Below are Featured Foundation Projects from 2020-2025. For the most recent projects, click here.
Rectory Steps
A three-step section on one side of the rectory steps was in dire need of repair. In 2025, the sandstone steps were removed, reset, and the joints and treads were re-sealed/caulked. The Foundation paid for this project with funds from The John L. and Nellie A. Tormey Rectory Restoration Fund.
Church Steps/Plaza
In 2025, the church steps and front plaza also received masonry repairs in several areas. Workers caulked the granite pavers and treads that extend past the building at the front entrance. The limestone jambs at both sides of the left entrance were patched and caulked. Workers reset six granite pavers and three small stone sections that had shifted out of place from the freeze and thaw process. Repairs were also completed to the railing grout, the mortar in the jambs at both sides of the main entrance, and the stone sections in the ramp area on both sides of the church. These repairs were paid from the Foundation’s Church Improvement Fund.
School Windows
Every window in the school building was repaired or restored in 2025 using funds from the Foundation’s St. Sebastian School Fund. The window balances were failing in the majority of the window sashes, making them difficult and unsafe to operate. Many of the windows did not have screens, so teachers were unable to open them for fresh air. In total, 255 school windows were repaired/restored, and 138 screens were installed. This work will extend the life of the windows as well as make them more energy efficient and safer to operate.
Concrete and Sandstone Walkways
In early 2024, the parish completed significant repairs to walkways on our campus, thanks to funding from the Foundation. Work included repairs/ replacement of the sandstone walkways along the junior high wing as well as new concrete walkways that extend from the west church entrance (closest to the rectory driveway) to Elmdale Avenue and to the rectory.
Rectory Repairs and Upgrades
Plaster repairs were completed and new paint applied to rooms and hallways in the wing of the rectory which contains the chapel. New carpet was installed in the hallway of the upstairs living quarters and in the stairwell to the basement. In addition, all the old carpet downstairs was replaced with luxury vinyl material, which will make it easier to keep this high-traffic area clean. The Foundation provided funds for these improvements through the John L. and Nellie A. Tormey Rectory Restoration Fund. This fund, which was established at the Foundation in 2006, provides valuable and timely support for the capital needs of the rectory.
New Tools for Facilities Staff, Forest Lodge Carpeting
The parish’s facilities staff gave the school’s boiler room a major cleanout and facelift in 2024, with new paint, shelving, lighting, and an overhaul to the organization of the storage areas. While these updates were funded by the parish, the Foundation provided a large set of new tools to complete the overhaul and make sure that our dedicated facilities team is fully equipped. The Foundation also partnered with the parish to split costs for laying new carpet on the main level of the Forest Lodge building, which houses the parish’s business office and the offices for the St. Sebastian Parish Foundation.
Creating Welcoming Spaces: 2024 #weGiveCatholic
Funds raised from the 2024 #weGiveCatholic effort, called “Creating Welcoming Spaces,” were dedicated to improving several areas in our church entrance. More than 130 people donated $27,047 toward this effort, which funded upgrades to both the bride’s room and the family quiet room. The bride’s room received new furniture, décor, paint, and lighting as well as a complete renovation of the adjoining restroom with fresh paint, a new mirror, new vanity, and updated lighting. The family quiet room received fresh paint and new lighting, and the adjoining restroom was also completely renovated with a new vanity, updated lighting, and fresh paint. Funds also provided for the installation of speakers in the church narthex, the bride’s room, and the usher’s room, enabling church goers to better follow along with Masses and events in these spaces. Thanks to the generous response of our donors, the Foundation was also able to pay for upgrades to other high-use areas of the church: the basement meeting room was painted and new carpet was installed, and both restrooms and the hallways in the basement received fresh paint and updated lighting. Thank you to everyone who helped make these spaces in our church more welcoming and functional!
The Greenhouse Project
St. Sebastian Parish has a beautiful new greenhouse, thanks to the generosity of so many members of our community. In 2023, in honor of Fr. Valencheck’s 25th Ordination Anniversary, the St. Sebastian Parish Foundation began raising money for the purchase of the new greenhouse. As part of this fundraising effort, all the proceeds ($11,400) from the 2023 #weGiveCatholic appeal were dedicated to the Greenhouse Project. Parishioners also received special offertory envelopes designated for the Greenhouse Project. Fundraising continued through 2024, with a grand total of $170,000 raised, thanks to the amazing support of more than 160 donors! Installation of the greenhouse began in the summer of 2024, and the greenhouse was largely completed by November of 2024.
The new greenhouse provides valuable storage and cultivation space for the many plants, bulbs, and flowers the parish uses to beautify our church and grounds. It is a great resource for the grounds crew that maintains our landscaping as well as the volunteers who maintain the cutting gardens that provide beautiful floral arrangements for our altar. In the past, the parish would have had to throw out or store these items at parishioners’ houses. In addition, the new greenhouse is a stately building that is a lovely enhancement to our grounds. The Foundation was pleased to host a “Greenhouse Open House” in May 2025 to give our parish community the opportunity to tour our beautiful new greenhouse.
Alumni Alley Upgrades
In 2021-22, St. Sebastian Parish School renovated the easternmost school entrance along Mull Avenue to create a new main entrance. There is now a lobby area created by adding a second set of glass interior doors and walls. The final element of the project was to restore “Alumni Alley,” a collection of photographs of the school displayed along the walls where the stairs lead up to the main office. In 2023, Brenda Pier Beck, the St. Sebastian Parish Foundation’s president, and Kathy Holaday, the Foundation’s director, redesigned the display utilizing both old archival and current photographs. Please come for a visit and see them for yourselves!
Repairs: A/C Units, Roofs, Brickwork
The Foundation funded important and timely repairs to the parish buildings and grounds, including work completed on the air conditioning system in Byrider Hall as well as significant roof repairs for the rectory, rectory garage, main school building and Zwisler Hall. Funding was also provided for repairs to brickwork both near the rectory and along the Sacred Heart statue outside of Zwisler Hall. The installation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Shrine and the surrounding brick plaza were completed in 2015 as part of the Brick Lot Replacement Project. St. Sebastian Parish is proud to be the permanent home for this beautiful statue, which had previously inspired the people of St. Procop Parish for over 100 years.
Byrider Hall Improvements: A/C, Windows, Paint, Carpet, Entryway
In 2022, Byrider Hall, which houses the school gym as well as several meeting rooms, was upgraded and refreshed with new hallway flooring, fresh paint on hallway walls, new interior and exterior doors, a new entryway patio, and added security features. Portions of these upgrades were funded by the Foundation’s new Byrider Hall Improvement Fund. The meeting rooms along the south side of the building also received new windows, a long-overdue replacement of the original windows that were still in use in this area. The Foundation’s Byrider Window Fund provided most of the funding for these new windows. The Foundation has also provided funding for major repairs to the air conditioning system in Byrider Hall and for the installation of a new drinking fountain/water bottle filling station..
Picnic Tables for St. Sebastian’s Garden
The St. Sebastian School Garden is an outdoor classroom and garden that was established in May, 2011. The garden is located on the parish grounds, adjacent to Byrider Hall. The garden provides students and teachers with a unique learning environment – one in which the principles of gardening/farming, environmental science and entrepreneurship are cultivated. Shortly after the garden was created, The Spectacular Garden Fund was established at the Foundation with proceeds from the 2011 Spectacular, the school’s annual fundraiser. Over the years, the garden has experimented with different layouts and crops, adding a volunteer crew of parishioners and parents. Sebastian’s Garden has also developed a strong partnership with Good Samaritan Hunger Center, an independent non-profit that is also located at Byrider Hall, to which all the produce from the garden is donated. In 2022, in conjunction with the established fund at the Foundation, interested donors helped purchase two sturdy picnic tables for Sebastian’s Garden. The tables will be used by the adult and student garden teams when they take breaks from their dedicated care of the garden.
Our Youngest Learners: 2022 #weGiveCatholic
In 2022, the #weGiveCatholic effort, “Our Youngest Learners,” raised $13,076 for the replacement of the activity tables and chairs in the kindergarten and preschool classrooms. In addition to the online giving campaign, the school held a “change bandit” competition, which yielded over $2,200 in change (and bills)! Thank you to everyone who emptied out their piggy banks and searched their couch cushions, and congratulations to the preschool classes, which brought in the most change and were rewarded with doughnuts and cider. The new furniture was installed before the 2023-24 school year. Our youngest students and their teachers really love their new modular furniture, which is attractive, sturdy, and adaptable for many configurations for different learning activities.
Priest Patio and Prayer Garden
A donation to the Foundation in 2021 from a thoughtful and generous family enabled the creation of a new patio for the priests located between the church and the rectory. The work involved the installation of a cement patio and fencing, the purchase of patio furniture and a fire pit, and the construction of a new doorway to provide direct access to the patio from the passageway between the rectory and the church. The priests now enjoy access to a peaceful, private outdoor space, perfect for quiet prayer, reading or informal gatherings.
Lights, Camera, Action: 2021 #weGiveCatholic
In 2021, the #weGiveCatholic campaign focused on the Zwisler Hall project to overhaul the audio and lighting systems. The #weGiveCatholic effort, “Lights, Camera, Action,” raised over $21,000 for the project. An additional $53,000 for this major project was provided by proceeds from the paddle raise at the 2022 St. Sebastian Spectacular, the school’s annual fundraiser. Thanks to the generous support of these two efforts, the main audio system and all of the stage lighting in Zwisler Hall has been replaced. A new speaker unit was installed above the stage in a large circular area that now also holds speakers for the new schoolwide PA system, which was paid for separately with a grant. The majority of the project was completed in time for Catholic Schools Week events, including Open House, the Spelling Bee, Pastries with Parents, and Terrier Trivia!
Original Church Bell Tower Repairs
There are two bell towers on our campus: one that soars high above the current church building, and one that rises more modestly above the original church building, now known as Zwisler Hall. The original bell tower was solidly constructed, in part because it once housed the massive bell now located near the school’s flag pole in a grassy area along Mull Avenue. In recent years however, our sturdy original bell tower began to deteriorate, requiring significant repairs to the brick and cement work. Thanks to several generous donations to the Foundation, this work was completed in early 2021.
COVID Support from the Foundation
Classroom AV Equipment Upgrades
Our parish school completed significant upgrades to its classroom audio-visual equipment in the fall of 2020, thanks to funding from the Helen Barry Hamlin Library Fund of the St. Sebastian Parish Foundation. Money from the Hamlin Library Fund was used to purchase BEAM audio devices (small, portable sound bars enabled with Bluetooth® technology) and XD microphones for each teacher, enabling students to clearly hear their teacher’s voice in both the classroom and the online learning setting. The Hamlin Library Fund also paid for the purchase of new HoverCam document cameras for each classroom to replace outdated cameras. These devices can record lessons and are compatible with video conferencing programs such as Zoom Video Conferencing and Google Meet. The new equipment provided significant and timely improvements for the learning environment for all of our students, especially those who chose the school’s online learning option.
Broadcasting System Established
The St. Gabriel Fund was created at the St. Sebastian Parish Foundation to support the live-streaming, recording and broadcasting efforts of St. Sebastian Parish, including the purchase of equipment (cameras, controllers, cables, software, etc.) and licensing fees. Initiated in 2020 during the pandemic, the St. Gabriel Fund provided crucial funding for the establishment of the parish’s broadcasting systems, which helped the parish stay connected and minister to its parishioners despite the inability to gather as a community. The fund also provides ongoing support for maintenance and upgrades to the broadcasting systems. The fund was named after St. Gabriel, the Archangel, who serves as a messenger for God and is the patron saint of messengers, telecommunication workers, and postal workers. It was St. Gabriel who “broadcasted” to Mary that she would become the mother of the Son of God. Pictured here, junior high students operate the live-streaming equipment during the Stations of the Cross.
Chalk the Walk: 2020 #weGiveCatholic
The St. Sebastian Parish Foundation is pleased to announce that project work is complete for the “Chalk the Walk” campaign. This campaign’s goal was to raise funds to restore the historic sandstone walkways around the parish school, which date back to the late 1920s when the school building was constructed. The effort kicked off Dec. 1, 2020, in coordination with the Diocese of Cleveland’s #weGiveCatholic fundraising effort on Giving Tuesday.
The parish school’s students also helped with the campaign by decorating the sandstone walkways with messages written in chalk and by starring in special video messages for the project. The videos are posted on the parish’s YouTube channel under the “Special Features” playlist (www.youtube.com/StSebastianParish/playlists). As a result of all these efforts, the Foundation raised $15,000 from the support of 67 generous donors! This spring, the beautiful, original sandstone walkways around our school and rectory were repaired and restored. As you can see in the “after” picture below, Fr. Valencheck’s dog, Chester, enjoys walking along the newly restored sandstone walkways.
STUDENTS "CHALK THE WALK" WITH MESSAGES OF SUPPORT
BEFORE
AFTER
Padre Pio Chapel
The Padre Pio Chapel was dedicated and blessed on September 20, 2020. The chapel is in the back of the church, in the corner room that previously served as the baptistery and most recently served as the Fr. John McDonough Library. Generous donors provided the funding, so that in 2019 the McDonough Library was moved to a new and wonderfully renovated space in the server’s sacristy. These same generous donors converted and furnished the room into a beautiful chapel that serves as a place for prayer and reflection as well as an accessible confessional. Also funded by Foundation donors are the protective frames and paintings displayed in the chapel.
Rose Window Restoration
The Foundation was pleased to assist the parish in the repair of our cherished rose window. The rose window, an inspiringly beautiful and colorful work of art, was once located on the wall above the sanctuary in the “old church,” now known as Zwisler Hall. The window was moved to its current location over the entrance to the Zwisler Hall after the hall underwent a major renovation in 2004. In 2020, the rose window was removed and completely restored to its original structure with each window pane receiving special attention and care. Each individual window pane’s frame was rebuilt and reinforced so that the entire rose window maintained its structure, shape and design. In honor of the parish’s 90th Anniversary, special sun catchers of this beautiful design were created.
