Parish Center Renovation

By Ellen G. Krenke     
     A virtual town hall is currently being planned to discuss the renovation of St. Bernard’s parish center, which is set to begin in the spring.
     “I hope to discuss the plan and solicit feedback on this project from parishioners,” said Fr. Brian.
     A formal presentation will also be made to the parish council.
     Current meeting restrictions complicate the scheduling of these events, but you will be notified in Fr. Brian’s weekly email when the dates are set.
     “My vision is for people to go through this space to get into the church,” he said about the project.
     “My big goal was I wanted people to be able to get into a space … without having to go outside and into another building and to have it all connected. That was the impetus from a community standpoint.
     “When you look at what other parishes have in the area … they have that space where people can just gather.”
     After some fundraising and approval by the diocese, Fr. Brian said the goal would be to break ground in April or May of 2021.
     Vogel Construction Inc., of Madison will be the construction company for the project.
     Architectural Design Concepts, Inc., of Lake Delton provided all the renderings for the project.
     They have also completed projects for St. Joseph Parish in Baraboo, an adoration chapel for Sacred Heart Parish in Reedsburg and a renovation of the school at St. Luke Parish in Plain, Wis.
     “They have a real sensitivity to the (Catholic) church,” said Fr. Brian. “And to the architecture of our church.”
     Many of their ideas for the parish center are curved to mimic the arches in the church.
     The highlights for the 3,500-square foot space include:
     -A terraced front garden area for outdoor meetings;
     -A completely renovated kitchen with new appliances;
     -The current restrooms will be relocated in the space and a nursing room will be added to the women’s restroom;
     -New serving area for coffee and snacks will be added directly adjacent to the kitchen;
     -The current room that is partitioned from the parish center will be used as a storage room for tables, chairs and larger kitchen items;
     -In the area outside of the parish center, the display case and closet will be removed and the doorway into the church will be widened to make the exit less of a choke point; and
     -A glass wall will remain along the garden side of the gathering space, so “we can maintain the natural light going through the stained glass windows into the church,” said Fr. Brian.
     The entire space will be multi-functional with partitions available for small meetings and the possibility of using the space for overflow during the holidays, Fr. Brian said.
     The entrance from the covered walkway will be retained for drop-offs.
     Fr. Brian said that there will also be no changes to the church area and the existing restrooms in the church.
     “I think what the architects did in the space that we have is a real nice-looking, functional project,” said Fr. Brian.
 Once the plans  are finalized, they will be presented to Bishop Hying and the Diocesan Building Commission.                  
     With a green light from the diocese, Fr. Brian will then start the fundraising process with the help of the diocese stewardship office.
     The parish will need 50 percent of the money for the diocese to approve the project.
     The construction company gave Fr. Brian a rough estimate of $2.6 million for the renovation.
     He estimates that it will take another $400,000 for furniture and accessories for a total of $3 million.
     Fr. Brian said he has already received $1 million from an anonymous donor for the project.
     “So, I think it is a goal that we could meet,” he said.
     Fr. Brian said the parish’s finance council also approved moving leftover funds from the St. Bernard statue, the church bathroom renovation and the Annual Catholic Appeal rebate from the diocese to the building fund.
     “I think for the broad vision of the parish … we have been trying to do things with community, so I think this will be a huge step forward.
     “I think if people look at the parishes around us … what their physical plant looks like and in terms of what they do … to me this is a no-brainer.”