GRAVESEND – The Adoration Chapel at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church is undergoing renovations for the first time in more than two decades, thanks to a 17-year-old Boy Scout who wanted to do a good deed!
On August 3, parishioner Joseph Rotondi of the local Boy Scout Troop 376 led about 50 volunteers into the chapel to paint the interior, repair cracks in the ceiling and pews, re-plaster wall joints, replace some floor tiles and repair the exterior fence.
The dedicated Scout was also instrumental in raising nearly $1,700 for the renovations, which were completed on Friday, August 9.
The project was the final step in Rotondi’s efforts to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout – but that was far from his only motivation for tackling it.
Rotondi, a graduate of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy, has said that working for his community is about more than just earning the badges that adorn his Boy Scout uniform. He wants to make a difference. When it came time for him to choose his project, he turned to Our Lady of Grace pastor Father Guy Sbordone to hear what the community needed.
Father Sbordone told the enthusiastic scout that about 300 people visit the old chapel every two months for silent prayer and devotion. He mentioned that the renovation of the space would attract even more visitors.
“I have seen people who come here every day. They stay in prayer for half an hour or 45 minutes,” Rotondi said. “It is really amazing that they dedicate so much time to the Eucharist.”
After discussions with other parishioners who also felt the chapel needed renovation, Rotondi worked with the pastor to develop a plan and presented it to the Greater New York Council for Scouting America.
Joseph’s parents, Nicoletta and Anthony Rotondi, admire their son’s involvement in the Boy Scouts and value the skills he has learned through the program. Nicoletta said the renovation project has allowed her son to demonstrate leadership skills, and they have both helped with the renovation and taken instruction from their son.
One of the volunteers who painted the fence in front of the chapel on August 4 was Rotondi’s good friend and Eagle Scout Colin Thompson, who calls him “one of the hardest workers” he knows. He added that he was happy to help because Rotondi had helped him with be Eagle Scout Project.
“This process is about teaching a Scout how to solve problems and lead a project,” Thompson said. “It’s also about teaching leadership skills and character.”
Ironically, because it Is Since this is a leadership project, Rotondi cannot participate in the actual work himself!
“If Joe could pick up a paintbrush,” Thompson says with a laugh, “he would finish in a day.”
Meanwhile, Father Sbordone said he was excited to see the final results, knowing how much they would mean to the parish.
“New lighting, new paint and everything to make it clean and presentable,” he said. “We’re making it the space it should be for prayer and worship and giving people the opportunity to use it.”
He reminds people that the diocese’s first adoration chapel remains open and invites them to visit it from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“People can still come,” he said, “and the Blessed Sacrament is here so people can come and pray.”
