The common house mouse has a lifespan of about 1 year. A pigeon can live for 5 years. A Grizzly Bear will live up to 15 years, which is 5 years less than the average Polar Bear, demonstrating the significant health benefits of cold plunges. The American Alligator and the American Bald Eagle live for 50 years. The average human lives for 79 years, though Methuselah died at the ripe old age of 969. The average lifespan of a church boiler, however, is about 20 years. And that’s what this bulletin article is about.
A few months ago, our HVAC service provider informed me that the boilers in the Church of St. Cecilia, installed in 2004, show substantial corrosion in various places, indicating that they have reached the end of their lifespan. I consulted with a parishioner who is an HVAC professional, and he confirmed that they are in bad shape. We considered the possibility of waiting another year, but the condition of the boilers is such that it would be imprudent to try to get through another winter with the current units. The next question was whether we should switch from an oil system to natural gas. The gas line hookup, however, is located at such a distance from the church that the cost would be prohibitively expensive. For that reason, I concluded the best option would be to simply replace the old oil-fueled boilers with new ones. This decided, we put the job out to bid, as required by the Diocese. The winning bid came out to be approximately $90k, all included.
After consultation with the Parish Finance Council, I have decided that we will need to have a special parish collection to pay for the replacement of our church boilers. Here’s how you can give:
- Special Envelope – for those who receive offertory envelopes, you may have already noticed a special envelope in your latest packet (white with red border) designated for this collection.
- Check – if you decide to give by check without using the envelope, it’s very important that you indicate in the Memo that the gift is intended for “church boiler replacement.”
- Online – you can make an online gift using the special link on our parish website, or by accessing your online giving account, where you should see an option to give to the special collection.
All gifts given towards this collection will be used for the replacement of the boilers. Any funds that we collect over-goal will be used for other upgrades to the church HVAC system, such as air conditioning condenser units.
The new boilers must be in place by mid-October so that we are ready for the cold months of late fall and winter, and we will need to have the funds to pay for the work by the time installation is completed. For this reason, I ask that you prayerfully consider supporting this special collection during the month of September. I know that the cost of living these days is high and that our parishioners have many financial responsibilities. But a functional heating system in the church is a necessity. I know that with your help we will successfully raise the funds we need to have the work done.
posted 9/7/23
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 