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The Building and Grounds Committee: Good Stewards of Our Property and Resources
While sacramental life and ministry in the parish are of utmost priority here at St. Benedict Cathedral, the physical property and buildings must provide and support the mission of the parish. This is the philosophy of our Buildings and Grounds Committee — to be good stewards of the physical property and resources that allow the community of St. Benedict to promote the sacramental life and mission.
“I became involved with the Building and Grounds Committee shortly after my wife and I joined the parish,” says Andy Howard, Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee here at St. Benedict. “I had been the chair of building and grounds at our previous parish.”
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For Andy, it’s essential to recognize and care for the physical needs of the cathedral.
“Our beautiful cathedral has been handed down to us from our previous generations,” he says. “It is our responsibility to hand it down to the next generation in better shape than when we were entrusted with it.”
The mission of the Building and Grounds Committee is to ensure the integrity and long-term viability of the physical properties of St. Benedict Cathedral and to accomplish various duties and responsibilities. Many of the committee’s tasks involve attending to the physical needs of the cathedral, including developing maintenance procedures, establishing capital project and plant requirements, implementing projects, among many others.
“It is important that people feel like they are in a special place when worshiping,” Andy says.
The committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month for an hour or less. Sometimes members are required to give a bit more time during projects or other specific work-related activities. The only requirement for membership among the committee is a commitment to promoting the well-being of the physical plant and properties of St. Benedict Cathedral.
“We try to establish a five-year rolling budget on potential projects and prioritize based upon actual need and available funds — this is an ever-changing list,” Andy says. “We are currently awaiting a new gymnasium roof, which has been delayed due to supply chain issues. We are also looking at some work on the exterior of the rectory. We recently replaced the HVAC on the second floor of the rectory and redid the cafeteria floor.”
Many of committee’s tasks involve attending to the physical needs of the cathedral, including developing maintenance procedures, establishing capital project and plant requirements, implementing projects, among many others.
The Building and Grounds Committee works to support the parish mission and be good stewards of our physical facilities.
