In The Interim

September 5, 2025      

Greetings! It has been almost 2 months since my first “In the Interim” column so I thought it was a good time to update everyone on what has been happening here at St. Luke’s and what is on the horizon.

We received the estimate for the replacement of the steam heating pipes in the church and it came in at $326,000.00. We have launched our TURN UP THE HEAT campaign to help us raise the funds to pay for this very necessary repair. This is a perfect opportunity for us to trust in God the way Amy, our former Director did and in the generosity of our family of supporters. Work is slated to begin on September 15 and be completed on November 7.

We were also recently approached by Swiatek Studios who very much want to completely restore our beautiful church in honor of Amy Betros and Norm Paolini, Jr., our Co-Founders. They have lovingly helped care for and preserve the interior of the church for many years and want to see the restoration completed. They have launched a GoFundMe (Finish the Mission) campaign to help us raise funds for the pipe replacement and to raise additional funds for roof repairs and restoration of the church. This is an example of God’s perfect timing: having us repair the pipes in the church so we can heat the building just in time to see the restoration of the church completed.

We had our annual Kids of the Kingdom Fundraiser to raise money for our summer program. With great music, a beautiful basket auction and delicious food it was a great success! We are so grateful to all who organized, volunteered and all who attended.

​Looking forward, we are just about to begin another school year at Our Lady of Hope. We will have grades Pre-K – 8th. Our five 8th grade graduates from June are starting their high school careers at St. Mary’s of Lancaster and we are all excited for them and all they will achieve.
 
Build Promise, our new homeless shelter for men is slated to have their Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on October 9th at 10 am. Part of Amy’s vision for Build Promise was to have the homeless men residing at Lazarus House, our current homeless shelter for men, to be the first group to transition to and benefit from all the services that Build Promise will have to offer. So they are preparing for their move to the brand new facility later this year.

As we approach the holiday season, we plan on continuing our Thanksgiving Food Give Away and our Thanksgiving Meal served in our dining room. We also plan on continuing our Christmas Food Give Away and our Christmas New Toy Drive, which is already well under way. Amy loved the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and we are so excited to continue providing the holiday ministries she got so much joy in being a part of.

We are so grateful for all of your continued prayers and support. The more we continue to forge ahead, the more we realize just how​ important all of you are. God bless each and every one of you and your families.
Jesus I Trust In You!