’s.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr./Père Robert G. Couture
Pastor/Curé
Paroisse-Ste-Anne’s Parish
Tecumseh, Ontario.

NOVEMBER 2009

Dear Friends,

It is with extraordinary joy that a truly faith-filled experience occurred when we came together most recently to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of our beloved Paroisse Ste-Anne Parish on Sunday, October 25th, 2009. Over 600 people of this community came to celebrate our past, our present and our future together. The memories of this day will live in all of us for many years to come.

As we return to the task of continuing to build and enhance our parish community, our attention once again is placed upon the present Restoration Project. At this very moment, the Stained Glass Project is nearing its completion with the final 4 windows on the West Side needing to be done. We anticipate this project to be completed by Christmas. The roof project is a two-fold one: inside the attic, above the church ceiling, the workers are working diligently reinforcing the roof structure while on the roof itself, they are placing a new asphalt shingle system on time for winter. We are also redoing the platforms in the inside tower as to make it a safer work environment. We anticipate that this project, which will cost approximately $250,000, will be completed by the end of November.

During the winter months, we anticipate retendering the masonry work on the North Wall and Tower which will also include getting the top of the Tower ready to receive the belfry and spire as well as the 4 bells that await to return to their proper place, ringing once again in our beloved Town of Tecumseh. And thus comes the challenge that is before us. Most of us, if not all of us, want to see the Bell Tower back in full operation sooner rather than later. However, the reality is that with the funds raised so far, we are unable to make that happen at the present time. We would need an additional $500,000 in order to be able to draw ourselves closer to accessing the loan required to bring the Bell Tower back in full operation. As we come to the 3rd and final year of our pledge program, we will need to reexamine this campaign in the light of that reality.

I am asking those who have yet to give to the campaign to please give serious consideration to doing so. Your help is greatly needed and would be most appreciated. For those who have already given, I am humbly asking you to consider recommitting to a possible 5 year pledge beginning with a possible upfront donation of $1,000 per household between now and February that would enable us to raise the half million needed and place the belfry/spire and bell project in the tendering process this coming winter so as to complete the whole of Phase 1 in 2010.
I am well aware that we are living in harsh and challenging economic times and that this may be impossible for many. However, there are very little options for us. There are no government programs to help us; the diocese has made it clear that they do not have the funds to help us and the greater community has not shown forth a great financial interest in assisting us. So at the end of the day, this project rests for the most part on our shoulders, the parishioners of Ste-Anne’s. Should we prove to be unsuccessful in raising this money in this timely fashion, then the belfry, the spire and the bells will remain on the ground until the next phase of the project.

We cannot afford to place ourselves in a situation of insurmountable debt for which there is no viable plan to get ourselves from under. That is neither wise nor intelligent stewardship. The reason I am also asking for a 5 year pledge commitment is so that we continue to make the effort to raise money to first of all pay off the debt that we will incur with whatever portion of Phase 1 we end up going forward with. We also need to prepare ourselves for Phase 2 of this project which will be for the most part the masonry work of the East and West Walls of the church as well as the walls surrounding the Chapel. However, we need not get ahead of ourselves and focus on what is realistic for us in Phase 1 of this project.

I know that what I am suggesting is perhaps a lot which is a huge sacrifice on all our parts for the betterment of our church. We have invested a lot of ourselves in this beautiful parish; our ancestors invested a lot of themselves to give us the foundation that we are able to build from. I believe that we owe it to them, to ourselves and to the generations that will follow us to make this building solid for them and their children.

Enclosed in this mail-out is the pledge card and envelope that you have received in the past. I ask you to give serious consideration to this proposal and to let us know of your intentions by either dropping the envelope in the collection basket or at the office during the week.

I wish to thank you most sincerely for your extraordinary generosity towards the Restoration Project so far and for all future contributions that you will make. Know that by your gift, you do make a difference and you make our dream of making our church better closer to reality.

Sincerely yours in Christ,



Fr. Robert G. Couture
Pastor
Paroisse Ste-Anne’s Parish
Tecumseh, Ontario.

 

St. Anne Restoration Hinges on Fundraising
 

10 Apr 2008...  For the last five months passing St. Anne’s church has meant witnessing the enormous steeple that now sits on the church’s front lawn. This beautiful structure is a very important landmark in the Tecumseh community. Since October, 2007 there have been fundraising efforts to get the steeple back in its proper place. An estimated $3 million dollars is needed to fix the church which includes: the stained glass windows, the church’s roof, replacing the steeple’s wooden supports with steel support...
[read more]
 

Legion wants the bells back

27 April 2008...  The Royal Canadian Legion Br. 261, Tecumseh, raised $3,000 toward the Keep the Bells Ringing in Tecumseh campaign to restore the Ste-Anne Church steeple and other necessary restorative work. The Branch’s Ladies Auxiliary actually took the initiative and held a chili cook-off on April 27, 2008... [read more]

Keep the Bells Ringing campaign relief 

Dec 30 2008...
Mike Sales, a K of C member, commissioned talented local artist and sculptor, Mark Williams, to create the relief sculpture for himself. They have been friends for over 40 years and Mike had always wanted something created by Mark to grace his home. Once the piece was created it was decided that it would be offered to anyone with a love of Ste. Anne Church and at the same time could help provide much needed funds to restore the Church to its former beauty. The fundraising goal is $3 m...... [read more]

Approximately 100 concerned parishioners showed up to an emergency meeting held this past Tuesday night in the Ste. Anne’s Church Hall. The meeting, chaired by Fr. Couture, included presenters from the London Diocese, who were also on hand to speak to the group regarding the much needed repairs to the now 150 year old structure.

The process of completing a Building Condition Report, presented to the Church some time ago, allowed the restoration committee to proceed to the tendering process, and identified and prioritized the work needed on the aging structure, explained Director of Finance for the London Diocese Dave Seval.

The tendering process revealed that the estimated $1.6 to $1.8 million needed to complete phase 1 of the restoration was short by some 30% - 40%.

The decision now is to proceed with work needed immediately such as a new roof and wait for fundraising efforts to catch up with the amount required or to seek additional loans. It was made clear to all in attendance that some of the exterior walls as well as the roof replacement were almost certainly projects that need to proceed as soon as possible to avoid additional cost, and to circumvent possible damage to the interior of the building. Some safety concerns also exist surrounding the facade and the possibility of pieces of it falling.

The meeting closed with words from Fr. Couture who stated, “This is our church, it is also ours to repair for our children and grandchildren. As our parents and grandparents did for us.”

A concerted grassroots effort of fundraising was also agreed to. John Staley, parishioner in attendance suggested “door-to-door two-by-two.”

http://www.thetribune.ca/trib/tribune_middle.php?story=2881
 

Parish Prays for Aid from Diocese
Gary Rennie, The Windsor Star
Published: Thursday, August 20, 2009

St. Anne's Church in Tecumseh is raising money to repair the steeple, but is hoping for help from the London diocese. Their drive has about $650000 in cash ... [read more]
 

The Roof Restoration Project is moving very nicely and I was pleased this past week to see the company put a good deal of men each day to make this project move more quickly than anticipated. We have had the good fortune to have decent weather for the most part this past week and it was important to take advantage of that. Many have commented that they could not do that kind of work and all I have to say is that lucky for all of us there are those who can and are willing to do it. I hope that you are as pleased as I am with the way the roof is looking as it is a major improvement to what it was. We are all well aware that the old roof would not have withstood the upcoming winter months and it was good for us to have been proactive in this project.

As this project will soon be completed, we will start turning our focus on the other aspects of Phase 1 of this project which is the masonry work on the North Wall and Tower which could also possibly include the belfry, spire and bell portion of the project. By now, you should have received my letter outlining the new steps that we will be called to take if we want that last portion of the project to take place this coming Spring. I am well aware once again of the great challenge that I have placed before you but at least, we have put it out there to see what is possible or not possible for us here @ Ste-Anne’s in this coming year. At the end of the day, I just want everyone to do the best that they can.

Our architect, Alan Avis has been working diligently with us to guide us through this process so as to help us make enlightened and life-giving decisions as to our facility and its future. On Tuesday, November 17th, Mr. Avis will be with us for a special Parish Family Information Meeting in the Parish Centre beginning @ 7:30 p.m. We anticipate that this meeting will be approximately 2 hours in length and it is meant to be a meeting for all the parishioners of Ste-Anne’s to get better acquainted with the Condition Report produced by the Architectural Firm. The Condition Report outlines what “shape” our entire facility finds itself in as well as the proposed plan to get it to where it needs to be. While our building does need some work, it is in relatively good shape and we should take note of that. I would really encourage you to set this evening aside and come out and learn more about what is happening inside and outside Ste-Anne’s Church and our plan to improve it. Hopefully, we will also take a bit of time to give you some insight as to where we are in terms of our fund-raising efforts and how the present request is going. Hope that we will join on November 17th.
 

http://www.thetribune.ca/trib/tribune_middle.php?story=3852

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Raptors make home amidst church construction activity... Tecumseh Tribune by Cheryl Hardcastle June 24, 2010

Work has not been delayed at Ste-Anne’s Parish when a young family of American kestrels (also known as sparrow hawks) decided to call the place home. There are four chicks and their parents now living in a nesting box perched in one of the large trees in the front yard of the rectory. Ste-Anne’s caretaker Barb Bateman said another nest was discovered in the large maple in the front yard of the church and that mother appeared to be attacking a fifth fledgling from the rectory tree that was foun... [read more] http://www.thetribune.ca/trib/tribune_middle.php?story=3880

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North wall of Ste-Anne’s ready for stone removal Tecumseh Tribune by Cheryl Hardcastle July 22, 2010

The original red brick exterior of Ste-Anne’s Church, dating back to 1873 for the main church, (the chapel was completed in 1859) will soon be exposed when the manufactured stone coating is removed from the north wall and bell tower. A work crew from W.D. Lester Construction has been erecting scaffolding and preparing the work site with netting and box chutes for the stone debris, over the last month. Once the brick is uncovered, one layer (wythe) will be removed to facilitate an insular lay... [read more] http://www.thetribune.ca/trib/tribune_middle.php?story=3998

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