Efforts to repair and rebuild bring hope long after Hurricane Harvey

BY JESSE DE LEON South Texas Catholic

Even though Hurricane Harvey affected the Coastal Bend in 2017, the coastal and inland areas continue to navigate through its unexpectedly long aftermath. Several parishes and communities in the Diocese of Corpus Christi sustained significant damage that continues to be addressed, assessed, and repaired through the efforts of the diocese’s Construction Office.

D eacon Mark Arnold, disaster relief coordinator with the Construction Office and Risk Management Services for the diocese, tirelessly coordinates the often complex efforts of repairing and rebuilding multiple buildings on various parish properties across the diocese.

Deacon Arnold recently completed the process of gathering bids for work that needs to be done on the St. John Paul II High School campus. Contractors visited the campus, walked through the buildings that needed repairs, and eventually submitted their bids to make the necessary improvements.

“ We received bids, and we will review and evaluate them based on content and values,” says Deacon Arnold. “Water damage was the main issue in the JPII Chapel, so we are focusing on this area because it sustained the majority of the damage. It is a holy space, so we want to make sure we address anything that may be causing an issue.”

Additional repairs on the St. John Paul II campus include the gym, locker rooms, stage area in the gym, various windows, drywall and carpet replacements. According to Deacon Arnold, the work on the campus is expected to take between

120 and 240 days.

In addition to the work being done on the St. John Paul II campus, several other projects are either set to begin or are already underway at various other parishes in the diocese. These include Ss. Cyril and Methodius School in Corpus Christi, St. Peter’s Parish in Fulton, Sacred Heart Parish in Rockport, and Holy Family Church in Taft.

“For Ss. Cyril and Methodius, bids have been evaluated for the library and computer lab,” says Deacon Arnold. “It will be a demolition and reconstruction project that will be exciting and challenging.” Deacon Arnold also says that work continues on St. Peter’s in Fulton. The preliminary plans are in place, and the layout and liturgical review are expected to be approved to ensure the proposed construction in the church meets correct liturgical design. Also, designs are being reviewed for the school and parish hall at Sacred Heart Parish in Rockport, with foundation work expected to begin after ground testing is completed. Deacon Arnold also said Holy Family Church in Taft will have work done to improve roofs, walls and ceilings as well as replacement of pews and carpet.

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Our goal is to finish things up in the next two years,” says Deacon Arnold. “We look forward to a fresh start and to doing some ribbon cuttings, rededications, blessings and making everything whole again.”