Church facelift a matter of faith

No one intended a multipurpose room to house church services.

Sure, the space could double for athletics or a ballroom, but for Sunday Mass?

Over the next 10 months while St. Hubert Parish in Hoffman Estates undergoes renovations, the multipurpose room will transform weekly so church services can be held there.

Tonight's 6 p.m. Mass will be the final service in the church until August, when renovations are expected to be completed. Tears are expected as the next chapter in the Catholic church's history unfolds.

"When you walk in it will be familiar, but it will be different -- if that makes any sense," said the Rev. Robert Rizzo, St. Hubert's pastor.

St. Hubert School students regularly use the room as a gym. But on Fridays, the church's altar and baptismal font will be moved so the parish can conduct Sunday services.

While it will be a bit uncomfortable, Rizzo said the church is happy going forward with the project.

"We know this is the price to pay to get there," he said. "We're just happy to get it going along."

The creaking church, built in 1967, has never gone through extensive remodeling. Plumbing, electrical -- everything inside will be redone.

"It's about time," St. Hubert School advisory board President Bea Candre said.

Candre recalled water seeping through church walls 10 years ago. Several plans were considered -- even razing the church and putting up a new building -- before they decided to gut the inside and retain the church's existing walls.

Officials aim to begin construction at the end of November and move into the new quarters in August 2008.

The new church will be more intimate and inviting for the 3,000-plus families St. Hubert serves, Rizzo said. The main room's design is rounder with pews closer to the altar. The acoustics will be better, he added.

Over the last year, the church's campaign "Fulfilling our vision," raised $3.8 million, short of its $4.5 million pledge goal, which would cover the total construction cost. In spring the church may once again begin requesting pledges, Rizzo said.

Officials wanted to begin construction in July, but didn't have enough money for the project, Rizzo added. Some parishioners are a bit snakebitten by the process through the years, and are waiting for shovels to hit dirt before contributing to the project, he believes.

The church will have to make some sacrifices during construction, as some programs have been canceled and others moved to other area churches.

For example, New Beginnings, a support group for divorcees has been moved off campus, Rizzo said.

Furthermore, some parishioners have fond memories of events in the church, like eighth grade graduation. This school year, students will instead graduate in the multipurpose room, which lives a bit of a sour taste with some parents. Other milestone events, like first communions, will also take place in the multipurpose room.

"We could have the best-looking church in the world, but if we're not living as Christians, it means nothing," Rizzo said. "It's how we live that makes a difference, not what kind of building we have."

Rizzo said he spends about 20 hours a week on work related to the church construction and move. He looks forward not only to potential new programs the church could offer after construction, but also to the peace of mind he'll have once the stressful time ends.

One concern Rizzo has is that some families may leave and worship at other churches during construction. And they are still trying to figure out what to do at Christmas and Easter when the church is more crowded.

"We're hoping people see this as a family thing we have to go through together," not leave for 10 months and then come back when it's done, Rizzo added.