Future of Old St. Joseph Church

To the Editor: 
I would like to compliment the Herald on a relatively fair and balanced report in the Aug. 22 edition regarding the future of the Old St. Joseph Church. I chair St. Joseph’s Catholic Strong Committee and feel deeply the strife and division at work in our parish.
Speaking for my committee, our business case was developed after deep reflection and careful consideration. We did not enter into this lightly or without careful discernment. We believe this case best meets the future needs of our parish community, given the resources and space we have.
I take exception to one comment attributed to Mike McHale that the former church could be rehabilitated for a fraction of the cost.
As the article notes, the church was originally a small chapel which was raised to become the top of the current building. In its past, the building was moved from the parking lot by the school to its current location.
It sits on a slab below the floodplain. There are two giant cables crisscrossed across the center of the church holding the building together; it has been adversely impacted by numerous floods, hurricanes, and nor’easters, most recently sustaining a foot of water in Superstorm Sandy.
The heating system is not operational; the water is turned off due to broken pipes. Only two of the four air conditioners are operational.
The electrical system is old-style, canvas-covered wires; the balcony is not safe. The building is neither ADA compliant nor energy efficient.
There are holes somewhere because it is regularly infested with pigeons. It is a 100-year-old building that has been modified several times, poorly maintained and impacted by our harsh climate. To what would we be rehabilitating and at what cost?
I have served on Parish and/or Finance Council since 2007. For years even before that our parish allocated minimal resources to the old church, not because we intended to run it down but because we always had plans for a new church.
Our beautiful, new church was dedicated in 2011. This is where we worship.
The old church is rarely used. Our plans for a spiritual life center are an aesthetically pleasing building that pays homage to our past and meets the needs of our future.
We would like to safeguard that which is historical and meaningful in a comfortable, intimate, flexible, energy-efficient, ADA-accessible space. Our vision for the new spiritual life center is a plan for the future; a plan to strengthen and revitalize our parish.
In closing, I draw attention to our Parish Mission Statement, “We the people of St. Joseph, Sea Isle City, NJ, connected in faith as brothers and sisters in Christ, pledge to use our gifts and resources to live our faith by truth and love, to preach the Word and to serve the needs of others, as we instill a spirit of hospitality throughout our faith community.
“We will create welcoming opportunities to bring parishioners and friends of St. Joseph together in worship, religious formation, spiritual growth, mutual support, and parish social activities.”
The new spiritual life center embodies every facet of these well-chosen words. I believe it is our parish community, the people of St. Joseph’s that are the crown jewel of Sea Isle, not any one building.