The following are excerpts from "Parish Hall Corner", an occasional monthly insert in the bulletin, written by Rita Goerling, to inform and update parishioners on the progress of the Parish Hall. Special thanks to parishioner Rita Goerling, who served as the parish project manager and who advised Father Mel during the construction phase of the building project. Many thanks to the Building and Maintenance Committee for their dedication to the Parish, Dennis Delizzio, the Architect, and Dennis Anderson Construction. Finally, we give an abundance of thanks to the  faithful Parishioners of Saint Nicholas - past and present - who prayed for and generously contributed their time, talents, and treasures to the building of the Parish Hall.

Saint Nicholas Parish has looked forward to a dedicated and larger space separate from the "social area" which was originally located in the rear of the Church and separated by a moveable partition wall. A new Parish Hall would offer a larger space for the many parish traditions and activities, like the annual fall Bazaar, the Saint Nicholas Dinner, and Winter Shelter. Former traditions like Lenten Soup Suppers and International Dinners may be reintroduced and new traditions can be started.



In February 2018, Father Mel (Pastor from 2017-2020), with the recommendation and support of the Parish and Finance Councils requested and received permission from the Moderator of the Curia’s Office of the Archdiocese of Washington to file for permit with Prince George's County. Plans for the Parish Hall were submitted to Prince George's County on March 1, 2018 for pre-screening review.

The spring of 2018 was rain-filled, but the rain stopped and the LORD shined down on the ceremonial groundbreaking that was held on Pentecost Sunday, May 20, 2018. Father Mel was joined by Father Jack Kennealy (former Pastor) and Father Paul Hill; and each took a turn using the Golden Shovel to break the ground!



During the spring, work continued with the Architect and Civil Engineer to meet all of Prince George's County requirements for the Building Permit and WSSC’s requirements for their permits. Finally and most significantly, the construction contract was signed with Dennis Anderson Construction of Waldorf, MD.

The wait for actual 'construction' was a lesson in patience. And throughout the summer there was a lot of work behind the scenes: classrooms were emptied and desks were sold; artwork in the Parish (Stations of the Cross and other framed pictures) was removed. All of the technical specifications with Prince George’s County were approved and in October and the Parish was in the final stages of obtaining the building permit. Finally, a mont later in late November, Prince George’s County approved the Parish's plan for the Parish Hall and issued the building permit.

In January 2019, the daily Mass was temporarily moved to to the Rectory Chapel while work began inside the Church with the installation of steel beams. Additionally, the cry room was moved from one side of the church to the opposite side.

A month later, in February, the contractors installed the partition wall, located between the interior of the Church and the new Parish Hall. For a period of time, the 'new' cry room was inaccessible.

In April, the cry room window was installed and became available for use. Behind the partition wall, all interior walls and drop ceilings of the old classrooms were removed. Foundations for the two additions that squared off the building making the hall were dug. And excavation for the new accessible entrance ramp was begun.

As part of the building permit process Prince George’s County Urban Planning required the Parish to install a 6-foot wooden fence along the property line behind the church building, behind the rectory, and between the rectory and its next door neighbor. This was done in May. Additionally, the County required the Parish to plant over 100 trees and shrubs throughout the property.

Construction of the Parish Hall was in full swing in June. Throughout the construction phase, several parishioners volunteered to sit-in the church as monitors or to unlock rooms if access was needed by the contractor. Too, the church’s all-volunteer Building & Maintenance Committee - that works hard all-year to keep our church facilities up and running - were hard at work.
 
During late spring and summer, the new water service line installation was begun. The bulkhead and old wooden partition doors were removed. The steel beam weighed over 5,000 lbs!  The installation of the sprinkler system was also installed and the pipes were painted to match the sanctuary ceiling. During this time, several pews and chairs were temporarily removed.


 
Inside the work of the 'parish hall', the foundations and floor slabs were poured for the two extensions to the parish building; the steel supports for the existing roof were installed as was the steel support frame for the new movable partitions. The cinder blocks were added and, finally, outline of the new parish hall’s windows were taking shape. Since the progress was relatively on schedule to be completed by the end of November, Father Mel invited Archbishop Gregory to celebrate the Mass on the 4th Sunday of Advent and for the Blessing of the Parish Hall.

Construction continued through the summer and into the fall. In September, the Contractor completed the painting of the sprinkler pipes above the pews and the pews were reinstalled. The church’s gutter system, built-in to the main roof, were all refurbished. The roof over the Parish Hall was installed and gutters were added to the new Parish Hall roof. All new downspouts on the Parish Hall side of the church were buried and tied into the refurbished drainage swale. The under-the-floor duct system was installed in the addition and final slab poured. The Parish Hall side church vestibule has been framed in preparation for the Hall’s entry door installation. Additionally, the Parish Hall interior walls have been framed and insulation installed; the foundation was water proofed; and the electrical conduit and boxes were all installed.



By November, the Parish Hall neared its final stages of construction.The Parish Hall drywall was installed; two exterior hall doors, the vestibule parish hall entrance, and the new ADA door were then installed; the Parish Hall’s ceiling was also installed and the floor was leveled with the vinyl flooring. The partitions for two additional rooms (for classrooms), were installed as were the doors from the Church to the Parish Hall. Finally, the wall between the Church and the Parish Hall was painted and the front parking lot has been re-stripped to accommodate approved accessible parking.

The Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, celebrated the Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Advent at Saint Nicholas Parish. This was the Archbishop's first visit to the Parish as he was installed as Archbishop on May 21, 2019. Concelebrating the Mass was our Pastor, Father Mel Ayala, and former Pastors, Fathers Jack Kennealy, Robert Buchmeier, and Joseph Ranieri. Father Paul Hill, who also assists at Saint Nicholas Parish also concelebrated. Assisting the Mass was Deacon Eric Simontis who was newly ordained in June 2019 and assigned to Saint Nicholas Parish.



The Mass and Blessing was a significant moment for Saint Nicholas Parish, especially after celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2017. The Parish Hall is used today for religious education, meetings, the Winter Shelter, and dinners. It is also used after Sunday Masses for fellowship and a place to gather.

Photos by Father Mel and Charles Murnane
To read all the "Parish Hall Corner" bulletin inserts and photos, click here.