For many years, the parishioners of St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church, nestled in Weehawken’s “Shades” section near the Lincoln Tunnel, were being shortchanged.
“We really lacked a sense of community,” said parishioner Matt Cheplic. “We went to mass on Sunday, but there really wasn’t anything else. We really could never cultivate the best community setting, because we didn’t have a place to hold events, like a parish center.”
When Rev. Robert Emery became the pastor of St. Lawrence parish three years ago, one of the first goals he set was to see a parish center be built on the grounds behind the parish rectory.
Most people believed Emery’s idea was nothing more than talk.
“I think a lot of people in the parish wanted to see a parish center, but they thought it was a pipe dream,” Cheplic said. “I think they never thought it could come to fruition.”
But after a spirited fundraising campaign that saw parishioners pledge more than $1 million to the cause, the unthinkable became reality Sunday, when the official groundbreaking ceremony took place in front of nearly 200 parishioners, signifying the beginning of the construction on the $1.2 million parish center, to be completed sometime next year.
Bishop David Arias, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, and Emery were the ones to put the shovels into the ground during the ceremony.
“In some ways, it always seemed like nothing more than a dream,” said Emery, who is also the township’s public safety chaplain. “But to see actually some work taking place is like a dream come true. It really is a little miracle for us. Three years ago, when I came here, we were operating at a deficit of over $100,000 per year. But now, we have a balanced budget and we were able to raise enough money to build a $1.2 million parish center. The reason why this will take place is the generosity of the parishioners, who truly showed their love for their parish.”
Cheplic, a renowned musician, was one of several parishioners who served on the committee that gave suggestions to what the new center should offer.
“It’s been an uphill climb and we’re going against the grain a little,” Cheplic said. “But it’s definitely a great idea and it’s terrific on two levels. It’s great to see it finally get done, but it will also now provide us with a place to hold events, where we couldn’t in the past. Any events we sponsored had to be held at some place else.”
Emery credited the committee, which featured Cheplic, Charles Barbush, John Charlesworth, Doris Mulvaney, Maria Porta, Gladys Pozza, Manny Rea, and Weehawken Councilwoman Rosemary Lavagnino.
“The theme to our campaign was ‘Embracing the Future,’ and they certainly did that for us,” Emery said.
John Mauro and Karen Nichols of the architectural firm KNTM Architects provided an artist’s rendering of what the center will look like when completed. Catcord Construction will do the work on the building.
According to Cheplic, the parish center became a reality because of Emery’s efforts. “I think the parish was ready to respond to a younger guy who was eager to come into the parish and make the effort to be more visible,” Cheplic said. “Everything comes from Father Bob. He’s the one who put his face out there to the rest of the parish. I think a lot of us are still surprised that it is actually happening. But Father Bob is the one who deserves the credit.”