Construction is underway 

In 2009, parish members completed a questionnaire to address parish needs for the future. Over the past 3 years the Parish Council and other parish committees have  addressed many of the needs you identified.  It is now time to address the larger goals.  
 
The   results of the questionnaire indicated that almost 70% of you felt a strong need for additional facilities to accommodate special events, classes, bible studies, and social activities such as wedding  receptions and parish-wide gatherings.  

Finance Committee Creation
Father Athanasius created of a group of parishioners to explore the possibility of creating a building large enough to meet these needs
and investigate whether a Parish Life Center was feasible for our parish.  Over the past 3 years, this  committee has been discussing and
researching the practicality of a Parish Life Center.   
 
Members considered alternatives to building a brand new building.  They also weighed the practical needs  and financial capabilities of our parish. 
They examined 

• whether existing  buildings were being used wisely, 
• what kind  of space would meet the needs you  identified, and 
• whether the parish is financially able to support  pursuing a major building project. 

They found that  existing buildings and spaces are either too small or completely inappropriate for meeting the needs identified on the
survey. 

Past St. Paul Parish Building Projects
Below is the building projects of our forefathers: 

• In  1900:  church building  
• in  1948:  current school building 
• In  1957:  current convent 
• In  1963:  rectory In
  1974:  existing  gymnasium 

Considering  our forefathers’ major building projects, we feel a sense of responsibility for our generation to provide facilities for following generations. 
Therefore, the Parish Council, the  Building Committee, and the Finance Committee, are proposing the construction of a Parish Life Center to meet the current and future needs of our large and  growing parish. 

Perceived Uses
The Parish Life Center will have many uses including the  following: 

• Wedding  receptions
• Anniversary celebrations
• Class reunions
• Family reunions
• Funeral lunches
• Meetings
• Bible studies
• RCIA classes
• REF classrooms
• Children’s Church
• Church overflow for large masses such as Christmas and Easter
• Parish potlucks and gatherings
• Parish fundraising
• School fundraising like the Bazaar 
• School activities and events 

 
Financial  Feasibility 
Regarding the financial feasibility, the committee feels  comfortable pursing such a large building project for two reasons.  

1. The church and school are each in good financial shape.  Any repairs or maintenance needs already have funds set aside for that explicit use. 
2. One of our parish families has  generously offered a $500,000 matching donation for the specific purpose of building a Parish Life Center.     
   However, this donation will not be offered indefinitely and is not  available for any other project.  

We are enthusiastic about and committed to this opportunity to improve the facilities at St. Paul parish, allowing us to better serve our growing parish family and renew our sense of community.