A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Sunday for a new multipurpose building to be constructed on the campus of St. John the Baptist Church and St. John’s Catholic School.
At the ceremony, former All Saints pastor Rev. Frank Murray said there were no words for the joy in being at the ceremony. He asked attendees to join in prayer to make the land holy where the building will sit.
Murray said the building, which has been planned for more than a decade, will be built to “foster love, uphold justice and charity, and support harmony and peace with all people.”
Construction is scheduled to be completed in less than two years.
The building is envisioned as being a nurturing space for the local community, bringing together edu- cation, and local community and social activities.
“The reason that this is so important to us is because, in order for the school to thrive and grow, we needed a facility, a cafeteria, a safe place for students to gather, a gymnasium to exercise all that really involves, pardon the pun, and for the parish to have an actual meeting place, since over the years, other places and basements have become unavailable,” said Rev. Tom Murphy, current pastor of All Saints. “That was the driving force, but it will also be a marvelous aid to the community, because it will be a multipurpose facility, and our churches have always been open for others to use them.”
About 150 people attended Sunday’s ceremony. Among those participating in the groundbreaking was Sister Angela Krippendorf, who served as principal of St. John’s Catholic School from 1984 to 1998. The Ursuline Sisters were administrators of the school through most of its history, beginning in 1915 and continuing until 1998.
The $4.8 million 15,000 square foot building will be at 38 Pleasant St. To date, a fundraising campaign has raised $3.4 million. The building was designed by Scott Simon Architects, based in Portland.
The Diocese of Portland has also given the green light for construction to begin and has agreed to grant the parish a loan if needed. The parish will also soon be choosing a general contractor.
The building will house a chapel, gymnasium, public meeting room, kitchen and a cafeteria. The building is touted as also aiding in the goal of preserving and expanding Catholic education.
“There will be no mistaking this is part of the parish,” said Murray in a press release. “The colors of the facade of the building will be the same as the church, and the adoration chapel is going to look like a tower, so it will be more than a rectangular building.”
Earlier this year, the Planning Board unanimously approved the final plan application submitted for the facility.
“There is an appreciation for how important having a facility like this is for not only the use and enjoyment of the parish and school but for other community organizations as well,” said Jim Baskerville, general chair of the steering committee overseeing the “Founded on Faith, Building the Future” campaign in a press release.
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