Summary
Almost every pastor will eventually be involved in the planning and building of religious strucures. By the rules and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, his role is that of the final decision maker for the parish, with full responsibilities for the results. Yet, very few pastors bring with themselves the desired knowledge to master the assignment. Even pastors with previous experience rarely collect the wished-for professional level of expertise.
And it is here where this book opens its welcome doors into the strange and often intimidating world of building. It is designed to give the pastor the tools to master the assignment with expertise, without reliance on others. It leads him from the very beginning, when the project is in its mere conceptual phase, all the way through the planning and construction, until he receives the keys to the completed edifice.
Regardless of the size and extent of the project, be it only minor remodeling, or all the way up to a full-blown new parish plant, this book lights the path of leadership. It tells the pastor how to begin; with the formulation of the concept, the creation of support systems of parish committees, fund raising, the selection of professionals, the development of programs and basic designs, the understanding and approval of the actual architecture and engineering technologies, through the process of contracting, construction and acceptance of the work. Seventy-five plans, diagrams and pictures illustrate all
significant aspects of a well-planned project.
About the Author
Wendell Rossman is a widely known architect who has written and lectured extensively. With degrees in architecture and engineering, he guided his architectural practice into many new and imaginative designs and concepts. He is a leading designer of assembly structures and long-span shells. A "Silver" member of the Acoustical Society of America, he imbues his halls with the best of acoustics.
Dr. Rossman is a Catholic and active knight of Malta and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Early in his career he began to direct his knowledge and talents toward the House of God. His architectural signature has become the hyperbola, one of the most disciplined and elegant design elements.
From his thirty years of practise in Arizona, Dr. Rossman can look back to a repertoir of hundreds of structures in North America, Europa and India.
