Cathedral begins environmentally efficient expansion

Jim Stanton, caretaker at the Cathedral of St. Andrew, walks through the annex building, which the parish will renovate as part of an expansion of offices, rectory and classrooms.
Jim Stanton, caretaker at the Cathedral of St. Andrew, walks through the annex building, which the parish will renovate as part of an expansion of offices, rectory and classrooms.

The Cathedral of St. Andrew is gearing up for a $1.6 million renovation to update the parish facilities and accommodate the needs of their growing religious education program.
“The Cathedral itself was renovated five to six years ago and restored. Now is the time to focus on the rest of the buildings. Our goals are to provide a more secure and safe place for the offices including more office space, expansion of classrooms and rectory space,” Father Matt Garrison, rector of the Cathedral of St. Andrew, said.
The Cathedral owns a building behind McDonald Hall that is currently used for storage. In the past it has seen use as an eye doctor’s office and photo studio among other things. They will use it as part of the expansion, moving the rectory there. Currently, parts of the rectory have been taken over by offices.
The full plan includes redesigning the office and welcoming space and making McDonald Hall and the offices more accessible to the disabled.
It will incorporate more meeting space for parish activities, an enlarged kitchen to accommodate the increase in parish activities and additional classrooms for the religious education program.
Repairs call for replacing the roof on McDonald Hall, the annex building and the office and rectory. Paint and flooring updates will also be needed. The rectory, which houses the Cathedral rector and guests, will be relocated and updated.
“I know times are still a little shaky, but I ask you to please consider what you might be able to do for the future of your Cathedral,” Father Garrison wrote in a Feb. 16 letter to parishioners asking for donations to the renovation fund and capital campaign for the rectory and offices.
They have raised approximately $140,000 for the renovation in about a month and a half, he said.
The parish council, finance council and staff worked on making the plan a long-term one that would work for the future of the Cathedral and its ministries. They incorporated ways of making it as cost efficient as possible, while maximizing energy efficiency and longevity and incorporating sustainable and recycled materials.
“One of our main goals is to be as green as possible with this renovation. We want to lead with a good example for other parishes around the diocese. We have an important responsibility to take care of everything that has been placed in our hands. When people give money, we must be as fiscally responsible as possible, and a lot of the materials that are more sustainable will cost less in the future.”
As “stewards” of the Cathedral facilities, Father Garrison encouraged parishioners and friends of the Cathedral to help it continue its important role in serving the people of the parish and the diocese.
“It will provide something for the whole diocese to be proud of knowing the Cathedral and all the facilities are being improved and taken care of in the proper way. When we looked at the possibilities for this project, we looked at it in the long term. We want to do what’s needed for the future and not just the present, so that it won’t have to be revisited again 10 years down the road,” Father Garrison said. “Every weekend, we attract people from all parts of the state. We want everyone to be able to visit the Cathedral and know we have the best possible facilities for our parish.”

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