Florida Catholic | Construction

Parishioner paves way for building campaign

LAURA DODSON | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 10.05.07

SANFORD | Father Richard W. Trout, pastor of All Souls Parish in Sanford, marveled at the faith expressed by the community in pursuit of new church and school buildings.

"It all began in the year 2000, the holy year of jubilee. One of our wonderful parishioners, Madeline Mallem — an old Southern girl, never married, who used to walk to church and served as organist — died, leaving us her house. Her bequest got us out of debt. We had to be debt-free to begin a campaign," Father Trout said."The parish council held town meetings. The community described what it was looking for in a church and even before we had a site, our people had enough faith to contribute to a very successful capital campaign, raising well over the 50 percent to begin work and the other half in pledges." While bishop in 2003, Bishop Emeritus Norbert Dorsey acquired property for the new buildings. The new sanctuary will be dedicated Jan. 27, 2008, and the work of developing the new school will begin next September.

Father Trout said, "Great things can happen through the great stewardship of people. Our church building is a traditional style and it is functional as well — providing multipurpose uses for the gathering rooms. The building itself is beautiful and should evangelize."

"It will be dedicated at the beginning of our diocesan 'Year of Evangelization,' said Father Trout. “It makes such a statement on the busiest highway in Sanford, in the exact center of the city one block from the new commuter rail station that will transport people from Poinciana to DeLand. People won’t even have to drive to get to church."

Tanya Goodman of the Florida Catholic staff contributed to this report.

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Parishioner paves way for building campaign

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