April 7, 2008
Dear Friends,
Krisdos haryav ee merelotz - Christ is risen from the Dead!
The intent of this letter is to apprise you, the faithful, regarding the progress of the current renovation of our church sanctuary. At the end of 2007, the sanctuary ceiling was declared unsafe. The expert opinion of Robinson, Green, and Beretta Corporation is summarized in this statement: “It is RGB’s opinion that the present ceiling is not structurally sound and could be subject to failure, in part, with little warning, especially at areas where sagging is visually evident within the sanctuary. We, therefore, must recommend that its use be suspended and the sanctuary closed."
On Sunday, March 9, 2008 the dues-paying membership of Saints Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church convened in a special assembly to discuss and decide what needed to be done in order for the sanctuary to become usable again for worship. After a presentation on the scope and scale of the project by the Parish Council and significant discussion, the assembly gave its wholehearted approval to commence the project at an estimated cost of $325,000.
After careful consideration of various bids, the project was awarded to Kenwood Construction, whose owner is Mr. Ken Kazarian, a life-long parishioner.
The project will consist of a total restoration of the sanctuary ceiling; thorough cleaning, painting and re-carpeting of the sanctuary; bringing the electricity to code; and installation of fire sprinklers in sanctuary, classrooms and assembly area, beneath the sanctuary.
At present a massive staging has been erected in the sanctuary and the ceiling and light fixtures have been removed for restoration.
In case there were any questions about the necessity of this restoration, we have witnessed first hand the deplorable condition of the ceiling, which could have collapsed at any time. If all continues as planned, the contractor has assured us that the project will be completed before the beginning of June.
We are utilizing monies from our endowment fund in order for the sanctuary project to begin immediately. Restoration of the monies to our endowment will commence in the immediate future via a capital campaign that is being organized and led by committee co-chairs Ms. Laurie Onanian and Mr. Haig Yaghoobian. In the near future you will receive further information regarding how you can participate.
We are all very eager to return to worshipping in our soon-to-be-restored, glorious sanctuary.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions about the restoration project. For your information, Mr. Gary Taraian 508.761.4600 is the parish council liaison to the project. You may also follow the progress via the internet at: http://stsahmes.org/sahagSanctuary. If you do not have internet capabilities, you are most cordially welcome to view the website on our office computers — please call ahead 401.272.7712.
With prayers,
|
Father Simeon Odabashian |
John R. Kazarian |
