An update on St. Mary's in Cedar Bluffs

Dear Parishioners,

Over this summer, the St. Mary building committee has been working with Davis Design, an architectural firm based out of Lincoln, to master plan our vision for remodeling St. Mary's Church.  This is a very exciting time, as we finish out our 2^nd phase of refurbishing our Stained Glass and progress on the 3^rd phase of consulting.

Speaking of our windows, here is a brief update.  Windows are continued to be worked on by Architectural GlassArts in Roca, NE.  When they complete the first set of stained glass at their studio, they will reinstall them and take the next set.  This is a case of the tortoise vs. the hare, where steady progress will win the race!  In the meantime, I greatly appreciate your patience and support as the windows are completed.  I really believe they will be worth the wait, as they re-lead the glass and repair the framework around the windows.  As this phase is completed, we will add plaques and memorials for specific windows.  Again, I am deeply humbled by your love and support for our parish.  Together, we exceeded our pledge goal of $70,000 with total pledges of $71,545!  Of which, we have received 77% of our total!  Truly, God has done great things through each of you and your generosity toward our vision for St. Mary to be a place of encountering Jesus in our Cedar Bluffs community.

While in the midst of the consulting work, it has come to our attention that our HVAC system is in need of replacement.  It has done well humming away for the last two decades and has come to the end of its lifespan.  Praise God, last summer St. Mary received seed money for our heating and air conditioning, which will help to partially finance this replacement.  This was a timely gift that will help keep St. Mary's going for the foreseeable future.  To pay for and continue maintaining this new system, I would like to see if we could match the funds for the HVAC.  Our goal would be $9,000.  This would then cover the cost of parts and labor for the installation.  With the summer weather still upon us, we would like to schedule this work soon.  So please consider making a gift toward this new system!

While in the midst of our consulting work, it has come to our attention that our HVAC system is in need of replacement. It has served St. Mary’s faithfully for the past two decades, but it has now reached the end of its lifespan. Praise God, last summer St. Mary’s received seed money designated for heating and air conditioning. This timely gift will help partially finance the replacement and provide for the comfort and sustainability of our parish for years to come. To help cover the remaining cost and provide for the ongoing maintenance of the new system, I would like to ask our parishioners to consider helping us match those funds. Our goal is to raise $9,000, which will cover the cost of parts and labor for the installation.

With summer weather still upon us, we hope to schedule this work soon. Please prayerfully consider making a gift toward our new HVAC system. Your generosity will help ensure that St. Mary’s remains a comfortable and welcoming place for worship and fellowship for years to come.

Further, as we begin to prepare for additional renovations and improvements in the years ahead, we will begin taking up a second collection for the Building Fund on the first Sunday of each month following Communion.  I encourage everyone to prayerfully consider supporting this fund as you are able. Every gift, large or small, will help us be good stewards of the beautiful parish that has been entrusted to us.

Thank you for your generosity and continued support of St. Mary’s!

In Christ,

Fr. Luke Fleck