Update on Church Heat Pump Damage and Next Steps

Good Afternoon St. Rita’s Faithful Leaders and parishioners,

I’m sorry to be the bearer of unfortunate news, but I’ll keep this message as brief and clear as possible.

Issue:
We recently experienced vandalism at the church. One of the copper pipes connected to the heat pump was cut and removed, and there was an attempt to take the other copper piping, which caused additional damage to the adjacent unit as well.

Repair Costs:
Repair cost is included in the attached estimate (for 1 unit). You’ll notice an EPA disposal fee — this is due to the Freon, which is a regulated material.

The unit that did not have its copper line completely cut should function again once the copper piping is replaced. However, the other unit, where the copper was fully cut, may have sustained compressor damage if it continued to run for an extended period. This cannot be confirmed until after repairs are made, and additional costs may arise if the compressor needs replacement.

Age and Recommendation:
Both units are approximately 13 years old. Typically, HVAC systems last around 15 years — sometimes longer with light use and proper maintenance. My inputs, as well as input from two different Mercurio technicians and a Mercurio consultant, it’s recommended that we begin planning to replace these systems for long-term reliability and efficiency.

Please feel free to share this information with other faithful parishioners for discussion and discernment. I’ve intentionally left Fr. Tuan off this email so he can fully enjoy his vacation. I’ll update him once he returns on the 10th.

As a temporary measure, I’ve turned off the church thermostat, so it may be a bit cooler inside this weekend. We can use the emergency heat mode if needed, but the technician advised that it is not energy efficient. Please let me know if you have any questions or other suggestions.



Thank you for your understanding and continued stewardship of our parish home.

v/r

Thien Dinh

Director of Operation

 Dear Friends,

St. Rita Church History Trivia; Last week's question: St, Rita of Cascia Church was consecrated in 1924, thanks to the donations of the Jesuits, the Italian families in Pierce County and the neighboring businesses. Many gave of their need with the most common donation $5 each. What was the largest donation?  The largest donation was $470 from Maria Pepe. That donation is equivalent to about $7990 in today's dollars! I could not find any information about her. Do any of you have knowledge of her and her connection to St. Rita in the 1920s? Attached is the list of donors that was in the program from the Consecration of our church in 1924.

This week's question: Which pastor was the longest serving pastor of St. Rita? How many years?,  Answer in next week's email

If you have knowledge of St. Rita history, please send me a message with a St. Rita history question of your own that I can include in one of these emails.

PLEASE consider donating to our church. With no regular weekend Masses, our contributions are not sufficient to pay our bills each month. PSJXXIII has had to take funds from our savings for St. Rita to make ends meet. We are looking at possible ways to reduce expenses, but most are set expenses. So, we need to increase our contributions YOU can help!

   Donate to St.Rita with a monthly contribution. Bring to Saturday prayer services or take/mail directly to PSJXXIII and mark clearly for St. Rita's upkeep. The address is 

                                St. Rita of Cascia Church                 

                                c/o Pope St. John XXIII Parish

                                7025 S Park

                                Tacoma,WA 98408

Upcoming Events - We would LOVE to have more of you join us on Saturday mornings. We are usually done with prayer and coffee hour about 11:15 a.m.

Saturday, October 18, Rosary at 9:40 a.m. and Prayer Service at 10 a.m.  Coffee hour follows in the hall

Saturday, October 25, Rosary at 9:40 a.m. and Prayer Service at 10 a.m.  Coffee hour follows in the hall

Saturday, November 1, All Saints Day Rosary recited at 9:40 a.m. and Prayer Service at 10 a.m.  Coffee hour follows in the hall, celebrating November birthdays

Saturday, November 8, Rosary recited at 9:40 a.m. and Prayer Service at 10 a.m,, including Anointing of the Sick  Coffee hour follows in the hall.

St. Rita, Pray for Us

Fr. Sacco, Pray for Us

Fr. Baffaro, Pray for Us

  God Bless,

Francie Messina Jordan