Church hopes annual fest will help 'raise the roof'

Volunteers planning the annual September Fest at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Glendale Heights are hoping to "raise the roof" with their lineup of games, rides and entertainment.

This year they have expanded the event to include more attractions and vendors than ever - all to aid the parish's mission of literally raising the roof.

The church at 1555 Glen Ellyn Road is facing nearly $200,000 in repairs after an employee late last year discovered a separation between the building's back and side walls.

"Last December we were frightened out of our minds when our maintenance director looked back there and saw the size of the crack," St. Matthew parishioner Donald DeVale said.

The crack, DeVale said, had existed for some time, but was growing at an alarming rate.

Concerned with the separation's impact on the vertical roof support, church officials immediately notified the Diocese of Joliet and hired an engineering firm to assess the problem.

Inspectors discovered the roof was sagging due to inadequate support from the rafters, which were subsequently pushing on the back wall. To ensure the safety of the building, supports were immediately installed to the back wall and scaffolding was placed under the church's main trusses.

"The Diocese told us to do whatever we need to do to make sure the building doesn't fall down," DeVale said.

Repairs, the church was informed, would cost more than $350,000.

Skeptical of the firm's recommendations and cost estimate, DeVale and several other parishioners formed an engineering committee in January to review the proposal.

In a report given to the church, the committee said the "cost of repairs and structural changes that they recommended" were much greater than necessary, and they were unable to get the contractor to "clearly define" the cause of the problem.

After meeting with the Diocese again, a second engineering firm was hired to assess the building.

This time, the committee learned the problems stemmed from the area of the roof supporting the cupola, the dome-like structure on top of the building.

"Without placing blame, we suspect there were design flaws from the beginning," DeVale said.

With a new cost estimate of $190,000, contractors are moving forward to repair the 16-year-old church.

During the months of September and October, the roof and beams will be pushed back to their original position and locked into place by structural beams.

"Basically, we're going to raise the roof," said parishioner and September Fest chairman Joe DiPirro.

The cost, though lower than the original estimate, is still of great concern to church officials.

Because the damage was a result of original design flaws, payments must be made out-of-pocket rather than through insurance.

The Diocese of Joliet has given St. Matthew a loan to make the necessary repairs, but the parish is obligated to pay monthly interest until it can repay the loan in full.

"We don't have a lot of money," DiPirro said. "We're the victims of a poor economy just like everyone else."

Though church services have been unaffected by the damages, DeVale said overall attendance - which was reported by the Diocese as 10,883 in November 2008 - has decreased since December. Some parishioners, he said, have refused to come back until the repairs have been made, while many brides have refused to get married in the church while scaffolding is in place.

With collections down for the fifth year in a row, DiPirro said the parish is hoping this year's September Fest will provide a larger source of revenue than in years past.

"We're hoping to take in between $20,000 and $25,000," he said. "That's our target."

The festival, which runs Sept. 11 to 13, will include carnival rides, games, live music and a variety of performances.

Organizers also hope to raise money with a 3-on-3 basketball tournament Sept. 11 as well as a 5K walk/run and volleyball tournament Sept. 12.

New to the festival this year are ethnic vendors that will provide authentic Mexican and Filipino cuisine.

"We have a diverse community within our church," DiPirro said. "Our intent is to have flavors in the festival that will attract those ethnic groups."

DeVale, also a member of the September Fest committee, said volunteers have been working hard to make the festival a profitable event for the church.

"God helps those that help themselves," he said.

<p class="factboxtextbold12col">6 to 11 p.m. Sept. 11</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Musical entertainment</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">3-on-3 basketball tournament</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Food and drinks</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Wristband presale</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 12</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">5K run/walk</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Volleyball tournament</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Entertainment</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Food and drinks</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Rides and games</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Raffles</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Mass</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Noon to 9 p.m. Sept. 13</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Mass (English and Spanish)</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Entertainment</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Food and drinks</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Rides and games</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Car raffle</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col">Info: (630) 469-6300 or septfest.com</p>