TL; DR: It has been a while since my last report on Campus news and the time is right to give a new update. Please read on and call us with questions.

Saint Dunstan’s has been a busy place since early September when we started the remodeling of our sanctuary. Below I will list some of the projects and give an update on their status. If I forget to list a project that is important to you, please call me directly.

1. Remodeling of our Sanctuary: The pews were taken offsite for reconstruction and re-staining. The carpet was removed and will soon be replaced with new carpeting. The stations of the cross and icons were reverently wrapped and placed in storage. The walls were repaired, sanded down, primed, and painted. The sacristy has been expanded, as we almost doubled its floor space. The clergy vesting room has been converted into a beautiful, spacious Altar Guild closet with custom wooden shelves, new lighting, and new flooring. The Acolyte space received new lighting, hardwood laminate flooring, and paint. The old kitchen was subdivided into three spaces: 1. The Petal Pushers now have a designated space with access to refrigeration, sinks, storage spaces, new lighting, new flooring, and lockable doors where they can keep supplies safely. 2. The clergy vesting room is about double the space we had before and it houses several large closets, new lighting, new flooring, a new bathroom with a small shower, a brand-new air-conditioning unit for the entire space, and clear access to entrance and egress routes. We used a portion of this space to give our music department a large closet for all their equipment and extra instruments. 3. The technology alcove faces the congregation and is equipped with plenty of lighting, large space for equipment consoles, new flooring, and a pony wall to separate it from the congregation.

2. The Detention Pond: On Monday, October 26^th, our new builder started preparations for the building of our Detention Pond, which will be located in the green space in front of our main doors. It is a large project that will take approximately 6 weeks of construction. The actual digging of the dirt will begin today, November 4^th. This large construction project will not impede services in any way, but we do advice a bit of caution. Please do not let your children wander into these construction areas unsupervised. I know some of you want to know how many trees we will lose. The answer is four. We were very smart in how we designed this pond to avoid loosing the majority of our trees, but, unfortunately, there was no way to save these four. The completion date will coincide with the completion date for the sanctuary, which is slated for December 13, 2026.

3. Services in the Price Fellowship Hall: We are aware that the sound and visuals for our livestreaming service has been way off in the fellowship hall. Unfortunately, we are on a waiting list for our regular AV provider because they have recently acquired over 8 million dollars’ worth of contracts and cannot be with us for some time. In the absence of the professionals, our technology team has tried to handle the audiovisuals in-house. Sadly, this has not worked well. I have heard your complaints and have read your messages. It has been hard for us to get this issue under control. We have a strategy we will try this week which hopefully will solve the problem. We will keep you posted.

4. Bishop Doyle’s Visit: We have heard that Bishop Andy Doyle will be at Saint Dunstan’s on Sunday, January 3, 2027, at the 11:15am service. On that day he will do five confirmations, several receptions, and a baptism. I know that some of you will be on vacation, but, for those of you who are in town, please consider prioritizing this service. Our Bishop Diocesan only visits a congregation every three years or so, as the assigned Bishop for each area of the diocese covers all Episcopal functions between Bishop Diocesan visits. What this means is that we may not have another visit from Bishop Doyle until 2030. We are excited that some of our construction will be over by the time of his visit. There are exciting things happening around here and we should be proud of what we have accomplished. Come and help us welcome the Head Bishop to our church.

5. Christmas Calendar: Our revised Christmas calendar for last year worked so well that we have decided to use it for this year as well. As such, we will have the following services on Christmas Eve: 5:00pm family liturgy with Christmas pageant and contemporary music from the Praise Team; 8:00pm traditional service with Parish Choir music; 10:00pm traditional service with Parish Choir music and incense. Christmas Day: English service at 11:15am in the Sanctuary, and in Spanish service at 11:15am the Price Fellowship Hall.

Finally, please remember that we are in the midst of our In His Steps campaign and that we will have Commitment Sunday on November 15^th at all services. If you haven’t filled out a pledge card, please do so as soon as possible. We depend on your generosity for all our services and programs. Together we will continue to build the Kingdom of God at Saint Dunstan’s.

May our Lord continue to bless you,

Fr. Roman+