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Building a New Church and School |
Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Church and School is located in the nation’s sixth fastest growing town of Wake Forest, North Carolina. The parish has experienced explosive growth from both a working Hispanic population migrating northward and a retiring Anglo population migrating southward. The parish must build the facilities necessary to care for its 3,100 families and a 300 family annual growth rate. The case elements of the site plan include a traditional cruciform Catholic church and a double track K-8 Catholic school, early childhood center, athletic fields, cafeteria and gymnasium.
The benefits of such a project are numerous. The construction of a church is always a great sign of hope. Nearly 1,000 workers and engineers would be employed, thus adding greatly to the local and state economies. The timing for building such a project would allow for an efficient use of capital before an anticipated rebound in commodity prices.
An investment in a school which run with a traditional Catholic model is a growing trend among parents of both Catholic and non Catholic families alike. Parents are concerned about the state of public education and the weakness of the municipalities that fund them. They recognize the lasting tradition of Catholic Education. Students of Catholic Schools consistently score higher on national tests, class sizes are smaller, teachers are professionals, and students have greater exposure to the arts. Within a well planned structure and traditional curriculum, students learn the virtues as guideposts in making good decisions. With a healthy view of self as a child of God, they encounter others with respect and are challenged to give back to society in meaningful ways. An investment in a Catholic Parish helps both globally and locally.
St. Catherine of Siena Parish is an active contributor to the local and global community. We provide assistance to the poor in the form of grants for electric bills and prescription medicine on a weekly basis. In addition, we offer scholarships to struggling families at our school; we strive to support all of the families who have suffered the loss of work through financial support and through assistance in training and preparing them for re-employment. Our school students send aid to Haiti, provide fresh water wells for children in Africa and send toys to the children surviving in war torn Iraq. We assist the Latino population with reading enhancement classes and work to form the bonds of community among our neighborhood program. Our primary focus is the spiritual care of over 10,000 souls who come to deepen their relationship with God and who search for ways to care for others. The investment in the campus infrastructure is critical to this rapidly growing population. It can effect real change in the lives of many people today and in the generations to come.
Traditionally the financing of such a project consists of three steps: (1) the quiet phase, where leadership gifts are sought, (2) the capital campaign, involving three-year pledges and (3) a final loan from the Diocese, funded by operations.
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Dominican Heritage as Beggars |
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St. Catherine of Siena Parish is true to its heritage as followers of St. Dominic, known as a beggar preacher. The parish is actively involved in direct assistance to the poor through its many sponsored and cooperative ministries including: Woodcuts, the Poor Box, Church Net, Lending Hands, Tri-Area Ministries, Birth Choice, Koinonia Foundation, Hispanic Reading Program, Tuition Assistance Program, Job Placement Assistance, Catholic Parish Outreach, St. Joseph Ministry and the Annual Giving Tree. |
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Dominican Heritage as Educators |
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Long known for excellence in education, St. Catherine of Siena models itself in the Dominican tradition of “Caritas in Veritate”, Charity in Truth. Now celebrating 11 years of Catholic Education in Wake Forest, the St. Catherine of Siena School and Early Childhood Center provides a continuum of excellent education from early childhood to a traditional K-8th grade school. The school partners with the parish and community to provide generous scholarship assistance through Parish grants. Helping young minds know and love God, leads them to a greater awareness of their inherent dignity and their responsibility to care for others. Children are engaged in projects that raise their awareness of global needs. In the last two years students participated in a Haiti Relief effort, made bag lunches for the homeless of Raleigh, collected and sent care packages to US Soldiers who were assisting children of war torn villages. Last year the students raised the funds to put in two water wells in Uganda.
2009 Conceptual Drawings by O'Brien and Keane |
2009 Conceptual Drawing by O'Brien and Keane
Many of us enjoyed a beautiful church or school growing up without considering who built it. We all know, but seldom stop to remember that it came from the sacrifices of many people before us. Building a church is a community effort and a generational gift. That church of your youth was always there, permanent and strong, communicating that your faith was important and that God loves his people. This is why a church must be well built. It must communicate and teach the faith of a loving God. Every detail has the opportunity to affect others, to comfort the sorrowful, strengthen the weak, lift up the lowly and helps those in need. Building a church brings hope to all as they are reminded that God dwells with them. |
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