Proposed plans unveiled for new St. Patrick Church

December 1, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
There is still a lot of planning to be done, but there appears to be a lot of enthusiasm for the new St. Patrick’s Church planned for Wildfield.
About 50 people were on hand at the church last Monday night for the unveiling of the preliminary drawings for the proposed church, which is slate to go at the southwest corner of Mayfield Road and Martin Byrnes Drive. This is west of the site of the current church, which is at the southeast corner of Mayfield and The Gore Road.
Fr. Vito Marziliano said the site for the new church is about 4.5 acres.
Architect Renzo Pillon, said the new church is being patterned on the Church of Tabgha in Israel. It’s not going to be a copy, but Tabgha is being used as a reference.
He also said they will be selecting materials similar to what’s been used at Tabgha, but with regard to the local area. Jerusalem lime stone is used on the church in Israel, and that’s not going to be employed here, but rather something with a similar hue. He added the walls at Tabgha are solid, but that’s not going to be the case here, since they will have to be insulated.
In terms of design, Pillon said work started in February. It’s involved meetings with the archdiocese, seeking liturgical input.
“It helped through the drawings that we’re presenting today,” he said, adding nothing in the drawings has yet been finalized. As well, he said the drawings would still have to be submitted to the City of Brampton.
The current plan is to have the alter at the east end of the church. The site will be entered off Martin Byrnes, and Pillon said parking will be at the rear.
“This will not look like a shopping mall,” he said, adding there will be landscaping that will further screen the parking area.
Pillon said there’s a subdivision to the south of the property, but he didn’t think the City will allow access from those streets. He added Peel Region will not permit access from Mayfield. He also expects there will eventually be traffic signals at Mayfield and Martin Byrnes.
There will be a drop-off area at the west end
About 250 parking spots are bering proposed, and Pillon said that’s more than the City requires. He added there are areas of green space that can be used to expand the parking area, if needed.
The building itself will include a covered portico at the west end. There is a vestibule inside and a square baptistry inside. The drawings also have provisions for a reception area, hall and offices washrooms and storage rooms, a small kitchen and a larger one for church suppers, etc. No new rectory is planned, as the existing one will stay in use. The plan is for a Nave that can seat about 800 people. Marziliano said there will be plenty of space for people in wheelchairs. Pillon said all the main doors will be accessible.
There will be no second floor or basement.
There are also provisions for a library. “There should be a place for on-going learning,” Marziliano said.
The new church is going to be considerably larger than the existing one. In terms of height, Pillon said the new facility was be about two and a half times taller. The nave in the current church can only accommodate about 270.
He also said it’s possible the church could be equipped with solar panels, although there are questions about how well they work and how long they last.
There are hopes the new church can be ready in 2020.