Parish on the move...St. Patrick's rectory goes for a ride

MILFORD - The parish started down the road to construction of a new St. Patrick’s Church Monday with the relocation of the rectory where ground was broken for this project in early October. Moving the rectory where Pastor Gerald Mullally resides was the first step because that site is where the new church will eventually be constructed. WA Building Movers and LR Costanzo Construction are working together to get the first phase completed. The rectory had to be raised and large steel girders slid underneath to enable WA Building Movers to turn the house 90 degrees. Completed, the front of the 19th century house will be facing E. High St. instead of 4th St as it was originally. The house will be pivoted and then moved utilizing three, eight-wheel hydraulic dollies and temporarily be rolled into the church’s parking lot. It will be moved onto a “bridge” over the hole dug for the new foundation in the next week. A concrete foundation will be poured in place and then the rectory will be lowered onto it. The entire move will be less than 250 feet and was done as a cost savings and to enable Rev. Mullaly to move back in in a matter of weeks rather than months that it would take to build a new rectory. Harold Magnotta, Project Superintendent, for Costanzo said, “There will be approximately 20 sub-contractors on the project and it should be completed inside of a year. As soon as the rectory is moved the lot will be layed out and the building of the new church will start.” Costanzo generally does large commercial projects and is also working on rebuilding the Fauchere Hotel in Milford on Broad St.