On a rainy, muddy Saturday, about 200 people showed up in the parking lot at St. Barnabas parish, 101st and Longwood Drive, to build, not an ark, but a house. But don’t go looking for it now — the frame of the 1,200-squarefoot three-bedroom house was loaded on a flatbed truck on June 13, the day after it was built, and delivered to Joliet, where Will County Habitat for Humanity will finish it and give it to its new owners. The project was coordinated with Crossroads Ministry, whose Project Help Build Hope builds upwards of 85 houses a year, said Maryellen Harrington, the youth minister at St. Barnabas. Harrington presented the idea for an on-site service retreat to the parish council in October, and they worked to raise money to pay for the project. Of the $9,600 raised, $6,500 went to pay for materials, including a roof to be installed in Joliet, and the rest paid for security, food and refreshments for the volunteers and other costs, Harrington said. “One of the good things about this is it’s a service project for whole families to work on together,” Harrington said. “So often, parents take their kids to religious education or send them to Catholic school or drop them off for a service trip, and that’s the extent of their involvement.” One such parent was Henry Lizcano, who worked with his son and daughter on the project. A police officer, Lizcano said he hasn’t done much building, but he showed up the afternoon of June 11 to help cut lumber into the proper lengths and planned to wield a hammer on June 12. Parishioner Richard Bukacek said he would support having the parish do such a project every year, maybe even twice a year. “The concept of bringing the work to the parish is far better than recruiting a few to go elsewhere to do it,” Bukacek said. Parishioner Tom DuMais also called for a repeat engagement. “People were stumbling over each other to help, and the enthusiasm was infectious,” he said. “I believe this wonderful event will inspire anyone in the parish who participates, and it is something we should strive to do over and over again.” Youth ministry member Gina Mailhiot said she was initially excited about the project because it was something new. “Instead of simply doing fundraisers or raising money, we would be able to see the results of all the hard work and time everyone put into this at the end of the day,” Mailhiot said. She teamed up with another family, she said. “I’ll admit, it took me a little bit to get the hang of things,” she said. “I’m horrible with a hammer, but my group was very supportive. A little later, it began raining, but not even the rain stopped people from finishing their walls.” Jonny Poole, a fourth grader, said, “Building the house was so exciting. I loved helping the family.” His sister Maddie Poole, a sixth grader, added, “It’s so great to see what a parish can accomplish when they work together.”