Bernadette Murfitt and Pat McGill
3 May 2012
In a combined Our Lady of Fatima parish and St Francis Xavier school parents and friends project, the Leo Connor parish hall has been upgraded from seven percent of building code to full code in just six months.The hall has now been gifted to the school.
This is an example of stewardship at its best. Individuals from a wide range of backgrounds have combined resources to participate in the project.
Services that have been donated include planning and advice, drawings for council consent, liaison with the council, plastering, vinyl, labour, and drilling.
The school and parish community have also undertaken numerous fundraising tasks and donations over the years including fairs, sausage sizzles, raffles, quizzes.
Project costs were split between the parish and parents and friends of the school.
Our sincere thanks to:
- Mr Dave Donohue – director of Interact architects (parishioner of Our Lady of Fatima and St Francis Xavier School Trustee) who drew all the plans and successfully projectmanaged the process
- Joe and Anna Southeon from Timms flooring who donated linoleum and labour
- John Robinson from Darlington Drilling
- Interior Plastering Systems – Donna and Juan Mc Donald
- Nicholas Joe from Ampco
- Our Lady of Fatima parishioners and St Francis Xavier School parents and friends who have fundraised tirelessly over the years
- Fr John van der Kaa – parish priest Our Lady of Fatima Parish
- Ray Lindsay, St Francis Xavier School trustee and member of Parish Pastoral Council and hall committee
- Graeme Hanson – chair of Our Lady of Fatima finance committee
- Ed Juchnowicz – treasurer of Our Lady of Fatima Parish
- Margaret Weaver – member of Our Lady of Fatima Parish finance and hall committee
- St Francis Xavier School staff for their flexibility when the Parish Hall was available
- Catholic Schools Board staff for their advice and prompt responses
- Tawa Squash Club who willingly loaned the club facilities for full school activities
- Pete Mallon – current chairperson of St Francis Xavier School Board of Trustees
- Heather Burgess – ex-chairperson of St Francis Xavier School Board of Trustees
- Tracer Interiors main contractor
- Don Thomson – structural engineer
This has been a truly wonderful project. There is a lot of treasure in Tawa and it is an example of how effective stewardship is when we use the strengths and talents of the parish and school community to benefit others now and for generations to come.
Patrick McGill is a member of Our Lady of Fatima Finance committee and chairs the hall committee and Bernadette Murfitt is principal of St Francis Xavier School, Tawa.