Church of St. Therese

4137 Portsmouth Blvd. · Chesapeake, VA 23321· 757-488-2553 · info@sttheresechesva.org

Building Usage Guidelines Space Usage Request Forms are located on the wall outside each classroom as well as in the front office.  This form is to be used to request the use of classrooms, the social hall or the commons.  (Private party social hall rentals require different forms.) When arriving for your meeting, check the Reader Board in the Commons to see your room assignment.  Room assignments change.  If there are any problems once you arrive for your meeting (your group is not listed or the room assigned on the reader board is already in use), please see the Evening Porter. All parish ministry evening meetings are to begin with Mass or Vespers.  Evening Mass and Vespers are our communal prayer – our opening prayer for our meetings.  Please ask your group members to respect the prayer time.  If they arrive too late to join in Mass or Vespers, have them wait QUIETLY in the commons.   Many safe environment initiatives have been implemented.  Background checks and VIRTUS training are required for anyone working with minors. (They are strongly recommended for all group leaders using the facilities.)  Windows have been placed in classroom doors, rooms are locked when not in use, alarms on the exterior doors of the classroom wing have been installed, etc.  Because of these initiatives, rooms will remain locked until Mass or Vespers is over. Safe Environment rules require that there be no unaccompanied minors at any time in the building.  This includes classrooms, the ambulatory, the nursery, the commons, worship spaces, etc.  Two adults who have completed VIRTUS training and the parish’s background checks are required for any meeting that will have minors in attendance.  Minors must be accompanied to restrooms.  Parents should be asked to escort their children to the room and ensure the leaders are present before leaving. Each classroom has a Standard Configuration Room Layout posted in it.  This is how the room will normally be set up.  Feel free to change the room around to best suite your group’s needs however we do ask that you put the room back to its Standard Configuration before you leave so it is ready for the next group. The Worship Space of the church and the three chapels (the daily chapel, the reconciliation chapel, and the Blessed Sacrament chapel) are reserved as places of prayer, and should be respected as such.  These spaces are off-limits and are not to be used for any reason other than their originally intended purpose. Storage space at the parish is extremely limited and, therefore, groups may not leave supplies or equipment at the parish.  Please remember that St. Therese is a smoke-free facility.  Smoking is only permitted outside the building. Additionally, St. Therese is a recycling parish.  In addition to regular trash receptacles, blue recycle bins are in every classroom and office, the commons and the kitchen. Finally, the use of Styrofoam products at St. Therese is prohibited.  Each group is responsible for ensuring that environmentally safe products are used at all functions and events.   Suggestions, corrections or comments? Please call 757 488 2553 or contact us at info@sttheresechesva.org