WELLMAN — St. Joseph Church recently enlarged its vestibule, one of several projects the parish began this spring. They included repairing a leaky roof over a basement-level classroom and adding a handicapped-accessible restroom. Other updates involved installing new carpet in religious education rooms, laying new vinyl in the downstairs bathroom and hallway, painting basement walls and adding new curtains. The parish received private donations of art and furnishings.
Total cost of the projects was about $60,000, some of which was covered by a grant from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation.
St. Joseph’s anticipates completing the final touches by its Oct. 7 parish dinner.
“So many of the parish members have been pitching in to do all sorts of sprucing up all over the church,” said parishioner Cathy Conway. “It had been the same for so long, and we finally started looking at things and thinking how we could freshen it up. We’re very pleased with the improvements!”
People who renovated the church are descendants of those who built it 50 years ago, said parishioner Pat Schmida. “These people are just as resourceful, hardworking and generous.”
