St. Mary Parish Is...

The dedication and blessing of the new classroom spaces, aka “Phase 3,” brings to a close the Cultivating Legacy Capital Campaign. The facts are amazing: 

• the campaign effort spanned 2015 to 2025, with 4 years of planning and 6 years of fund raising; 
• $6.38 million was raised from 971 unique donors over a span of 311 weeks ($20,500 per week);
• we saw a 98% collection rate on pledges when the national average is 85%;
• zero debt was incurred and zero dollars remain to be raised.

All of the speakers at the dedication agreed that the projects themselves - new church elevator, larger church parking lot, four new classrooms and parish center, the expansion of the school cafeteria and the renovation of the old gymnasium into three new classrooms - are really the means for achieving even greater ends.  

Jennifer Geiman, principal of St. Mary’s, noted the impact of this final phase.

“Our students now have access to a brand new junior high science lab, inspiring art room

and a spacious STEM and media center. These beautiful new spaces are more than just classrooms, but launch pads for imagination, discovery and growth. They are a true legacy built by our parish community that will serve generations to come.”

Bishop Iffert expressed the impact in yet another light: “The fact that you were able to accomplish all this is because so many people looked at the children in this school and saw them as Christ, saw them as one deserving of love, as those who needed to be loved and cared for and honored and respected — images of Christ.”

This project represents more than space. Per Brett Ruschman, one of the campaign co-chairs, “It’s about vision, perseverance, and faith. It’s about creating something that will serve not just us, but generations to come. That’s what “Cultivating Legacy” truly means.”

Father Joe, in his remarks, agreed. “Today is about so much more than dedicating this space. It is about community, family, and above all, faith. All of us working together, guided by the Holy Spirit, willing to say yes to the Spirit’s prompting, make great things happen: in the far distant past, in the more recent past, today and in the days to come.”

From Father Joe and the campaign leadership, a big thanks for the prayers, generosity and time from all who made this project a success, and your commitment to our faith community.