My dear friends in Christ, happy Sunday!
Well, last week I mentioned my love of hot weather, and it certainly remains true; but my goodness, La Habra isn’t quite the same in terms of weather as my last assignment in Huntington Beach. When La Habra is hot, there’s no joking around about it: it’s hot. And I simply love it. Goodbye ocean breezes, hello desert winds!
In these weekly letters, one of the things I would like to do regularly is to express my gratitude to different staff members and volunteers, and this week offers a special opportunity. One of the first people I met upon arrival at OLG, with her smiling face and gracious spirit of welcome, was Stephanie Ruiz, a woman of many talents and a devoted parishioner. I am happy to report that Stephanie has decided to take a new position and shift her focus to our Outreach ministries, working directly with Scott Miller. As such, due to her new role, Stephanie has decided to step down from serving as our Faith Formation Director for Elementary School. While I have not had the opportunity to work with Stephanie for long, I am most grateful to her for her years of service to our children in faith formation, and I wish her nothing but the best as she transitions to working for Outreach. Thank you, Stephanie, and Godspeed!
As the Latin phrase has it, oremus pro invicem—let us pray for each other.
A commonly used saying in English is particularly apt for this episode of Weekly Updates: namely, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. In this case, that is all the truer; for, having told you last week about the intractable mold and asbestos issues we are facing, I now have the unenviable task of allowing you “backstage”, as it were, and giving you a pictorial survey. And so, without further ado, I am happy to present this week’s installment…
Episode 2: “Behold the Mold”
Stachybotrys chartarum—Black Mold—is a formidable enemy, especially when it has taken up long-term residence behind ceilings, walls, and floors that are also laden with asbestos. For you see, not only do we now have to remediate the mold as soon as possible, but in order to do so, it is also necessary to abate the asbestos. As such, please be patient with us as we continue to work with the Diocesan approved contractors towards a solution to our mold and asbestos issues, and please remember that, as bad as some of these mold infestations are, everyone at OLG is safe (the mold is mainly in areas that can be avoided in the office and rectory, and the asbestos is undisturbed). I provide you here with just three examples of our mold infestation, two in the rectory, and one in the office building, so that you can see what it looks like and why it needs immediate attention.
Exhibit A: Black mold underneath rectory refrigerators, before and after remediation
(a big thank you to Arturo Sanchez!):
Exhibit B: Mold in the office bathroom (remediation impossible until asbestos abatement is complete):
Exhibit C: Mold in the rectory ceiling (remediation impossible until asbestos abatement is complete):
These are just three examples of our black mold infestation throughout the campus, but there are many others. And they are, indeed, rather nasty. However, with the Diocese’s support, we are moving forward to find solutions, and actively remediating mold that is not tied up with asbestos. It is an exciting time, and I am grateful to everyone who is helping us fix these problems.
Once again, please know of my prayers for you, and let us continue to pray for one another. Many blessings to you all!
Yours sincerely in the Lord,
Fr. Will