St. Mary's - June 2006 Newsletter

Scaled Back Expansion Plan Meets Approval

By Fr. Mike.

At a joint meeting of the Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Committee on May 10^th, George Osley of Carlton & Co. presented the results of their planning study conducted during the winter months to assess the feasibility of funding an expansion of our parish facilities. In the one hundred interviews conducted with parishioners representing a cross section of potential donors and the parish at large, a full-scale, ideal expansion plan that addressed a variety of parish needs was presented. While the majority of parishioners accepted the plan as presented or with some modifications, there was concern expressed about the scope of the project. Many felt the fundraising goal and the size of the project would be too big of an undertaking, but that approaching the project in phases would be more realistic. While opinions varied on the importance of various elements of the plan, a strong majority agreed that space is at a premium and something needs to be done.

Based on the findings of Carlton & Co. the pastoral council and finance committee recommended that St. Mary’s Parish move forward with a scaled-back capital campaign and expansion plan. Carlton & Co. has been retained as fundraising counsel and Jordan O’Connor & Associates will continue working with us as the architect. A revised plan is being prepared which includes the following:

Expand church seating capacity, provide rest rooms on the main level, air conditioning, new boiler, lighting, sound, and handicap accessibility with an elevator
Expand parish hall to provide additional meeting space for parish ministries, religious education and community activities.
Move library and computer room from the parish hall into a newly developed media center.
New entrance from the parking lot for the school with front office and gathering space for the church.
Additional parking

During the summer months a capital campaign steering committee will be formed to organize our efforts and establish a campaign timetable. The expansion and renovation of our church and school facilities will provide us with the space and updated buildings that we so sorely need to continue our mission as Church. With your support and prayers we will continue our march into the future, building on the earlier efforts of many generations of St. Mary’s parishioners.