Updated: November 2011

What’s the latest on the construction schedule?

• Within weeks after breaking ground in the fall of 2011, masonry walls were climbing high—helping define the final shape of the project.
• The contractor is working quickly to get the structure under roof, to reduce the impact of weather on the project during the winter months.
• A brick façade—matching the existing buildings—will be added to the exterior of the concrete block as the project progresses.
• The projected completion date for the Parish Center is May 4, 2012.

How will the parish footprint be changed by the construction of the new facilities?

• The Parish Center becomes a prominent part of the parish campus – offering an inviting welcome to all who visit.
• Following construction, the parking lot will be reconfigured to reclaim as many parking spots as possible, and to create smoother traffic flows on and off the lot. (This includes the restoration of a two-way entrance/exit off St. Joseph Lane.)
• In Phase II, plans call for the courtyard in front of church to be razed to accommodate a new enclosed gathering area, chapel, restrooms and other improvements. In Phase III, plans call for the Parish Office to be razed, with new administrative office space for the parish staff to be constructed on the lower level of the school building.
• Homes purchased along St. Joseph Lane will continue to provide living quarters for our parish priests, and meeting rooms for a variety of parish functions.

Why are we taking on this new construction? Don’t we have all the facilities we need?

• St. Joseph Parish serves a population of more than 10,000 parishioners — in about 3,200 registered households. Our current facilities – church, school, gym/multi-purpose room — aren’t significantly larger than parishes that are half our size. The truth is, ministry needs a place to happen — whether that’s a welcoming and inviting worship space or community space that can accommodate the many, many groups that need a place to meet. (Did you know? There are currently 120 various organizations using St. Joe’s meeting facilities!)
• To cite just one important example: The space currently used by our Youth Group has a capacity of only 50 people. Imagine the impact we could be having on the thousands of teenagers who live within our parish boundaries…if we offered programs in a space that made them feel truly welcome!
• The new Parish Center addresses both the immediate and long-term needs of our parish, to better serve all the parishioners who call St. Joe’s “home.” We are certainly not the first local parish to recognize the opportunity for facility improvements. Other neighboring church communities—Sacred Heart in Valley Park, Holy Infant, St. Gerard Majella and Manchester Methodist—have also recognized the need to expand their facilities. The new Parish Center provides a way to improve the experiences we currently offer for worship, education and fellowship—and to address entirely new opportunities that we simply haven’t had room for before.

How is the Parish Center connected to parish's Master Plan?

• The new building grew out of the earlier work done to develop a Master Plan for the parish. In 2005-06, hundreds of parishioners took part in a series of discussions and listening sessions, designed to identify the parish’s current and future facilities needs.
• Three improvement priorities emerged out of those discussions: 1) enhancements to the church (e.g., an enclosed gathering space, a daily Mass chapel/Adoration chapel); 2) the addition of a versatile Parish Center; and 3) improvements to the existing school and cafeteria. Next, a feasibility study was undertaken – and it recommended that the Master Plan projects be developed in three phases. This is to allow sufficient time to acquire funding for construction – but more importantly, to permit the construction to proceed with the least amount of impact on the parish’s day-to-day functions. In other words, while we are building for our future, we want St. Joe’s to continue to provide all the services that parishioners expect: Worship and sacraments; education; adult faith formation; social activities and fellowship; sports and recreation; and more. The three phases of the Master Plan are expected to take 15 years or more to complete, driven by the capital campaigns required to fund construction.
• The three phases are: ( See Parish Master Plan)
• Phase I – Parish Center.
• Phase II – Enhancements to the Church.
• Phase III – Improvements to the original school building (constructed in 1959). This phase would provide new cafeteria facilities, improve classrooms and relocate parish offices to the lower level of the school building.

How was the order determined for implementing the three phases of the Master Plan?

• Enhancements to the church emerged as the top priority among the parishioners who participated in Master Plan discussions. The key improvements envisioned include the construction of an enclosed “gathering area” in the place currently occupied by the courtyard; a new chapel for adoration and other smaller religious services (e.g., daily Mass); new and expanded restroom facilities, with handicap accessibility: expansion of meeting room space under the church; and an elevator, to make the lower level accessible to all.
• The feasibility study revealed that the church would need to be closed during construction – due to safety regulations requiring adequate fire exits.
• As a result, St. Joe’s chose to proceed with the construction of a new Parish Center in Phase I, to create a suitable “alternate” space for worship, once construction begins on the church enhancements.

Why can’t we use the existing gym for Mass and other worship services during church construction?

• This option was reviewed thoroughly – and turned out not to be viable. As you may know, Mass is offered twice daily during the week – along with a full schedule of Masses on Saturday and Sunday. Funerals and other worship services (e.g., Benediction) also must be accommodated on a regular basis. These demands would require set-up and tear-down of an altar and seating daily—or even multiple times per day, so that the gym could continue to be used for physical education, school assemblies, indoor recess during inclement weather, and games and practices. It’s simply impossible to use the current gym for both worship and school/athletic assocation related activities on a regular basis.

Do we really need a Parish Center?

• Yes! Quite apart from its role as an “alternate” worship space during Church construction (and “overflow” worship space on holidays), a new Parish Center will greatly enhance St. Joe’s ability to serve the needs of the 10,000 people who are registered members of our parish. The Parish Center will improve the education and faith formation opportunities we are equipped to offer…
• Assembly space for full-time school
• Classroom and assembly space for PSR
• Youth Group meeting space — for 100 or more
• RCIA, Adult Continuing Education
• Lecture hall
• The Parish Center will enhance our ability to accommodate a wide range of fellowship and social activities…
• Auditorium…for concerts, recitals, plays
• Reception and/or dining space for Fish Fry, Sausage Supper
• Funerals – hospitality for family and friends
• Trivia Nights, Advent Teas, holiday parties
• Youth sports
• Adult fitness programs
• In an average week, dozens of parish organizations use existing parish facilities for their meetings and gatherings. Very often, other groups are turned away for lack of space. Imagine how much more welcoming and inviting our parish could be…once we have the room for everyone to gather!

That sounds exciting! Can you show me some of the ways in which the new Parish Center might be used?

• Click here to view the artist’s renderings of the Parish Center.

Will this new Parish Center just be another gym?

• No. The new building is being constructed from the ground up to offer versatile space configurations – to accommodate a variety of large gatherings, such as “overflow” holiday Masses; seating for traditional parish events like Sausage Supper, Fish Frys, Advent Teas; auditorium space for plays, concerts, lectures and recitals; and so on. With a state-of-the-art soundproof moveable wall system, the Parish Center will also offer breakout meeting areas for smaller groups (e.g., Youth Ministry, RCIA, PSR). While the building will be equipped for athletic events, its primary purpose is to serve the wide-and-varied education, formation, fellowship and social needs of the parish.

Will the Parish Center have a kitchen?

• The Parish Center will have a serving kitchen, but not a full-service facility.  In Phase III of the Master Plan, a new full service kitchen will be built to replace the school kitchen.  It will serve the Parish Center and current gymnasium.

How much money is needed for Phase I?

• The construction budget has been set at $3.7 million.

How much has been pledged to the Parish Center construction?

• So far, $2.88 million has been pledged – with most pledges to be paid over three years. The average gift per household is $2,500, paid over three years.
• To date, we have surpassed $2.45 million in total contributions received.
• It’s not too late to make a pledge: Contact the Parish Office for a pledge card…and help do your part to build this exciting new addition to our community life!

Where are those collected funds now? Are they safe in this economic downturn?

• All campaign contributions are safely deposited in certificates of deposit (CDs). The money has not been affected by the volatility of the stock market. The funds remain in safe, interest-bearing investments until they are used to pay for construction.

If I’m interested in making a challenge grant (e.g., to spur matching contributions from parishioners) or a major memorial gift (e.g. to commemorate a loved one), how would I go about doing that?

• The parish welcomes your support of the campaign in either of these ways. Please contact Fr. Santen or Jim Sigillito (Parish Administrator) to discuss the details for making such a contribution.

Once Phase I is completed, will there be capital campaigns for Phases II and III?

• More than likely, the answer is “yes.” The Master Plan calls for three distinct phases of development – to allow the parish to raise additional funds when it is determined parishioners are ready to move on to the next phase. In an ideal situation, it would be best to complete all phases of the construction as soon as possible, to avoid inflationary cost increases and reduce the inconvenience due to drawn out construction conditions.

What will happen to the houses the parish owns on St. Joseph Lane once the new facilities have been completed?

• This is yet to be decided, but the homes have retained their residential format – so they would be marketable, should the parish decide to sell them at a later date.

How will these new facilities affect the parish school?

• The new Parish Center will certainly enhance our school – and demonstrate the parish’s ongoing commitment to Catholic education. It will also create opportunities to expand outreach efforts — so that St. Joe’s can host events or sponsor programs that attract young people who might not otherwise have a reason to visit our campus. In short, the Parish Center represents a key building block in our continuing effort to renew the parish by educating and evangelizing the young people of our community.

Once construction is completed, can our weekly offerings absorb the anticipated additional operating costs of a new Parish Center?

• Yes. The Parish Finance Committee has carefully taken this matter into consideration and we will be able to maintain the new facilities with our current operating budget.