Ground is broken and a new St. Patrick's Church is on the rise

MILFORD - Pastor, Rev. Gerald Mullally drove his shovel into the ground to turn the first scoop of earth for the new construction last Sunday following the late morning mass. The new St. Patrick’s Church will be built directly across from the old church on E. High St., on the current site of the church rectory. On hand for the groundbreaking ceremony was Rev. Richard Loch, Episcopal Vicar for the Eastern Pastoral Region Diocese of Scranton as well as representatives of the project architects, BASCO/ Buchart and the construction company L.R. Costanzo. Robert Murphy, of L.R. Costanzo, said the new church will be about 40% larger than the old church. “The old church seated 250 people while there will be seating for 440 people in the new St. Patrick’s,” he said. There are approximately 800 families that worship at the three Sunday masses presently. The expansion is expected to be able to accommodate the anticipated growth of St. Patrick’s over the next several years. Mr. Murphy said, “The first part of the project will be hydraulically raising the rectory so that steel girders with wheels can be slid under it to facilitate moving the three-story Victorian-style home about 300 feet.” He said that this part of the project should begin on Tue. Oct 11. It will start with the preparation of an area in the current parking lot where the rectory will be moved to. The entire project is expected to be completed by late fall of 2006. There was a large contingency of parishioners attending the ceremony on a beautiful fall day. Afterwards light refreshments were served under a bright blue and white tent canopy. L.R. Costanza is also doing the renovation of the Hotel Fauchere on Broad Street in Milford.