Last month’s heavy wind and rains caused damage throughout the region, affecting trees, roads, businesses and homes.  Churches were not exempt, including to some degree all four of our campuses comprising the Parish of the Assumption.

The location to sustain the greatest resulting damage was the Church of St Charles.  At literally all four corners of the building, the rain and water resulted in significant interior damage.  That damage was compounded by over a decade of previous roof and tower damage.  The effects from this series of storms caused damage extending from the roofs, down in and through the towers, the choir loft, the foyers and literally into the basement.  On the Sacristy sides, the storms caused increased damage to the walls and ceiling on the working sacristy sides as well as the vesting sacristy.  The repair and restoration costs are climbing into the hundreds of thousands of dollars - repairs that are desperately needed and beyond what neither the former St Charles Parish, nor the now combined Parish of the Assumption can afford.

With these recent events highlighting what many of us have either suspected or known for some time, the pastoral council, with the agreement and support of the finance council, recommended that Fr Marc petition the Bishop for permission to begin the process of investigating the sale of the former St Charles Parish properties.  The Bishop has given his permission to begin that consultation.

On Monday, May 3, 2010, 7:00PM, at the Church of St Charles, all interested parishioners are invited to an open meeting regarding the possible sale and future of the St Charles Church, former rectory and property.

Our fore-fathers' and fore-mothers' first desire was not a unique building or structure, it was to live their faith, and be able to pass it onto generations to come.  The revenue generated from their investment, the land and property of St Charles, will do much to continue their first desire, in the Parish of the Assumption, for this generation and generations to come.