Completed by Christmas

Before Christmas last year Teitsch-Kent-Fay Architects, P.C. was assisting Divine Mercy in Central Square with the design of their Information Center in front of the church building on Route 11. This work involved the redesign of the front yard area, including the entry walk, statue, landscaping, and a new digitally programmable information sign.

Father Christopher Seibt, the pastor of Divine Mercy received and accepted quotes for the work in the Fall of 2021, and Ed King, the Diocesean Construction Manager helped coordinate the construction. Work proceeded well into the fall with the landscaping, sidewalk installation and base for the statue, as well as the foundations and masonry piers for the new sign.

The project was coming together quite well even with the supply chain issues. Materials were acquired and installed either on, or slightly ahead of schedule. The exception to this were the digital panels for the information center sign. Father and the Parish very much wanted to have the digital sign up and running for the Christmas season, so they could advertise the holiday celebrations including Christmas Masses and Parish gatherings. The sign panels were ordered as soon as possible, and the “tentative delivery was scheduled for sometime between mid December and late January.

We all held our breath as delivery date after delivery date was rescheduled, some due to COVID issues others to supply chain problems. Everyone understood that due to the issues related to the pandemic, an amount of uncertainty in deliveries was unavoidable. However, the team was anxious to see this project completed for Christmas. Finally, when most of our hopes had dimmed, the local supplier indicated that he had received notice the signs were coming. Jaded from all the previous reschedulings, no one was counting on this date holding true, but somehow, it did! The sign panels were received at the Parish well into the Advent season, and the sign contractor was able to have them installed and programmed in time for the Christmas celebrations to be posted.

A Christmas miracle? Probably not, but a really nice Christmas present for the Parish. Since Christmas, Father has worked diligently on the landscaping elements which, throughout the spring and summer the plants have grown and really filled in beautifully. Father also had a Divine Mercy statue commissioned in Europe, which was delivered this summer and installed at the center of the new circular walk. The entire composition turned out beautifully, and really enhances the approach and entrance to the church building. Merry Christmas to all our friends at Divine Mercy, and thank you for letting us be a part of your vision.