Saint Philaret Mission Church Building Project

We are currently in Phase 1 of our Church Building Project. With the blessing of Father Jacob, and approval of the Parish Council, we have decided to buy property and build a church. Our property search is focused in the “Hilltown” area of Western Massachusetts. This area is rural, scenic, affordable, and still accessible from major highways and routes. We have conducted a zoning and ordinance review for several target communities to gauge their friendliness to a new church community, which has helped us further hone our search area. A small team of parishioners reviews property listings every day with Father Jacob having visited numerous properties over the past 6 months. We have also enlisted the support of a real estate agent to help cast a wider search net. With continued prayer and diligence, we are confident we will find the right piece of land for St. Philaret Parish to call “home.” 

Our site preparation phase will vary in length and complexity depending on the property we ultimately purchase. This phase will likely include clearing and grading of the land, development of a drinking water well, and/or connection to public utilities in the adjacent street. This phase may also include construction of an access road/driveway to the site. During phase 2, we will establish a small chapel on the site and begin to hold regular church services such as Compline and Molebens.

We have been researching several types of construction including traditional timber framing and various types of modular construction that have been employed by our monastery and sister parishes. Our vision is to construct a church capable of holding 100 faithful. Architecturally, we have spent time investigating log cabin style construction, which would be reflective of the rural setting of the Hilltown area. Our research includes a recent trip by a small contingent to review active construction of comparable structures in Pennsylvania. The trip included tours of several structures in various stages of construction by a builder we are considering partnering with. We are also continuing to investigate a stone church built in the "Byzantine" style. Additional information on construction options is presented below.