Dear Parishioners,
Joyce Kilmer was considered the leading American Roman Catholic poet and lecturer of his generation. Unfortunately, Sgt. Kilmer was killed at the age of 31 during WWI in France. But not before writing the poem, Trees—“I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree…” However, these lovely creations of God can cause problems. While the oak trees alongside the church serve as a nice frame, they have required added expenses in time and money. Removing the leaves from the gutters every 4–6 weeks costs $7,000 or more a year, and it takes our sole maintenance man several hours each month to clear the window wells and keep the drains open to prevent water from coming into the lower church during heavy rains. Also, the roots have pushed up some blocks of the sidewalk causing dangerous trip hazards. Roots have also penetrated the underground plumbing, causing back-ups and the need to replace a large section of the raw sewage drain. Finally, leaves do get caught in the underground drains and require “Drain Sites” to come and snake the lines.
After discussing the situation, the Maintenance Committee recommended cutting the trees down and replacing the areas with smaller trees and bushes. The Parish Council, at its meeting on February 8th, unanimously agreed. The current plan is to take down the trees around the church in March and replace them with smaller trees, bushes and raised flower beds.
We are currently working with an experienced landscape designer who will help transform the side walkways into a more attractive and inviting setting for our church.
Fr. Carl
