Building Committee
In January of 2024, a building committee was formed in order to review the needs of the parish and plan for the building of our new parish social center on the Jabish Street campus.
The goal is to establish a plan for a building which will include: adequate space for staff offices; meeting rooms for religious education classes, various ministries, and fellowship programs; sizable open space for larger gatherings and events with a professional kitchen; and sufficient storage space.
The new parish social center must meet not only our current needs, but also allow for the continued growth of our parish.
Heavenly Father, You are the Architect
and Creator of all things Holy,
hear our prayers for our new Parish Social Center.
Send forth Your Spirit
that we may humbly be guided by Your Divine Will.
Touch our hearts with true generosity
to raise up a space for our community
to encounter You outside of Mass,
to provide opportunities to walk with each other in faith,
and to draw others into relationship with You.
We ask this in Jesus' Name.
Amen
Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Corner Stone.
- Ephesians 2:20
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as if working for the Lord, not for human masters.
- Colossians 3:23
For which of you, desiring to build a tower,
does not first sit down and count the cost,
whether he has enough to complete it?
- Luke 14:28
Understanding the Process
As with all parishes in the Diocese of Springfield, the buildings and land which represent the physical property/location of St. Francis of Assisi Parish are owned by the Diocese and as such, any new construction, major renovations, or sale of properties must be approved of by the bishop before the parish can move ahead with any plans.
In that we are planning to construct a new building on our Jabish Street campus, with an eye towards selling some of our existing properties on Park Street (such as the office building and current parish center), we are obligated to seek and receive approval from the bishop of our diocese before we can move forward.
When it comes to constructing a new building, the diocese has guidelines in place to assist the individual parishes with this process. (See the Step-by-Step Process to Begin and Complete a Diocesan Facilities Project)
More here.....
Outline of Steps
- The pastor, working with the Finance Committee reviews and determines concurrence for the project
- Assess the financial situation of the parish.
- Survey the parish community to gauge the needs of the parish and gauge the interest in moving forward with the project.
- Create a plan for funding the project
- Communicate to the Diocese what we are looking to do to
- Establish Fundraising Committee
- Establish Committee Goals
- Brainstorm Ideas
- Plan Fundraisers
- Establish a Capital Campaign/Timeline
- Establish Building Committee
- Establish Committee Responsibilities & Goals
- Review Survey Results
- Assess Needs of Groups in the Parish
- Visit Other Church Parish Centers
- Establish a plan of what we look to have included in our new parish social center
- Submit a formal proposal to the Diocese for permission to obtain a designer proposal
- Parish Selects a Design Professional and requests permission from the diocese to hire them with a signed contract
- Design Professional uses the parish plan to establish an estimate of what the project will cost and it is reviewed by the diocese
- The approved request for proposal is used to put project out to bid from diocesan approved contractors
- Review of bids
- Parish requests approval from the diocese to make contractor selection.
- Contract agreement given legal review and signed by all parties
- The diocesan representative will oversee all the stages of construction and provide the parish with advice on all construction related items and issues that may arise