By Jeff Peters
Catholic Herald correspondent

Abandoned Park Falls rectory is remodeled

PARK FALLS -- Some blood, lots of sweat, a few sleepless nights and the heart and soul of a community are helping to restore the once abandoned St. Anthony's rectory to its original splendor.

Under the guidance of Fr. Jim Jackson, parish members and townspeople alike have rallied behind the restoration and remodeling project, doing much of the work themselves and saving the parish thousands of dollars in labor costs.

Jackson, who has successfully completed similar renovation projects at other parishes within the Diocese of Superior, said the hard work of parishioners and help from the Park Falls community has really made the difference.

"They are the heart and soul of the project," he said, estimating the parish is saving well over $50,000 because of the donation of time, materials and construction equipment.

"The people of Park Falls really supported the project from the start," added Jackson. "They really didn't want to see this historical building torn down. They have donated their time and expertise in getting this project off the ground. Area businesses offered most of the equipment we needed -- at no charge."

St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fifield also came to St. Anthony's assistance. "They spent over $10,000 to purchase windows for the rectory," said Jackson. "That's pretty incredible. A wonderful thing for them to do for another parish."

The $60,000 grant from the Catholic Church Extension Society was also one of the keys to the project. "That was huge, just huge," Jackson said, noting the money is being used for roof work, new electrical, plumbing and heating systems, insulating the walls and attic and other construction materials.

Don Leitl, a member of the parish rectory committee who was baptized at St. Anthony's, said the majority of parishioners supported the project when it was announced last year. "We already had $20,000 in donations prior to receiving the $60,000 grant.

"That $20,000 really got us going, giving us momentum to start the project," said Leitl, taking a break from pounding nails and hanging drywall during a recent work spree at the rectory with about a dozen other parish members.

"Well over 30 people also showed up at the initial cleanup and that gave us encouragement. It'll be great to use this building again," he said. "It's way too good a building to tear down."

The difficult decision to abandon the rectory, which was built in 1921, was made eight years ago when heating bills became too large and a parish member donated a new building for the rectory. "The original rectory was never insulated and the heating costs were terrible," said Jackson, who came to St. Anthony's two years ago.

However, having the rectory located several blocks away from the church and grade school campus bothered Jackson. "We had a vandalism problem with the old rectory being unoccupied. I like the idea of being on the grounds. It will be good to have a presence here," he said.

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