Dear Parishioners,

I was taught early on in my priesthood from good pastors that it is always important to “keep an eye on” your brick buildings for deteriorating mortar. When mortar is in a weakened condition, it causes moisture to break down the stone or brick masonry wall and possibly cause moisture problems behind it.  When tuck-pointing is done properly, it provides a relatively waterproof mortar joint that extends the life of the wall.

While bricks often last a century, the lifespan of mortar is typically 25 to 30 years—meaning it typically needs replacement or repointing more than once during the life of a brick building. When mortar begins to crumble and fall out of the cracks, homeowners should repair it before any additionally lost mortar affects the structure of the wall. What’s more, if the deteriorating mortar isn’t repaired, it could eventually cause the wall or chimney to collapse.

Our church building, in some locations, needs some work. In the past few weeks we sought out some proposals for the foundation sandstone for the church building and for the sacristy window lintels on the church building that need this work.

The proposal that we accepted (it is always good to get three proposals) will cost $7,500.00.

Many blessings,
Father Jim