Isaac DuCharme, second from left, poses for a photo in front of a cabinet he built for St. John Catholic Church in Burlington. Also pictured are, from left, Lawrence DuCharme, Darlene DuCharme and Father Jake Greiner.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
BURLINGTON — Teenager Isaac DuCharme says his Catholic faith has given him “a solid platform to rely on while working through the trials of life.”
Isaac, a member of Divine Mercy Parish and a junior at Burlington Notre Dame, attends Mass at St. John Catholic Church with his family every Sunday. It’s the same church where Troop 3, the oldest active Scouts BSA troop in Iowa, began meeting more than 100 years ago. Isaac is actively involved in the troop and when it came time to choose an Eagle Scout project, he knew he wanted to do something to help the church community. “It felt right to give back after all they have done for me.”
Isaac began brainstorming possibilities more than a year ago. He said the pastor at the time, Father Marty Goetz, suggested building cabinets near the church entrances. Isaac saw potential in the project and believed two cabinets, one by each door, could help control clutter. “I had to decide how large I wanted each cabinet to be and choose a style for the cabinets,” Isaac said. “I originally thought to do a three-drawer style, but they proved to be extremely expensive. I finally settled on two doors with a shelf on the inside.”
Father Jake Greiner assumed the role of pastor in 2023 and approved the final design last fall. The parish donated $1,500 to the project with the remainder funded by the owner of a local Culver’s, where Isaac worked at the time.
Isaac began constructing the cabinets in February with plenty of help from his dad, Lawrence, fellow Troop 3 scouts and adult volunteers. Isaac’s mom, Darlene, made tasty treats for the volunteers. “During the project many of the (volunteers) seemed happy to come back and I thought it was because they had fun, but it turns out they came for the treats my mom made,” Isaac said, jokingly.
Father Greiner blessed the cabinets upon completion. The church community uses the cabinets to display extra bulletins, pamphlets, prayers, holy cards and rosaries. The interior shelves store extra items to help keep the space organized.
Isaac, 16, completed his Eagle Scout Board of Review in September. He said he is grateful to everyone who helped bring the project to fruition.
More from the Catholic Messenger
