FROM THE PASTOR'S DESK - JUNE 23, 2023

Dear St. Martin’s Parishioners,

I am excited to share that after consultation with the Archdiocese and the parish finance and pastoral councils, we are prepared to purchase two properties, 35 and 37 Summit Ave., that are adjacent to the entrance of the church. Last fall, the owners approached our principal, Mr. Lamont, and me to offer us the first right of refusal for the two properties.

I see this as a great opportunity for us for a variety of reasons. One is the location of the properties. It gives us a chance to expand on the church side of route 355, where most of our activity takes place. Another reason is that although both properties have residential houses and garages, they are classified by the city as Central Business District (CBD). While both residences are in great condition, and are available for immediate use, in the future we would have the option to build a structure more in line with what we may need as a parish and school. Thirdly, we are well aware of the parking and meeting space issues that we currently face. As the second largest parish in the Archdiocese, we have outgrown our current space, and this purchase would allow us to better serve the needs of our parishioners in these two respects.

We are purchasing the properties at a very fair price of $1,200,000. The school and parish are contributing $900,000 for the purchase, and we are securing a loan from the Archdiocese for the remaining 25% at a favorable interest rate of 4%. We are blessed to be in a financial situation that allows us to make this purchase without severely cutting into our reserves.

This purchase comes at an opportune time. In 2020 we celebrated our parish centennial, and in 2025 the school celebrates its own. It is time to discern a pastoral and campus master plan for our parish and school for years to come. If you would like to be a part of that process, please reach out to our parish council president, Jeff Silvey, at jdsilvey@comcast.net. I welcome your feedback and any questions you might have regarding this purchase. Feel free to leave your comments or questions through this link: https://www.stmartinsweb.org/feedback.

I am blessed to serve as your pastor and am grateful by your faithfulness and joy in serving Christ at St. Martin of Tours.

In Christ,

Fr. Dave

Pastor