Addressing our current needs and anticipating the future needs of our entire campus, we have started a planning process to maintain and build-out the best use of our space for worship, work, and education. We become servants to the plan that God has for us by remaining open to the movement of the Holy Spirit. We start with prayer and reflection. We listen and speak from our hearts. We come together as a community with forward thinking to take risks and plan for the future.
As we think outside the box, we also need to think inside the circle. The circle represents the limits to which we can think outside the box. The limits in a Catholic parish include canon law, Scriptural values, or outside mandates, such as diocesan policies. Every organization has a limit to how far outside the box they can think of, and there is usually plenty of space outside the box, but it is inside the circle that has not yet been explored.
This year is the 25th anniversary of the opening of Corpus Christi on our current site. With half of our current campus being 25 years old, maintenance issues are increasing by the month. We know that our roofs are an immediate concern. But we also know that in the near future we need to replace our parking lot, paint the exterior of our campus, and replace aging HVAC units.
Aside from deferred maintenance, we are also facing space constraints across our campus, especially in the school. Strong enrollment, plus the ever-changing need for more individualized intervention of students and sufficient teaching space - particularly in the science and arts - puts significant strain on current school space. Additionally, parish staff currently occupy about 800 sq ft of much needed school space.
To help us address our space needs, we have partnered with Treanor architects to lead us in a planning process that began last month. A steering committee has been established to review the original master plan, track the progress we have made in our 25 years, and help us plan for the future. To gather input, we have held three user groups meetings to understand the needs of the parish and school community and to think outside the box. Those user groups included the school staff, the parish staff, and the Pastoral Council and other leaders of ministries of the parish. Treanor will guide us in evaluating all of the wants and needs and offer suggestions on how to make more efficient use of our campus. The steering committee will steer us in a good direction with prayer and practicality.
We will continue to include and update the parish in the planning process as we strive to bring Christ to people and people to Christ, which is our ultimate call. Please pray for God’s will to be done, and as always, an increase in the Stewardship way of life.
God Bless,
