A long-dormant plan to construct a new rectory for St. Mary Parish in
According to planning documents on file with the
All of the building permits necessary for construction to begin have been approved by the village. The house conforms to all zoning codes and no public hearings are necessary for work to begin.
But a group of parishioners fighting to put the brakes on the construction are circulating a petition and have created a Web site called Save St. Mary Park at www.savemarypark.blogspot.com to consolidate opposition.
The parishioners intend to send copies of the petition to the church’s pastor, Msgr. R. George Sarauskas; the church’s pastoral council, its finance committee and to the Archdiocese of Chicago.
According to information on the Web site, the parishioners are not against a new residence for priests per se. Rather, they oppose the location of the new home, which would be in the center of Mary Park, a swath of green space bordered by mature trees and used for such things as school gym classes and other parish events.
Calls to Sarauskas and members of the Save St. Mary Park group were not immediately returned.
The idea of a new residence for priests at St. Mary’s has been on the radar since 2006, when plans were first drawn up. The plan bubbled to the surface in September 2007 after Sarauskas mailed a letter to parishioners asking them to support such an effort.
At the time, the house was to be located behind the existing rectory, which was built in 1975 and is used as offices for the parish. Sarauskas lives in a condominium elsewhere in
However, the location of the home was moved into the middle of the park because of an easement with the property to the north, which formerly was the parish convent and has been turned into a private home. No construction can occur in the easement area without consent from both property owners, according to Bob Caraher, director of community development for
Parishioners were told in 2007 that the parish could finance the construction of the home through the sale of property the parish owns just east of the parking lot on
It’s unknown what that property might bring in the current real estate market. According to building permit documents, the new home is expected to cost about $475,000 to build.
Apparently, financing was made easier after a parishioner bequeathed enough money to the church to pay off its existing debt. It is unclear exactly how the construction of the new home will be financed.
Plans show the home will have living quarters (bedroom, living room, bathroom and walk-in closet) for three priests, a large wraparound porch, and a three-car garage with a driveway extending to
The main entrance to the home would be off