Something smells fishy. St. Patrick's Church in Mystic is facing a social hall renovation project that has seen construction costs spiral out of control and the congregation wants to see the cost decrease. The church is ignoring the congregation's wishes. Recent construction cost estimates for this hall the church typically uses for CCD classes and coffee hour after masses have escalated to $8 million dollars and construction has not started. Almost all church members agree, the project is too expensive for a non-profit; they want to see costs reduced and include appliances for the kitchen. Imagine that, let's spend $8 million for a renovation project that is a social hall and not have kitchen appliances to cook with. The church plan started over five years ago and included a "Forward in Faith" fundraising plan that parishioners contributed to. Once construction bids came in, the church selected a contractor with a higher bid than the other bids. Now, to raise additional funds, the church is considering selling the rectory to someone in the area without a real estate analysis or putting the property on the market. This entire process seems dishonest.

Kevin Bogle

Mystic