Making A Place At the Table -- Saint Pius X Church

Spreading the news

2010-04-22T23:33:00.000-04:00

Did you see the story on Fox 8 this weekend? Check it out:

Visit the News&Record's article here. And we're tickled that they linked readers back to our blog to see the great time lapse video that Connie Book and Tom Martin collaborated on.

And you can see another short story on WFMY-TV's website DigTriad.com.

Finally, check out News14Carolina's story here.

How are you spreading the news?

Don't forget to tell your friends and neighbors about our Open House on April 25th from 2-4pm!

When a building becomes a church

2010-04-17T22:13:00.000-04:00

We've been "Making A Place At The Table" for more than a year and a half now. This afternoon, the structure we've all been watching on this blog stopped being a construction project, stopped being a building and instead became a church.

It happened at 3:00pm, according to Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, during his remarks at the end of a wonderful rite of dedication.

Some 1,200 parishioners, priests and other special guests gathered outside on a beautiful spring day to begin the rite of dedication. This was the first church dedication I've ever attended, and I found the experience moving.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis led the ceremony, sprinkling holy water on the walls of the church. He used chrism on the altar, rubbing the mixture of olive oil and balsam into the marble surface to consecrate it. Then it was time for the incense.

The perfumed smoke rose high from the altar, up to the bottom of our crucifix. As it rose, the sunlight coming in through the clerestory windows caught it and created an interesting effect.

Can you see how the light from the windows looks like beams coming in from above? I heard a lot of folks commenting about this moment after the dedication. Then preparations were made at the altar to ready it for Mass, and that Mass completed the ceremony.

Some of you may be wondering: did the church fit 1,200 people inside? How many were left standing? None. We all had a seat, and frankly, I think we could have fit another 50 people inside the main sanctuary comfortably -- and that's not counting the day chapel. We all had seats and elbow room.

Afterward a lovely reception filled the cloister area outside the church -- and I bet we can expect to see more of them. I overheard Tom Martin telling folks who asked how the walkways were designed wide enough to hold tables and still provide room to pass by, making it a perfect spot for special events and other celebrations.

As Monsignor said in his closing remarks, we should remember that this ceremony isn't the ending of a project, it's really a beginning.

St. Pius the Tenth Catholic Church Time Lapse

2010-04-12T15:43:00.001-04:00

Tom Martin took photos of the construction as it unfolded from the same location for 401 days. You can watch "Making a Place at the Table" go from 401 days to 1 minute.

HAPPY EASTER!!

2010-04-04T09:39:00.007-04:00

I want to wish all the faithful followers of the MAKING A PLACE AT THE TABLE Blog a happy and blessed Easter. We are now less than two weeks away from celebrating the first Masses in our new church.

As our construction draws to its conclusion I thought I would post one last series of photos to share several images that you will enjoy in years to come. As has been mentioned before, the light entering St. Pius X will give us different views throughout the day and almost serve as a clock depending upon which Mass you attend. During construction, I have shared several photographs which show this, however, none that reflect the true beauty you will witness in person. ENJOY!!

These next 2 photographs were taken at 9:00 AM and show the statue of the Blessed Mary.

This photograph was taken at 8:00 AM. You can see how the sun shines on the Crucifix. You can also see the sun coming through the clear story windows and forming a staircase on the far wall.

Any trip by the church at night will enable you to see the beautiful brick cross over our front entrance. This photograph and the one below were taken as I arrived for the 7 AM Easter Mass. What a beautiful view as we celebrate Christ's resurrection.

I have enjoyed sharing our progress with you over the past year with posting on the Blog. I appreciate all the kind words that were posted in comments as well as those shared with me in person. There will continue to be posting as we have our dedication as well as others that will chronicle our construction, however, this will be the final posting by me prior to the dedication.

GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS,
TOM

Three rocks become our cornerstones

2010-03-31T22:55:00.003-04:00

Last week on Palm Sunday, our parish celebrated one of the last steps before we dedicate our new church building -- laying the cornerstone. In our case, we have three.

One came from Italy, the birthplace of our parish's namesake -- Saint Pius X. Traveling in the suitcase of a parishioner, this rock may look a little different from most cornerstones.

The second comes from Peru, from our sister parish. Chiseled from the same traditional limestone of the churches there, we will cement our bond. (Literally!)

Our final cornerstone looks the most traditional of the three. It matches the stones used for our new facade.

All three were blessed by parishioners in the days leading up to Palm Sunday, and then officially by retired Bishop William Curlin during a ceremony after the 9:00am Mass. Our entire congregation joined in a procession to place the three stones on a cold, wet morning.

Here's a look at a photo slideshow of the event:

And if you would like to see video:

IT'S MOVING DAY

2010-03-25T12:56:00.013-04:00

I arrived Tuesday morning just as parents were beginning to drop off students for another exciting day at SPX School. At the same time, equipment was arriving to begin the process of moving the trailer which has been home for all the workers helping "Make A Place At the Table" for us. Since I've become a cub photographer and video operator, I documented the event. I only wish I had thought to sing that song from the Sound of Music that the Von Trapp children sang that goes "So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen Adieu... Adieu, Adieu, to you and you and you, Good Bye." In any case enjoy the video which I took while dodging Rush Hour travel as I stood in the middle of North Elm Street.

STAINED GLASS WINDOWS AT NIGHT

2010-03-15T16:11:00.011-04:00

As I drove to 7:30 AM Mass on Sunday, I almost wrecked my car, as I glanced at our "Place at the Table". The lights were on and you could see the beautiful stained glass windows. Since most folks aren't up that early mass, I took a couple photos to post.

As I've mentioned, we are beginning the work that will build our stone retaining wall at the Day Chapel entrance and the last of the brick work on the west wall.

After all the lifts were removed, we took several photos from the school parking lot overlooking the Kloster Center.

SIX WEEKS AND COUNTING

2010-03-07T16:44:00.006-05:00

I was reminded at mass on Sunday morning by one of the Blog followers that I had not posted anything this past week. To be honest, since we are getting toward the end of construction, I was going to take a week off. However, since I was asked, I decided to give another update.

This week, the outside began to take shape as most of the sidewalks were completed and all but one small section of curb and gutter for the parking lot was completed. If all goes well this week, the final grading for the parking lot will be completed as will the rest of the sidewalks. Another question I’m been hearing is about the opening on the Elm Street side of the church. This has stayed in its current form because its been providing access for materials and equipment. Now that all the major lifting has been complete, this section can be closed in and brick laid.

In the last posting you saw a video of the marble ambo and altar. The last two photographs show how the sanctuary and Baptismal font looked at the end of this week.

MORE MARBLE FROM ITALY

2010-02-22T18:00:00.010-05:00

Last week I posted a story about the marble for our church arriving from Italy. As I mentioned we had another shipment due and it arrived this weekend. This shipment included the additional marble for the altar steps as well as the marble that would form our altar table, ambo and baptismal font. The photos below show the truck's arrival and moving the marble into the church.

Next you see the marble for the altar table being assembled.

Once the base is formed, the heavy work begins as members of our parish lift the altar top into place. This solid piece of marble weighs over 1,000 lbs.

The completed altar table and ambo stand ready for use. This photo was taken just after installation. The red strap around the table has now been removed.

Following are two videos which show part of the installation.

DOORS FROM KENTUCKY AND MARBLE FROM ITALY

2010-02-13T14:04:00.015-05:00

This week started early Monday morning when a truck from Schiller's Architectural Hardware and Door Systems in Lexington, Ky arrived with all the doors for our church. This was following at noon, by a truck carrying Marble from Italy. That truck had left New York's port on Sunday after the record setting snowfall and the outside of it looked like it.

Below are photos showing the doors arrival. The name Schiller may not be known to you, but its a major presence in Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio and has Greensboro connections. Schiller's is a family owned business and that family includes Deanna Shannon, a Church member. One photo shows the three Shannon boys posed in front of the truck as it's being unloaded.

One of our parish members is providing all the marble for the altar as well as for the Baptismal area. The marble made the slow journey across the Atlantic from Italy arriving in New York City. Last Sunday, while many were watching the Super Bowl and others were digging out of record snowfalls along the east coast, a truck driver was making his way south carrying a precious cargo. The following show the arrival at noon in Greensboro.

The following show the meticulous process of preparing the area and laying the marble on the altar. Even though there is snow on the ground outside, work continued all day on the inside. You will notice in the video below, woodwork that has taken place on the altar this week.

On February 13th workers from Rentenbach were on site, despite the snow, getting the cloister ready for sidewalks. Thesub contractor was originally going to begin building forms for the sidewalks today, but that wasn't possible. If the weather cooperates, we will have sidewalks around the church in the next week.

FINAL STAINED GLASS DELIVERY

2010-02-04T16:34:00.011-05:00

It's been another snowy/wet week as we Make A Place at the Table. However, on Wednesday the last of our historic windows arrived. This video clip shows the installation of windows in the niche where we will also have a marble statute of St Pius X.

The rest of this posting will shows samples of other windows that will be along the North Elm Street side of our church and along the rear parking lot.

These photos are ones that will be in the niche where we will have a statute of Mary.

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The photo above and to the left are windows in the niche where the St. Pius X marble statute will be placed

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This is the Holy Family window. In this niche we will also have a marble statute of Joseph. I did a closeup so you could see the vibrant colors in the windows

This final photograph shows the progress that has been made on the
altar this week.

SNOW!!

2010-01-31T12:17:00.006-05:00

Since it's been a snowy weekend and many of you may be confined to your home, I thought I'd post a couple photographs of SPX in the snow. Unfortunately this is the 3rd major event we've had during our construction. Between the snow and rain, we just can't seem to get the cloister and future parking lot dry enough to grade. Maybe in the next couple weeks we can get the final grading completed.

Even with the snow, major work was accomplished last week. The trim work continues to go up and keeps looking better. In addition, the altar began to take shape.

Hope you've enjoyed the photographs around our campus.

GERMANY TO INDIANA TO GREENSBORO IN 110 YEARS

2010-01-22T15:27:00.021-05:00

Around 10:00 AM on Monday, a truck from Statesville Stained Glass arrived at our construction site. Since we began making our "Place at the Table" we have looked forward to seeing the 100+ year old stained glass windows in their new home. In past posts, you have learned about the history of these windows and the process to restore them to their original brilliance. For this post, I tried to capture the installation in photos and video. Unfortunately the bright lights from the windows made video from my camera problematic. I was able to capture a small portion of the installation of the "Sacred Heart of Jesus" window which is at the end of the BLOG. Here are photos of the process beginning with inspecting the windows before unloading them.

Unloading the windows was a smooth process with the windows set out in sections. You can see Todd our Superintendent and Susan Melvin checking them out before they were loaded into the lift for their permanent home.

The next photos show how the windows fit into place and are clipped.

You can then see the Crucifix in front of two windows. Of course the missing window is the Nativity .

At the end of the morning, we had in place a view which we will be able to enjoy in person for years to come starting April 17th.

Of course these photos are above the altar, but there were also 10 windows installed in the Day Chapel. The following photos show several of the Day Chapel windows. In one Msgr. Marcaccio and Guy Lizotte discuss these windows with "Doodle" (our assistant superintendent).

In closing, I mentioned earlier that I had made numerous attempts to capture the installation in video. This footage was shot in the Day Chapel as the last section of window was installed. Its dark but hopefully you can see it OK.

JOURNEY FROM TREE TO CRUCIFIX

2010-01-16T18:44:00.018-05:00

The long awaited week finally arrived when the Crucifix we will see each time we enter St. Pius X is now in place. This BLOG will show the story which began with logging one of our oak trees. If you read the December 23rd posting "What A Difference a Year Makes" you saw the video of a tree that nearly landed on the Building Chairman and Project Superintendent. The reason I took that video is that this tree provided the wood for the crosses that will be over both of our altars. I will take you on a pictorial journey from tree to Crucifix.

The photographs below show the plank that was used for the cross being sawed into a board and placed on a truck to be kiln dried. Tim Samelak, a parishoner, took this wood and built three crosses for us. One cross is being used over the main altar and the second one will be used in the Day Chapel. Since we had enough wood, a third cross was also crafted. More on that later.

We did an extensive search in order to find the perfect corpus for the cross. After over a year of searching and trying to find a corpus that we could rescue from another closed Catholic church we settled on the corpus hand carved by Demetz, who is the most famous Italian wood and statue carver. The corpus is chestnut wood and the detail is fabulous. This photo shows Scott Knox holding the Body of Christ after opening the crate upon its arrival at Priba Funiture.

After the corpus was mounted on the cross, we see workers from Rentenbach, including Todd D'Andrea (Superintendent) and Johnatan "Doodle" Kilby ( Assistant Superintendent), begin this journey as they carry the crucifix into our church.

Once the crucifix arrived inside, the process of connecting it to the pulley system that had been attached to the beam began. We had to raise the crucifix twice. The first time was to get the exact measurements for the cable. Below you see Todd D'Andrea do some last minute work in order for the cable to be attached to the cross-member, then you see the crucifix as it's attached to the pulley system which will lift it in place. As Superintendent, Todd went over and above the call of duty in staining the cross and making all the connections necessary.

Once the crucifix has reached the appropriate height, the first photos show the 3/8 inch steel cable which will hold it in place. You then see the first cable being attached to the steel beam.

This video shows a portion of the Crucifix being raised. Due to the slow process and limitation on the size of each video I was only able to capture a portion of the process.

As we conclude this writing, I'll end with several photos showing what we'll be enjoying for years to come. The crucifix is 33 feet in the air... the number of years that Jesus walked on earth.

A New Year Brings New (Old) Stained Glass Windows

2010-01-14T21:57:00.013-05:00

At last! It's 2010 and our church is just a few months away from completion. If you think it looks amazing now, just wait until you see how the next step transforms the building.

Next week, the stained glass windows are scheduled to be installed. Salvaged from a Catholic church being closed, these windows will add beauty and a sense of tradition to St. Pius X. We last posted about the windows here.

Connie Book, one of our parishioners, created the video below which shows several pictures of the family of 21 stained glass windows, which were being restored at Statesville Stained Glass.

Connie also chatted with Lance Waggener, a manager with Statesville Stained Glass, who shares how stained glass windows are developed and gives some background on the business they do around the world.

What do you think of our stained glass windows? We'd love to hear your opinions in the comments.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES PART 2

2009-12-26T13:23:00.003-05:00

After a lot of research, I realized that the reason I had difficulty posting the tours I had recorded was a limitation on the size of each video. Now, after going back to the church I have broken down the tour into 2 videos showing the outside and one showing the main Nave. The first video begins in front of SPX School and shows the renovation that was completed over the summer including stone and brick work which replicates the look of our new church. In addition new windows were installed and the building painted giving it a new look that will give our campus a unified look. This video ends at the Bell Tower and Columbarium and our new front entrance.

The second part of the outside tour begins at the Bell Tower and ends with a view of the cloister from the back parking lot.

The last video was taken from the future location of our altar and gives a panoramic view of the Nave.

WHAT A DIFFENCE A YEAR MAKES

2009-12-23T15:52:00.011-05:00

It's hard to believe it has been less than a year since the wrecking ball arrived on North Elm Street to begin demolition of our former church and office building. That's correct. It was December 29, 2008 when many of you lined Elm Street to watch the beginning of this journey to "MAKE A PLACE AT THE TABLE"

As the year comes to an end I thought I'd post a video from early 2009. I was a novice at blogging when all this began. In fact I didn't even know how to use the video on my camera. Guess it has to do with being in my 60s. In any case, I took a video of part of the grading and removal of trees. This first video is special because it captures one of the oaks that has been used to create the cross over our altar. Watch carefully as you can tell that trees don't always go where they should. I was standing at the Columbarium, just far enough away. The video is just over a minute, but be assured you want to watch until the end. Sorry about the quality but this was my first effort. I'm glad I took it.

I've been trying all day to post 4 more videos but have only been able to get one to download. Therefore, I'm breaking this video into 2 parts.

This is a walking tours through the church showing the status as we end the year without all the noise of the workers. It was taken on December 26th and begins at the entrance to the Day Chapel.

I have taken 3 additional videos which I hope to post later today as the second part.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

SNOW

2009-12-19T16:19:00.004-05:00

A FEW IMAGES TAKEN TODAY OF FRIDAY'S SNOWFALL!

THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS

2009-12-16T17:06:00.005-05:00

It's Wednesday, December 16th and I decided to take my camera and visit our future home. As I arrived there weren't a large number of workers around, BUT the work being performed is making a difference. Not only did I find some video worth taking, I found some wonderful opportunities to photograph the sun coming in through the upper windows. Even with all the work taking place, you can begin to see the how light will affect our church during different times of day. The other photograph shows workers from Statesville Stain Glass installing the frames and protective glass.

The first video was taking showing the work being performed by the brick masons as they top off the last columns of the cloister. This will enable the remainder of the framing to be installed as well on the roofing.

The second video shows the frames and protective glass being installed on the remaining windows along the Elm Street Frontage. If all goes well, all the frames and protective glass along the north wall will be in place this week.

LATEST VIDEO TOURS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

2009-12-13T10:48:00.007-05:00

After several weeks with no new posts, I've added three new videos. The first one shows work taking place on the cloister as the brick columns gets closer to completion while work on the roof and framing continues.

The second video shows our stone masons hard at work in the Narthex installing the base around the columns which support the sky light.

The third and final video shows work taking place in the Day Chapel. Workers are painting the side walls as you can see more work that has been completed on the stone and brick wall.

In addition to the videos, I've attached photos of the outside north wall which has been completed except for installation of windows which will begin this week. Also shown is the updated progress on the inside north wall as it nears completion, tile being installed in the bathrooms, and work on the cloister.

DUELING PAINTERS AND THE CLOISTER TAKES SHAPE

2009-11-10T16:49:00.006-05:00

What better way to spend a raining Tuesday, then to download new videos. The first video was taken inside our new church passing from through the Narthex showing all the painters (17 in all) working on what is normally a day off. By the end of the day, they had painted over 90% of the beams that support our ceiling.

The second video shows the brick and stone masons hard at work on the columns that will provide the structure for our 12 ft. wide sidewalk and gathering place. Hopefully within the next week, all the stone and brick will be in place.

We had a lift available last week so we took the opportunity to take photographs showing our church at a much higher level. Lastly is a photograph showing how the ceiling looks as painting progresses.

A VISIT BY SPX STUDENTS

2009-10-23T16:32:00.010-04:00

Something NEW and EXCITING happened at the construction site of St. Pius X on Thursday. Over 400 excited students got a first hand look at what was taking place inside. They listened as Msgr. Marcaccio talked about our new church and then each class wrote favorite scriptures on four walls where the Stations of the Cross will be placed. After writing their scripture selections, each class member signed his/her name. Their signatures will be preserved as part of our "Place at the Table". Hope you enjoy watching the video clips and some still photos from Thursday activities.

This clip shows the first group of students arriving!

In the second clip Monseyor Marcaccio explains what the students are doing and how their signatures will be preserved.

Do you think this student is excited??

Did you ever wonder how tall our new church will be?

How many seats will we have?

Students Everywhere

ENJOY THE COLLAGE OF PHOTOS FROM THURSDAY'S VISIT!!!!!

FIRST VIDEO TOUR

2009-10-09T19:14:00.007-04:00

Major efforts are underway as we "MAKE A PLACE AT THE TABLE", but its very difficult to capture with regular photographs. Therefore today, I begin a new feature where I walk through the construction and let you watch as our new church begins to take shape. I will be posting 3 different videos in this first posting.

The first video was taken as I walked from the Parking through the mud (we had 3/4 inches of rain last night) to the cloister and the front entrance.

The second video begins just inside the front doors and walks from the Narthex into the Nave. The workers you will see are spraying sealer on the ceiling.

The third video was taken beginning at the rear of our church near the entrance to the Day Chapel. All the windows you see have the protective glass installed and our restored Stained Glass Windows will be installed near the end of construction.

PROGRESS CONTINUES

2009-10-04T12:45:00.010-04:00

HVAC UNITS ARE STORED IN PARKING LOT

THEN THE UNITS ARE MOVED TO THE BASEMENT

THE PERMANENT HOME FOR THE HVAC SYSTEM

CLOISTER BEGINS

CLOISTER COLUMNS CONTINUE

SHEETROCK BEING TAKEN INTO CHURCH

SHEETROCK AND INSULATION AWAITING INSTALLATION

SKYLIGHT GOES UP AS PREP WORK CONTINUES FOR SHINGLES

INSULATION COMPLETED IN MAIN NAVE AND AWAITS SHEETROCK

INSULATION AND SHEETROCK GOES UP IN CHOIR PRACTICE ROOM

LAST OUTSIDE STONE WALL BEGINS

VIEW SHOWING WINDOW FRAMES IN CHOIR PRACTICE ROOM

FRONT VIEW FROM DRIVEWAY

THE FRONT ENTRANCE SHINES AS WE CELEBRATE LABOR DAY

2009-09-05T14:33:00.015-04:00

As we began the LABOR DAY weekend, I stopped by the construction of SPX and found a beautiful sight. The long awaited cross over the front entrance to our church was completed earlier in the week. Today with the scaffolding removed the view we will be enjoying for years is evident in all its glory.

Since "Making a Place at the Table" has been a labor of love and sacrifice for so many people, it seemed fitting to provide a Photo Essay showing the construction of the cross. I'd like to start this Post with a special Thank You to one company and several individuals. First to John Lewandowski, our architect, for his design that replicated the Cross that stood for years in front of our church. Second to Pine Hall Brick for donating the custom made brick. Third, to Eddie Land, a church member, whose company meticulously laid each brick in place over a two week period.

After installing the stone up to the base of the cross, the brick began to go up.

Since each brick was customed designed and a different shape. Therefore, they were laid out on the platform first before beginning to apply the mortar to be sure of the design. Even with the precision with which the bricks were crafted, there was still some work that had to be done before the installation.

With the help of Rentenbach, we were able to get some interesting views of the construction.

On Saturday, with the scaffolding removed, you can see the beauty that will live on.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL...

2009-08-22T14:18:00.011-04:00

This was the last week of construction before SPX School opens for the fall semester next week. The construction zone looked like bees flying around a hive as workers attempted to get as much work done as possible and to clean up the parking lot for Monday’s first carpool line. None of the sub contractors who are working now have ever experienced morning and afternoon pickup and even though we’ve tried to explain the process, nothing can truly prepare them for that first day. We had considerable good news this week, but what will help the most is that we have gravel down in the parking lot which enables us to begin storing materials there instead of the back parking lot and also to remove our sediment pond and finish installing the new parking lot. In addition, with the ceiling completely installed and all the framing of the walls completed that also frees up much needed space.

As graduation took place, our church was just a skeleton of steel as shown in the photographs below.

Now its almost totally enclosed with the roof insulation and roof itself scheduled to start going up the first day of class.

I’d be remiss, if I didn’t show a photo of SPX School prior to the renovations

and the way it looks as school begins. The last post (Thanks Stephanie Skordas for an excellent story) goes into detail of the work that took place, but this is the way it looks as a completed project. Thanks to Rentenbach Contractors for pulling off a miracle by completing this remodeling in record time. Also thanks to the SPX staff for their patience as work was taking place right up to the day of Open Houses.

Saint Pius X School gets spruced up too

2009-08-04T12:13:00.009-04:00

While you're driving by on Elm Street admiring the soaring heights of the new Saint Pius X Catholic Church and marveling at well, how church-y it's looking, don't forget to glance over at Saint Pius X Catholic School too. You might do a double-take.

The school started a spruce up project that began on June 25th and is slated to wrap up before students return on August 24th. Here's what you'll see:

New tan paint to blend with the church's color scheme
Stone facing on columns to match the stone structure of the church
New entryway
Improved handicapped-accessible door on the side of the school with remote access and security camera
New energy-efficient windows with ecclesiastical points to match the church

"The new windows replace windows that are original to the school," says Principal Anne Knapke. "Not only are they more energy-efficient, but they are also tinted which will minimize the greenhouse effect some of those front classrooms faced in the afternoons." Knapke says the new windows should show an effect on the school's energy bills too.

In order to see some other improvements, you'll have to check out the building from Cornwallis Avenue. A group of volunteer parents and Duke Energy employees have improved and extended two retaining walls near the playground in a three-week construction project. The playground improvements have been spearheaded by parishioner and SPX parent John Walsh, a Duke Energy engineer and paid for mostly via a Duke Energy foundation grant with some additional funding from the PTO.

The whole school update project is a sister project made possible by the school's capital improvement fund and savings, and does not come from the Making A Place At The Table pledges. But the school was able to take advantage of the proximity of the Rentenbach Construction contractors to get this work done at reduced rates and before the school year begins.

"The overall improvements make the school look 25 years younger," Knapke says. "Our school looks more inviting and has great curb appeal from the road."

Have you seen the SPX school improvements? What do you think? We'd love to see your comments below.

IT'S HARD TO SEE, BUT THE WORK CONTINUES

2009-07-19T15:37:00.012-04:00

We had another another very productive week on site. If you’ve been by, the look of the church hasn’t changed much because most of their efforts were inside. The installation of the ceiling and protective plywood and tarpaper continued.

The framing continued on the inside and outside with the window openings along the top of the Nave clearly visible.

Preparation for pouring the concrete floor in the Day Chapel and back of the Nave was completed as seen in the photo above.

The concrete trucks arrived at 6:30 AM on Monday and the pouring of the floors previously mentioned began. It took all day to get the finished look on the floors. Now the framing can begin in these areas.

PART TWO: NOW YOU SEE IT, SOON YOU WON'T!!

2009-07-04T15:59:00.008-04:00

In the last posting, you saw photographs of the plumbing which had been placed in the wing where the bathrooms are to be located. The photograph above (left) shows the same area after gravel has been placed in preparation for pouring the concrete floor. In the last article, the HVAC duct work was exposed. Now, (right photo), the ducts have been encased with concrete. The next step is for gravel to be placed (this should happen the week of July 6th) in preparation for the concrete floor to be poured in the Day Chapel.

The above photographs show the progress that has been made on the roof/ceiling. As you saw last time, the plating (wood) had been placed on the steel girders. Now you can see the ceiling has been installed in much of the Nave (right). The photograph on the left shows the outside, which has plywood over the ceiling and tar paper. After completing this process over the entire Nave and Day Chapel, it will be time for the roofing to be installed.

In the last posting, all you could see were the metal frames around the front of the church. Now that framing has been covered. There are two different boards placed around the church. The plywood is where stone will be installed and the other boards will be where brick will be laid. If all goes well, this process will begin the week of July 6th also.

NOW YOU SEE IT, SOON YOU WON'T!!

2009-06-20T14:56:00.014-04:00

Even though the monsoons have left us, we still had rain everyday last week. That's the bad news, but the good news is that we had sub contractors working all but one day and one crew came in and worked a full day on Saturday. In fact, I'm not sure that we could have fit any more equipment or personnel on the property than we had. As the title indicates, the work taking place now, will soon be out of sight. I thought this would be a good time to show you close ups of activities taking place.

These photos show the work taking place on the plumbing for the bathrooms. In the next week or so, the concrete floor will will be poured on top of all these pipes.

When we begin holding services, we want to have an efficiently operated HVAC system. This would not be possible without hundreds of feet of underground ductwork. These photos show some of the ductwork that will go from the basement along the side of the main nave. You can also see the amount of piping that is being installed in the Day Chapel. It crosses from side to side. All of this ductwork will soon be encased in concrete.

The activity taking place in the air, is called "plating". This is when wood in bolted to the steel beams. After this work is done, the wood ceiling will be mounted to the beams. The planks for the ceiling will arrive on Monday with installation beginning then.

What is easy to see now, is the shape of the church as the metal studs are being installed along the front entrance. The outside framing will continue next week, along with the framing of the walls inside the Narthex.

DID SOMEONE SAY NATATORIUM?

2009-06-06T16:10:00.005-04:00

Anyone who lives in Greensboro knows we had more than our share of rain since Wednesday night. The monsoons hit us late afternoon with as much as 7 inches of rain flooding homes and roads throughout Greensboro. According to the rain gage, we had 3 inches of rain at the church . Even though the basement is almost totally enclosed, 18 inches of water poured in, which would be a good start toward a Natatorium. The water came down the trenches where the HVAC is being installed and into the openings in the side walls. On Thursday with the pump working all day, the water level in the basement was down to 6 inches, then came more rain that night. Friday morning the level was up to 23 inches and the pump kept running. With the pumps still running, the water was back down to a few inches when I checked midday on Saturday.

Even though, we had that setback, this was a good week. You will notice at Mass this weekend that the steel has all been erected and the church is now taking shape. You can clearly see the shape of the Main Nave, Day Chapel and locations where the stained glass windows will be placed. Even with the weather delays we continue to make progress toward "Making A Place At The Table"

AN EARLY MORNING DELIVERY

2009-05-31T10:20:00.007-04:00

At 5:30 AM on Friday, May 29th, two 9 ton, 70 foot long steel girders made the 5 mile trek up Elm Street from Williams Steel. By 6:10 AM the driver had maneuvered his rig onto our property and the girders were ready to be unloaded.

Msgr. Marcaccio, Parish Commission Chair Dick Pauley, and Building Chair Tom Martin check out the girders after their arrival. Fortunately they didn't have to do anything but watch.

A little after 8:00 the first of the girders was hoisted into the air and by 8:15 it had been bolted into place. The activity was exciting for the school carpool line and gave everyone a lot to look at. Several parish members stopped by to watch the excitement. Joe Plesh and Guy Lizotte pose in front of the newly erected girder. The second large beam is goes up on Monday.

More Steel on the Way!!

2009-05-25T19:20:00.004-04:00

Happy Memorial Day! There was no activity on our church today, but that all changes tomorrow. The last 2 weeks have provided us with the framework for the Narthex and Day Chapel as well as the floor and decking for the Narthex. Tomorrow, a larger crane which you may have seen this weekend will be setup and ready for the first truck to arrive with the steel for the Main Nave.

These Photos show the results of the last week. With luck from the weather

Steeling ourselves

2009-05-17T09:41:00.010-04:00

If you've driven past our construction site on North Elm this week, you've seen how our new church is really starting to take shape.

Williams Steel, a Greensboro firm located on South Elm-Eugene Street has been working to fabricate all the steel we'll need for"Making a Place at the Table".

The company loaded up six trucks and started bringing it all 200 pieces of steel over, piece by piece on Monday, May 11th.

As the workers unloaded the steel beams, they laid them out across the site in preparation for construction -- which would start the same day. By Monday afternoon, many of the uprights were already in place.

This week, work has been done in the narthex, the chorus practice room/family room, bathrooms, the side wall opposite Elm Street and the day Cchapel. Currently the basement is 80% completed.

The outline is emerging:

As you look at this view of our church, here are a couple of interesting points. The square you notice at the top of the narthex is where a skylight will flood our sanctuary with natural light. And even though we can see the outline of our church, the central nave in the sanctuary will actually be 17 feet higher than the steel which has already been erected.

This week workers will continue to use the steel onsite so watch for more growth and changes as the narthex and day chapel will be framed in steel. The concrete floor of the narthex will be poured and the crane repositioned for the rest of the steel to come.

Phase II of our steel work is expected to begin May 26th when the next round of steel comes. That work will include the sanctuary. Also in late May or early June, the two largest beams which form the center nave will be delivered. These beams each weigh 9 tons and are 70 feet long. Here's one of them, from a photo taken at Williams Steel.

These two huge beams will most likely come to our site at night and go directly from the truck to their final places in the center nave. We expect all the steel work to be completed in 30 working days.

Special thanks to Tom Martin for his photos, timeline and construction tidbits.

A Construction Tail

2009-05-08T14:23:00.012-04:00

When Saint Pius X Church started "Making a Place at the Table" for all in our parish, we never expected to have this unusual family take us up on the offer.

A feral cat who has long visited our church grounds, created her own "Place at the Table" when she delivered five kittens behind an AC unit beside the Kloster Center. When workers lifted that unit this week, they found the three-week old kittens huddled together.
The workers used materials at hand to keep the kittens safe, while calling the church office with the news.

Teresa Marie Vestal and Jeanine Lazusky grabbed a mail carrier box and a towel to collect the kittens: three boys and two girls, all in great health. You can see how cute they are in these photos. All together, there were two calico females, two orange males and one black male with white paws.

Just look at those faces! Teresa and Janine spent about an hour with them, showing them to the Saint Pius X school office staff. That's when first grade assistant Mrs. Holly Fortun called her neighbor, Cynthia Johnson, who quickly came over to bottle feed the new kittens. Not only did she feed them lunch that day, but she also made arrangements to have the kittens receive their first shots, get dewormed and even found a home for one of the orange males.

Monsignor's veterinarian, Dr. Tina, took on the kittens as new patients and cleared them to be placed in homes once they can eat on their own.

Meantime, we're so grateful to Cynthia Johnson for her time and effort to keep our new parish pets healthy until their adoption days come.

One of our parishioners, Peggy Delisi, has tried to catch the feral mom for several years, and owns several kittens from the mama cat's previous litters. The Feral Cat Society has been called, and together we're trying to ensure the mama cat is spayed and then released.

After the kittens' nine lives were spared, construction workers resumed their installation of the new AC units behind the Kloster Center.

Special thanks to Teresa Marie Vestal and Tom Martin for their pictures and accounts of the kittens' tail ... I mean tale.

*** Edited to add update.

If you'd like to adopt one of these kittens when they are old enough, please contact Teresa Marie Vestal. You can email her at teresamarievestal (at) gmail (dot) com.
And I am deliberately spelling out her email address so she is not added to many, many email lists by robot spammers. You would write it in the usual way when you send the email, though.

BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION

2009-05-03T14:47:00.011-04:00

Today at mass, the Responsorial Psalm was "The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone". Well, we're working on getting the cornerstone for our new church home, but first we must build a strong foundation. Building the foundation is a slow process, but a critical one. Since, most of the work to build the foundation is out of sight, I thought this would be a good time to show you what's been happening.

First, the surveyor gives the workers points that they use for measurements. They then put markings on the dirt where the column lines and footings must be placed. After this meticulous task, the workers get a backhoe and begin digging out the area.

After the trenches are dug, rebar or a reinforcing bar (a common steel bar used in reinforced concrete) is placed in the holes that have been dug. In addition, plates are installed that will be used to mount the steel beams. Once this is completed, the City inspected the work and then concrete is poured.

Once the concrete dries, the finished foundation is ready for placement of the steel beams. Depending on the size of steel that will be placed, each footing is approximately 4 feet square and 3 feet deep.

WE HAVE A FLOOR AND THE DIRT IS GONE!!

2009-04-29T17:03:00.004-04:00

The look at the c0nstruction site is changing rapidly now. First, since the last posting, the walls around the basement have been finished and the basment floor has been poured. Dirt has been moved from the large piles to locations around the property to get the site closer to the finished grade. Footings continue to be dug and poured. In fact as of today, the entire east side and Day Chapel footings have been poured and footings have been dug for the entire north wall.

All of this is exciting but the real excitement begins with the arrival of steel on May 7th. If schedules hold, the end of next week steel will be placed in the basement and then on May 11th, the large beems will start rising toward the sky.

The photographs above show, work on the basement floor and views of the property looking toward and away from the Bell Tower which helps you see the progress being made.

BASEMENT CLOSER TO BEING ENCLOSED

2009-04-19T19:13:00.009-04:00

Well, we had another 2 days lost to rain, BUT that didn't slow down Rentenbach Contractors or their sub contractors. We were able to get the last portion of the basement walls built. You may be able to read the name of Savage Pumpers in the photograph. Scott Savage, a parishioners has been pumping all the concrete for the basement walls.

Hopefully you also noticed that one pile of dirt is almost gone and the other is being rapidly depleted. That's because the sides of the basement have dirt back in place so that the structure is actually beginning to look like a basement.

In addition, the footings were dug and poured for the beginnings of the outside walls for the choir practice room and the outside walls of the sanctuary. There's a lot more to be done this week in advance of the steel arriving in early May and I'll keep you posted.

WHERE DID ALL THE DIRT GO?

2009-04-11T15:51:00.015-04:00

As I'm getting ready to celebrate Easter Sunday, I thought, what better time to provide another update on progress on "Making A Place At the Table". A lot has happened in the last month. As you know, we've had an extremely wet winter and have lost 17 days of construction time due to rain and/or snow, but not to worry.

The last posting showed forms up in preparation for pouring the walls of the basement. As of today, all but approximately 50 feet of the basement walls have been built. In fact, the forms are ready to close in the portion of the basement which served as the access ramp to get equipment into the basement. Early next week that wall should be completed. Also, from the street you can't tell, but there is gravel placed inside the walls, in preparation for pouring the basement floor.

Once all the completed walls were waterproofed, we were able to begin moving dirt from one of the large piles to back fill behind the basement walls. So far the elevation has been raised by about 7 feet on 3 sides of the basement. This is a critical part of the construction, because the area around the basement walls needed to be leveled to the top of the wall so that footings for the steel structure could be poured. I say this is critical because the steel should be arriving for installation in early May. It won't be long until the structure really begins to take shape.

Sacred Salvage: stained glass windows

2009-04-02T22:14:00.006-04:00

Lance Waggener who oversees sales at Statesville Stained Glass walks Connie Book through the process of refurbishing stained glass. Statesville Stained Glass is refurbishing the windows the parish purchased from a church being closed.

In this video clip, Lance explains how workers make an etching of the window, disassemble it and then rebuild the supports.

There are 21 of these century-old windows that will be installed in our new church. They were crafted in Bavaria by Oidtmann & Company, the oldest continuous manufacturer or stained glass in Germany.

Connie also wrote an article about her visit to Statesville Stained Glass in our parish's Echoes newsletter.

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY

2009-03-17T16:31:00.004-04:00

First, we had snow, and now we've had 5 days of rain which turned the church basement into a swimming pool. As of last Friday, we had the basement walls formed and were ready to pour concrete....That is until the rains started. Yesterday, with it still raining we had several inches of water in the basement. Therefore on Tuesday, we began pumping the water out so we get back to work on the walls. The photo above shows what it looked like after all the rain.

New photos to share

2009-03-10T21:41:00.005-04:00

When I say new photos, I really mean "new to this blog". Our parishioners are sharing some real gems with us. We shared the slideshow from the groundbreaking ceremony from a few weeks ago.

How about this slideshow with photos taken during the 1954 groundbreaking? These photos from the archive show the groundbreaking, a first Holy Communion in 1955 and our parish celebrating Mass inside the school's gym.

And we've added new photos from the 2009 groundbreaking. That expanded slideshow is available here.

And if you'd like to see the architect's drawings of our new church and our prayer as we continue Making A Place at the Table, then just click here.

Just below, you see Tom Martin's beautiful photos of our surprise March snow. Those photos plus some additional snowy construction site photos sent in by MaryAnn Leudtke can be seen in a slideshow here.

SNOW DOWN

2009-03-02T19:09:00.010-05:00

Well, yesterday was a beautiful day in Greensboro, but not if you're wanting to continue "Making A Place At the Table". I thought you would want to see some photographs of SPX with all the snow on the ground. The first two photos are looking across the consturction site with the basement. As you can tell, you can't see the concrete that was poured last week. The last two photos show the beauty of our Cross and Bell Tower.

Concrete Pour

2009-03-02T18:48:00.007-05:00

Last week, footings were dug for over one half of the basement and installation of rebar or reinforcing bars (a common steel bar used to reinforce concrete and masonry structures) begun. Concrete was poured forming the footings which are 8 feet wide and 4 feet deep. It took 10 trucks containing over 90 cubic yards of concrete to complete this task.

The photos are as follows:

1. Footings being dug

2. Rebar installed

3. First concrete load being poured

4. After concrete poured and additional rebar in place getting ready for walls to be built

The Journey From Oak Trees To Crosses

2009-02-23T15:13:00.011-05:00

You may have noticed during the past month three logs stacked on the sidewalk near the old Parish Office. We saved those logs from two oak trees that had to be removed for our construction. If you enter our property from the north driveway now, you'll notice no logs but only sawdust in their place. Last Thursday, we had a sawmill operator come to our property and cut the logs into long lengths of boards. The wood was then loaded on a flatbed truck and taken to a lumber yard where it will be kiln dried.

After this process, four (4) large timbers will be crafted by a parishioner into two crosses to hang over the altar in the Sanctuary and Day Chapel. The remaining lumber will be used for cabinetry in the new church. As we begin the process of crafting the crosses, we'll document that effort and provide updates. The photographs that are included show one of the logs as the cutting is beginning, the same log as the cutting is nearly finished, and the truck leaving with all the wood ready to be kiln dried.

Breaking ground

2009-02-16T22:36:00.001-05:00

We couldn't have asked for better weather Sunday afternoon for the groundbreaking ceremony at Saint Pius X. Maybe it was the prayers of two bishops, three monsignors and a few hundred parishioners that made a difference, since the local weathermen were originally calling for clouds and rain.

We're starting to receive photos that you took at the groundbreaking. If you'd like to add yours to this slideshow on Flickr, please send them to spxgso@gmail.com.

Coming soon, some video from the ceremony on Sunday, but for now, here are links to the stories from the local media:

WFMY-TV "Saint Pius X Breaks Ground on New Church"

Greensboro News & Record "Catholic church breaks ground on sanctuary"

Our groundbreaking comes right on schedule as we continue Making A Place At the Table. If we get plenty of good weather, the new church should be finished in 14-16 months -- basically, Spring 2010. Just in time to celebrate our church's 50th anniversary. We're using this blog to keep you up to date on construction, finishing touches, behind the scenes info -- all kinds of information.

Grading the site

2009-02-12T22:02:00.000-05:00

If you haven't stopped by recently, there have been some big changes at Saint Pius X. The first photo is taken next to the columbarium, towards the driveway and Fountain Manor (basically, looking north along Elm Street. The school is behind me.)

The backhoe and bulldozer in the second photo are in the center of the site, with the driveway behind them. That large pile of dirt you see in this photo was a mini-mountain earlier this week. It dwarfed my car as I went through the school's carpool line. And I have a tallish baby SUV.

All this work is being done to create a strong foundation for our church. This month, several goals will be accomlished, according to Tom Martin, Building Committee Chair:

During February the remainder of the storm water system will be installed, dirt will be brought in to set the grade, and the building pad will be readied. The basement will be dug and and the footings for the foundation of the church along with the concrete walls will be poured.

We're all committed to keeping you in the loop as we make progress. This blog, the parish bulletin, ECHOES and other channels are being used to pass along the latest information. We also welcome your comments here.

Groundbreaking

2009-02-12T21:55:00.001-05:00

We hope you'll be able to join us this Sunday, February 15th, as we hold a groundbreaking for our new sanctuary.

The groundbreaking will be held after the 11:30 am Mass, which means we should all be there around 12:45pm for the ceremony and blessing. We have some special guests for this important occasion as we dedicate our site.

Plus, refreshments! We are planning to have a tent with hot apple cider available. Please join us and tell a friend.

The Trees

2009-01-25T12:41:00.000-05:00

If you attended Mass today, then you probably noticed something different about the construction site where our new sanctuary will rise. There are some trees missing.

We miss them too. If there were any way to preserve them, they would still be standing. The way the building codes required us to use the lot's footprint forced us to sacrifice some of the beautiful hardwoods that have sheltered us for so many years.

But if you look carefully, you may see that those tree trunks are stacked neatly to the side. The church has plans to reuse the wood from these majestic trees. We will build a cross from them, for one, and there are plans to create other projects from this wood.* Reusing this wood means that we will have to pay for it to be kiln-dried, milled and more. But we thought it was important for our parish to reuse and recycle these trees, since we were forced to remove them during construction of our new sanctuary.

This isn't the only recycling we are doing as we are "Making a Place at the Table." We have stories to tell you about the stained glass windows, the stations of the cross and more.

For now, you're welcome to give us your feedback on the construction so far. We'd love to hear your thoughts.

*Edited to update: Not every tree will be able to be used for church projects.

Welcome

2009-01-25T12:26:00.000-05:00

How many of you were standing on the sidewalk on Elm Street on December 29th when the construction equipment roared into action? There was a good group of spectators who witnessed the start of a new era, and plenty of coverage from the news media in Greensboro. It's not every day a parish takes the bold step of demolishing its sanctuary in order to build something that will benefit the community.

We have some of the photos posted on the web at Flickr.com. Click here to view a slideshow of that first day of demolition. We'd love you to post your photos on Flickr too, and let us know in the comments that you've done so and where they are. If you tag them "spxgso" it will be easy for us to find them.

It's been less than a month since construction began, and there are so many changes already.