As a parish, we have much to be grateful for. It was only a few years ago that everything was shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic and people were wondering what the future would hold for Catholic parishes in our diocese and beyond. Since then, what we have seen here is remarkable growth and a sense of renewed hope. Since 2020, parish membership has grown by 10%. In just the past two years, average attendance at weekend Masses has increased by 200 people. The Catholic Academy of Stamford, which has its home in the school building on our campus, is at capacity, with the number of its students having increased 18% in five years to full enrollment. Indeed, we have much to be thankful for.
And so, I think it’s time we had a serious conversation about the parking lot at St. Cecilia Church. It has been many decades since it was last paved, and it shows. When people come to our campus the first things they notice are not our beautiful church and school building or the large crowds of people, but crumbling asphalt and potholes – lots of potholes. For this reason, with the support of parish leadership, we hired an engineering firm last summer to help us develop a repaving plan and oversee the competitive bidding process. The process revealed that the cost of repaving the parking lot is $1,000,000. Happily, the Catholic Academy of Stamford has agreed to partner with the parish, contributing $500,000, or half the total cost of the repaving project.
We also have to have a serious conversation about the church hall. Besides the church itself, McDermott Hall is the largest gathering space on the campus of St. Cecilia and is one of our parish’s greatest assets. But it too has fallen into disrepair. The range in the kitchen does not work. The floor shows significant damage from flooding that took place years ago. The single-pane windows are inefficient, and, like the radiator units in the hall, date back to the 1950s. Moreover, there are no lighting options besides the fluorescent light fixtures in the ceiling. The hall is also insufficiently accessible to those with limited mobility. While there is a chair lift in the southwest stairwell, it is old and difficult to use, which discourages people from participating in parish activities. Finally, its appearance needs to be improved. For this reason, after consulting parish leadership, we engaged an architect last fall to provide plans for a renovated parish hall. The plans address the current problems with functionality, accessibility, and appearance. Along with a new range, new flooring, new windows and radiator units, there will be a handicap ramp with a switchback built inside the hall. The ramp will provide safe access to McDermott Hall from the north side of the building, in the area closest to the handicap parking spaces. The hall also will receive a fresh color scheme, and the currently exposed support pillars will be enclosed to improve their appearance. We would also like to install new audio equipment and lighting options to make the space more versatile. The estimated cost of these improvements to McDermott Hall is $750,000.
Thus, the total cost of these needed improvements to the parking lot and the parish hall is $1,750,000. At the time of the writing of this column, we have raised approximately $1,100,000, including the Catholic Academy of Stamford’s contribution to the project. This represents about 63% of the overall goal. Raising the balance will require generous support from the members of our parish. To facilitate this, the payment of pledges to this capital campaign, which we are calling “Renewed in Hope,” can be made over a three-year period. Gifts and pledges can be made using a link on our parish website and through our online giving platform. There will also be pledge forms available in our churches. All of the funds raised in this campaign will be used for these projects. Please be aware, however, that our parish is still required to make our goal for the Annual Bishop’s Appeal, which is entirely separate from the Renewed in Hope campaign.
Our parish is full of life, thank God. While it is already one of the finest communities in the Diocese, there is still much work to do, including on our physical plant. And so, I ask that you give prayerful consideration as to how you might join your fellow parishioners who have already pledged so generously their resources in support of this worthy effort to make our facilities safe, functional, accessible, and beautiful for decades to come.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, or call the Parish office and we’ll have one of the members of the Campaign Committee listed below contact you.
Mr. Peter DiTomaso
Mrs. Vera Gardell
Mrs. Carole Kirk
Mr. Joe DiTullio
posted 2/28/26
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 