A couple of parallel circumstances resulted in the addition to the Pennsylvania Avenue property where the Shepherd’s Corner outreach center stands.
“My wife Kim mentioned that Bridgeport didn’t have a prayer chapel,” said Chris Del Greco, Shepherd’s Corner food pantry coordinator. “Then Sully Gummer, whose dad I worked with for a long time, said he wanted to do his Eagle Scout project to help people and do something with Shepherd’s Corner. We asked him if he wanted to build a prayer chapel and he jumped on it.”
“Shepherd’s Corner is funded by seven or eight different churches, so we don’t want to push one Christian faith over another,” Del Greco said.
It was decided that the chapel would blend with the look of the Shepherd’s Corner campus.
“Kim and I worked with Sully on making sure it is aesthetically pleasing, using colors that we already use, like red, cream and stain,” Del Greco said.
With Gummer taking the lead, Troop 40 and its scoutmaster, members and dads went to work.
He announced on social media that he was accepting financial donations to purchase building materials. He prepared the site and with help dug a dozen or so post holes for support, then proceeded to construc the 10’x12′ deck. The prayer chapel structure was delivered later.
The chapel will be wheelchair accessible, will include seating, and be embellished with landscaping. It is expected to be open by the end of August.
“The chapel will be open to anybody who feels they need to pray, self-reflect, anything they want,” Del Greco said.
Gummer will be a sophomore at Bridgeport High School this year. In addition to scouts, he is active in athletics including wrestling and football. He is the son of Dave Gummer and Katrina Williams-Gummer.
This isn’t the first time that Troop 40 has stepped up for Shepherd’s Corner.
“A previous Eagle Scout had a massive food drive for us,” Del Greco said.
