Parish celebrates 75th by building on the past

Parishioners of Our Lady of Grace Church in Ballston Lake are giving new meaning to the expression "Building On An Anniversary Theme."

As they celebrate the parish's 75th anniversary this year, members of the congregation can be found toting hammers, saws, drills and other construction tools to the site of a housing rehabilitation project.

The goal is to renovate and safety-proof a dilapidated century-old dwelling occupied by a needy single parent family. Because one of the mother's two dependent children is disabled, parish volunteers are also building ramps to make the residence completely wheelchair-accessible.

Community outreach

"We wanted to tackle a community outreach project that would directly benefit someone in need," he explained, "so we contacted some agencies in our area and found about a single mother with a special-needs child who could really use a hand fixing up her house."

In fact, more than 75 pairs of hands are currently involved in the project, which got underway in mid-February.

Big response

Those with skills as carpenters, masons, electricians, plumbers and painters were also asked to step forward to assume leadership roles. In addition, Mr. Hahn, a former banker, is soliciting donations of building supplies, cabinets and furnishings from local businesses.

The house in question is a 100-year-old, two-storey colonial-style dwelling which Mr. Hahn describes as being "in dire need of safety and cosmetic improvements," both inside and out.

Fix-up, paint-up

A backyard deck and garage are will also slated for refurbishing once the weather warms up. In addition, volunteers from the parish are performing masonry work to the foundation.

"When I say this is a major renovation project from the ground up, I mean it," Mr Hahn said.

The property will even be landscaped by parish volunteers in the spring.

Busy times

Mr. Hahn noted the kitchen and bathroom are in urgent need of refurbishing, and he is praying someone in the Diocese will donate the cabinets and fixtures needed to complete renovations in those areas.

"Basically, we're looking at doing a $20,000 or $25,000 housing rehab project with no money. We're relying on donations of goods, services and labor to get the job done," he explained.

Help for disabled

"We didn't know the family we would end up helping would have a disabled child. You might say we just shook the tree, and, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this is what landed in our laps," said Mr. Hahn.

"As it happens, this is a project that captures a lot of the needs that exist in our community today -- single-parent households with children growing up in conditions of poverty. We're just happy that the needs of this particular household came to our attention when they did so we could work collectively as a parish family to help."

'Eye-opener'

He likens the work in progress at the rehabilitation site to "an old-fashioned barn-raising." He said he hopes the project will be remembered not only as "Our Lady of Grace's 75th anniversary gift to the community" but also as "a team-building exercise for the parish."

He also hopes it will serve as a springboard for future social justice outreach programs in the community.

"Our pastor, Father [Anthony] Diacetes, said it best when he observed that ours is a parish not of talkers but of doers," noted Mr. Brennan. "Parishioners of Our Lady of Grace like hands-on projects, and it would be hard to think of one we could have gotten our hands on that would have required more parish involvement."

Church expansion....

Another way Our Lady of Grace parish is literally "building" on the occasion of its 75th anniversary entails a major expansion to the church itself.

A ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the expansion will take place on June 15 as part of day-long anniversary celebrations for the Ballston Lake parish. The addition will add space for liturgical services, religious education classrooms and social gatherings, according to Rev. Anthony Diacetes, pastor.

"This is a case where the congregation is literally outgrowing the church building," said Father Diacetes. "When I came here in 1989, there were only 517 registered parish families. Today, we have about double that number, so the expansion is certainly something that is much needed."

(The 75th anniversary of the Church of Our Lady of Grace will be observed with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard on Father's Day, June 15. A parish family picnic will follow at the Fireman's Grove in Ballston Lake. An anniversary keepsake booklet is also being compiled for the occasion by parishioner Dorothy DeRuscio.)

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