Florida Catholic | Construction Activity Around The Diocese

Construction activity around the diocese

Published: 07.14.08

St. James Cathedral School | Father Lopez High School | St. Mark the Evangelist Parish - Summerfield
St. Paul Parish - Leesburg | St. Rose of Lima Parish - Poinciana | St. Catherine of Sienna Parish - Kissimmee
St. Vincent de Paul Parish - Wildwood | St. Theresa Parish - Belleview

There is a time for building and a time to tear down

ORLANDO | The St. James Cathedral School recently requested a permit from the city of Orlando Historic Preservation Board to demolish an 80-year-old, three-story church on its campus. Home to several faith groups over the years, it was deeded to the diocese 10 years ago.

Although unused for years because of safety concerns, the church sits within the confines of the Lake Eola Historic Preservation District and permission must be obtained before it is demolished.

On the same campus, the old convent was renovated and the main school building, also built in 1928, was re-roofed and extensively rehabilitated at a cost of $1.5 million. The school was completely rewired last year for the safety of the children. This summer, the façade of this historic building is being restored.

Secretary of Evangelization and diocesan spokeswoman Carol Brinati explained, “Our concern is for the safety and well-being of the students of St. James and the residents to the north and east of the building. This concern was articulated to us during the last fire inspection, as well as through an independent study by an engineering and architectural firm. We believe we cannot compromise on safety, even as our own history reflects our sensitivity to preservation.”

Should the board issue a permit, the school intends to transform the site into a meditation garden.

State-of-the-art Father Lopez High School to be dedicated in August

DAYTONA BEACH | The new Father Lopez High School in Daytona Beach will be dedicated Aug. 6. The $30 million campus is state-of-the-art. Father Timothy Daly, president, explained: “I believe it only happened because of prayer. On Dec. 8, 2004, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Bishop Thomas Wenski announced the contract for land to build the new school and said, ‘We need to pray.’ We placed the intention for the new school into the hands of Our Blessed Mother and the students have been praying the Hail Mary every day since. To honor Mary, every classroom will have a new statue of Our Blessed Mother.”

The school participated in the bond financing that can only be used for facilities not set aside for religious purposes. Therefore the costs of the chapel and religion classrooms, as well as the land beneath them – calculated at $2 million – were paid for separately. According to Father Daly, the softball and baseball fields and tennis courts should be completed very soon.

Summerfield parish prepares for more retirees and younger families

SUMMERFIELD | The congregation of St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in Summerfield reflects the growing trend of adult communities in its area. Nearly 90 percent of its parishioners come from The Villages, a retirement enclave, and 95 percent of the total parish population is 55 or older.

The parish celebrates Mass in the multipurpose building, which was completed in 2005 and provides worship space, parish offices and meeting rooms. It has completed bidding, picked the contractor and architectural drawing and is working on permitting for a new and improved space. It is anticipated work will start mid-August on the new church that will seat 1,500 in the nave, 90 in the choir and another 200 in the chapel. Groundbreaking was June 8.

Construction of the new church will cost more than $7 million and will take about 14 months. Dedication is anticipated for fall of 2009.

Don Curtis, the parish business manager said, “The projection is that in the next 10 years lots of vacant land will be used for development and we’ll get more young families. Two new subdivisions are already opening that are catering to people who are working in The Villages. The retirement community is unique and they are active in ministry. We are a growing parish and we welcome people from the area.”

St. Paul Parish continues to grow and keeps church ‘alive’

LEESBURG | St. Paul Parish here is expanding the school, the church and parish services to accommodate the area’s growth.

“This is a big medical area because of the number of elderly here,” said Father John C. Giel, pastor. To serve the families of those medical providers, the parish is completing a $2.5 million dollar school expansion – adding a new media center, computer and science laboratories and multipurpose drama room among others. Another $2 million expansion is slated for the church, increasing capacity from 945 seats to 1,500 seats and adding reconciliation and baptism areas and enhancing the facilities for Catholic Community Television Network, which is at the parish.

Father Giel continued, “I think people are coming down here and renewing their faith in the church of central Florida. We hear it all the time, ‘I would have been more active or gone to church more often if my parish up north had been alive like this.’”

Pastor says prayers on feast of patron saint brought parish needed land

POINCIANA | Father R. Alfredo Ortiz, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish here, credits St. Rose with the miracle of this growing parish. There are 900 families registered. Five years ago, there were nearly 35,000 people in the parish – today there are 70,000.

The parish is on 12 acres in a difficult-to-find location with little room for expansion. What Ortiz called a miracle occurred – the parish found 22 acres of prime location, the very last parcel of land available only seven to eight minutes away.

Father Ortiz said the land was purchased at different times from different owners and the miracle was that all the owners finally said yes. Of the 22 acres, first an L-shape comprising two legs of the boundary was purchased, and then a third leg – which left the shape of a horseshoe – and finally the three-and-one-half-acre final leg was bought. However, a large parcel in the center remained and was under contract for sale to another owner.

“It was St. Rose of Lima feast day,” Father Ortiz said, “and I said, ‘Let’s ask her to help us and get the contract annulled.’ The contract failed and we were able to purchase the land.”

Groundbreaking for the multipurpose building is anticipated before the end of the year.

“The Lord has been so generous to us in all this process,” Father Ortiz continued, “and the parishioners have responded in an awesome way. We have received a lot of support from (Bishop Thomas Wenski) and the community. It’s a powerful community of faith, a community of hope. What started as a small mission now promises to become a major parish.

“Jesus is an instrument to accomplish his purpose with very committed people who are doing their best. It makes our church very rich in faith and culture and life – a very interesting family and we are integrating each other.”

Kissimmee parish wants to be ‘more welcoming to everyone’

KISSIMMEE | At St. Catherine of Siena Parish here, construction will soon begin for a 200-seat expansion to the worship space in the multipurpose building. The current worship space seats 600 people for weekend Masses. The parish is growing so quickly that seven Masses are celebrated to accommodate everyone. The expansion will begin mid-July, with dedication planned for November.

In addition, the site work is in process for the construction of the new 1,700-seat church. The parish anticipates construction will begin in a year. The third phase of the plan will add an administrative building, as the offices are housed in trailers.

“The expansion will welcome more people – not just for liturgies on the weekend, but also during the week for people who need meeting spaces and the ministries which serve in the community,” said Father Jose Bautista, pastor. “We can be more welcoming to everyone.”

Growth of Wildwood parish reflects increasing population of The Villages

WILDWOOD | St. Vincent de Paul Parish is west of St. Timothy Parish in Wildwood, and is experiencing a growth rate of 25 percent per year serving the residents of The Villages, as well as the surrounding community. The parish broke ground Feb. 2 for the new church, which will seat about 1,700 people, with completion set for 14 months later.

Father Peter A. Sagorski, pastor, shared: “Our main concern is the spiritual growth of our community and we want to do that prayerfully. We currently have 1,350 registered families with younger families coming in. We have an active Spanish community that is growing and an 11:30 a.m. Spanish Mass on Sunday. We’re encouraging a youth group, have a vacation Bible school this month and a growing religious education program. In a prayerful way, we seek to do God’s will.”

Belleview area residents gravitate to ‘little church with big heart’

BELLEVIEW | St. Theresa Parish in Belleview refers to itself as “the little church with a big heart.” The tiny church holds 365 people and there are five Masses on the weekend to accommodate everyone. The parish roster reports 1,240 families with 30 percent from Belleview. The rest are from the surrounding areas, which also anticipate tremendous growth of young families to work in the industries serving The Villages community.

The parish has a reputation for helping the poor. For the past 10 years, 145 volunteers in social services ministry have been cooking and serving lunch at the parish to 150 people per day five days per week. The number has recently increased to 180 per day. The money for the lunches comes from the thrift shop, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society helps out as well.

Father David Vivero, pastor, explained: “There are liabilities to this service and the liabilities will continue, but the parish chooses the preferential option for the poor. We will survive – because this is God’s work. The parishioners have found God in reaching out.”

The parish has already passed the halfway point in their $6 million dollar campaign to build a new church. Groundbreaking for what will have to be called “the big church with the big heart” is set for October 2008.

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