July 4, 2022

Belchertown parish makes final mortgage payment on church, looks to future

REGIONAL
By Anna Moran

Members of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Belchertown made the last mortgage payment on their church, three years early, on June 1. Father David Darcy, pastor, celebrated by burning the mortgage papers after the 10:30 a.m. Mass in the Easter fire pit.

“I did this as an appreciation for all their dedication,” said Father Darcy, “And also to rouse some excitement about the accomplishment.”

A mortgage of $1 million was taken out in 2004 to build a new church that would accommodate the growing parish. Louise Christ, the parish secretary, said that the old church seated only 200 people. A directory from the early 1990s noted there were about 2,000 adult parishioners at the time.

Father David Darcy, who grew up in St. Francis of Assisi Parish, recalled that when he was in third or fourth grade, Christmas Eve Mass was celebrated in the local Congregational Church because it could better accommodate the numbers of parishioners. Christ added that there were other celebrations at Chestnut Hill, and some at Belchertown High School. Some years, there were even five different first Communion services.

“The church had long been outsized by the community,” said Father Darcy.

The active parish has continued to grow in the new church. As of November 2021, there were 3,058 adult parishioners. They have made generous donations and pledges at fundraisers tasked with raising money for the building fund. For instance, the church put on a three-year drive-in which people made pledges and gave monthly payments.

Parishioners also have continued the annual “Giant Tag Sale” sale and had weekly collections for the same purpose. By March 2020, funds generated made it possible to re-amortize the mortgage by doubling the principal payment, which in turn decreased the interest rate.

(iObserve photo/courtesy of Kathryn Buckley-Brawner)

Now that the mortgage is paid off, the parish can move forward with their goal of building a social center. The social center is in the basement of the old church, but the parish is in need of a new space. This summer, there will be a series of focus groups in which the pastor and the parishioners will discuss and share ideas about what purposes they would like the social center to serve.

Some preliminary ideas for the new social center have included a gym, an area for entertainment, an area for receptions, and offices for the secretary and director of religious education. Parishioners also have suggested a place for the food pantry and a full commercial kitchen for the parish’s Take and Eat weekend meals program.

The new social center is projected to be done within three to five years. Parishioners have begun to work toward that goal by raising money and speaking with an architect.