February 11, 2014 // Local

St. Pius X Catholic Church announces $20 million campaign to expand, build new church

Todays Catholic

The rendering shows the plans for the Behold, I Make All Things New capital stewardship campaign for facilities expansion at St. Pius X Church in Granger.

GRANGER — St. Pius X Catholic Church, Granger, has announced the Behold, I Make All Things New capital stewardship campaign for facilities expansion. Upon the recommendation of St. Pius’ Facilities Study Committee, Parish Council and Finance Council, and approval from Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades and the Diocesan Finance Committee, the parish is moving forward with the $20 million capital campaign to fund:

• Construction for a new, larger church

• Construction for a new rectory

• Renovation of the existing church building

• Expansion of the Parish Education Center.

The campaign was formally announced at the Feb. 1-2 weekend Masses. With one-third of the campaign goal already secured through advance commitment gifts and pledges, the parish will now move forward with the active phase of the campaign with its parish membership and the greater community.

Founded in 1870 by Holy Cross Father Edward Sorin, the origins of St. Pius began at St. Joseph’s Farm in Granger. In 1951, a new church dedicated to St. Pius X was built on Fir Road south of State Road 23 for the 145 families it served. In 1992, the present church was built to accommodate 1,400 families. St. Pius X has now grown to more than 3,150 families. The parish is fulfilling its mission to provide opportunities of faith formation for all members and serving the many needs of the surrounding community while proclaiming the Good News to all.

Msgr. William C. Schooler, pastor of St. Pius X, said the campaign is an ambitious, but necessary step for the parish. “We always stand on the shoulders of those that go before us. We benefit by their sacrifices and I’m convinced that the sacrifices we make now will help the next generations,” Msgr. Schooler said. “Through the works of this campaign, we will provide for the spiritual needs of our parish today and in the future.”

The campaign is raising funds for three major components of the facilities expansion project:

A new church 

The new church will comfortably seat over 1,300 people, nearly doubling the size of the current church. This will allow more parishioners to attend Mass together each weekend. A Romanesque style of architecture, together with a bell tower, will allow the church to make a very powerful and positive statement of faith on one of the busiest corners in Granger. To make way for the new church, which will connect to the existing worship space, the parish rectory will be relocated.

Renovation of the existing church 

The existing church is loved and cherished by many parishioners of St. Pius. Renovations to the current church will accommodate multiple needs including a larger gathering space for before and after Mass, weddings, and funeral vigils, a new, larger baptistry, a parish library, and additional meeting rooms, office, and storage space.

Parish Education Center addition 

In 2008, the St. Pius Parish Education Center (PEC) was dedicated to meet the many educational and pastoral needs of the parish. This building also houses the largest ministry of St. Pius, a parochial grade school. To continue to meet the needs of the now flourishing parochial school, a two-story addition to the PEC will include three classrooms to meet the fluctuating needs of the parish and school and three preschool classrooms to allow for additional growth and enhancements to the program. A multi-purpose gathering area will be added to serve the growing needs of the children’s ministries, including the youth ministry, before-school and after-school care, a school cafeteria and adequate space for performances and large presentations.

Through this campaign, the efforts of St. Pius X Catholic Church reveal the commitment of the entire parish to the greater mission of the Catholic Church. “Your parish is an evangelizing community that is always reaching out and extending itself to the community, inviting others to encounter Christ here at St. Pius,” Bishop Rhoades said.

Those interested in learning more about the Behold I Make All Things New campaign may contact Betsy Quinn in the Parish Campaign Office at (574) 272-8462, ext. 115 or [email protected].