According to our professional advisors the township has permitted the parish to expand its building coverage and impervious surface limitations so that the new additions can be constructed. The board also allowed the parish to provide fewer parking spaces than the ordinance requires. These concessions on the part of the township were made as part of our Conditional Use Application.

Going forward we will have to obtain final land development approval. This formality requires our engineering firm to meet certain requirements which the township's engineer will oversee and ultimately certify. This certificate will enable the parish to receive final approval and apply for building permits.

The Township Supervisors showed an understanding of the parish's vision to provide adequate and accessible facilities with limited acreage and financial resources. They approved the parish's three-phase proposal: 1) site development and the Parish Center; 2) four Pre-School classrooms added to the Religious Education Building; and 3) re-design of the Church basement. Our finances limit us to building Phase 1 at this time.

All are asked to pray for the success of this project: that it provides the infrastructure for our continuing efforts to build up the Kingdom of God within our parish and beyond.

In our Parish Newsletter for July 1, 2001, "Concept Drawings for a Parish Center" were presented to the parish as the fruit of several months' reflection by our Parish Pastoral Council. Then both the Council and our Finance Committee refined the concept and concluded that we should begin the steps necessary to make it a reality.

As first proposed, the Center was a stand-alone building which included: at ground level, a daily Mass chapel and a large multi-purpose room capable of being divided into two (about 125 persons each) with a kitchen serving both areas; and on the first floor offices, a conference room and a library or multi-media center. Both levels would be accessible without steps: the ground level from the parking lot; the first floor from the Hatboro Road side of the building.

Changes to our vision were made as a result of our reflection over that year, including: providing for a larger gathering space with access to the chapel and the multi-purpose room; adding storage areas for parish groups; and enlarging the size of the offices.

A daily Mass chapel could provide us with: a truly accessible worship space; a more intimate experience for liturgies with smaller groups; energy savings by not heating or air-conditioning the Church, except for large groups; and options not now available: e.g. continuing Eucharistic adoration in the chapel when there is a funeral in Church.

The multi-purpose room(s) are primarily intended to provide space for a senior citizens group and for our youth groups, but would be available for other parish uses e.g. it was our Early Childhood Learning Program teachers who suggested that the room include a stage.

The need for office space is immediate, since the Rectory cannot accommodate additional offices. Deacon Jack Golaszewski should have a place in which to meet with parishioners and do parish business; there are requests for a Youth Minister, but no place for a Youth Minister to do his or her work. As we see it, the need for office space will increase: this year there are 577 active priests in the Archdiocese; it is projected that in five years there will be 525 active priests. It is very possible that, in not too many years, we will be a larger parish with only one priest, and that will mean additional staff members, such as a Business Manager, so that the priest can concentrate solely on pastoral ministry.

A library or multi-media center was suggested by our Faith Sharing Ministry as a resource for the entire parish. Pastoral Council discussions led to a consensus that a true conference room in the proper proportions with audio-visual capability would be used by a number of parish organizations.

On May 13, 2002, Father McLaughlin wrote to Monsignor Joseph Cistone, Vicar for Administration, requesting permission to initiate a major Capital Campaign to raise funds for the purpose of building a Parish Center, and to construct the Parish Center. The Capital Campaign was registered as Project #2293, and the actual construction as Project #2294. Our proposal was forwarded to the Vicar for Bucks County and the Secretary for Temporal Services/CFO for review and recommendation.

The committee was provided with a list of companies that have worked with other parishes in the Archdiocese, and from their printed materials and their WEB sites, four were selected for further study. Each of these four made a presentation to the sub-committee and submitted a formal proposal. Marty Dell structured the committee's selection process. In October, 2002, Kirby-Smith Associates, Inc., Quarryville, PA was selected to assist us, and our Kirby-Smith consultant was Bill Venditta.

In addition to a review of relevant financial and demographic records by Kirby-Smith Associates, the Feasibility Study involved analysis of the responses to a survey mailed to all parishioners, 45 personal interviews of parishioners conducted by Bill Venditta, and two Town Hall Meetings. The completed report arrived in April, 2003.

Representatives of four firms were interviewed by the Parish Center Sub-Committee, which reached consensus in selecting Martin A. DeSapio as the architect to develop preliminary plans and a cost estimate for our proposed Parish Center.

With this information, seven architects within the DeSapio firm individually developed creative conceptual solutions to both our short-term and our long-term needs. Then, collectively, they distilled their ideas into five proposals which Mr. DeSapio and Mr. Juliano presented to the sub-committee members on Tuesday, August 26, 2003.

The architects led the sub-committee members in a discussion of the "complex" versus the "campus" approach. In a building complex, people can move from one area to another "under the same roof," while on a campus they move from one building to another. Our original proposal would move us in the direction of a parish campus, but as we discussed the issue, sub-committee members moved to a consensus in favor of the "complex" approach.

The site plan selected for further consideration locates the daily Mass chapel and the offices behind the present Church. An elevator would allow access to both the Church and the Church Hall. A separate expansion of the Religious Education Building would accommodate our Early Childhood Learning Program, and the entire Church basement would be remodeled for meeting rooms and an updated kitchen. Expansion of the parking lot is also included.

The Parish Center Sub-Committee's interaction with Martin DeSapio and Paul Juliano in the early fall of 2003, led to preliminary plans and cost estimates being submitted to the parish, the Archdiocesan Office for Property Services, and the Archdiocesan Building Committee in October, 2003. Concurrently, Madeline Janowski, a member of the Parish Finance Committee, prepared a seven-year financial projection which was submitted to the Archdiocesan Office for Parish Financial Services.

In November, 2003, the Office for Parish Financial Services suggested that the projected initial cost (for Phase 1) be reduced to ensure the parish's ability to finance the project. In December, 2003, the Martin A. DeSapio firm produced a revised proposal (with Phases 1a and 1b), and Madeline Janowski provided a revised financial projection.

The implementation phases as now proposed are:

1. Phase 1
   1. site work (new parking, driveways, walkways, landscaping, site lighting), and the construction of an addition to the back of the Church to provide all-weather, handicapped access to the Church and the Church Hall, an indoor atrium or gathering space, offices, handicapped accessible bathrooms, and a conference room.
   2. add a daily Mass Chapel to the Parish Center.
2. Phase 2
   add 4 Early Child Learning Program classrooms and offices to the Religious Education Building.
3. Phase 3
   completely refurbish the present Church Hall and Pre-School classroms into meeting rooms and a social hall, and upgrade the present kitchen.

The structure and logistics of a successful campaign were detailed by Gene Musser. Marty Dell accepted the role of General Chairperson of the Campaign Steering Committee; Deacon Jack Golaszewski was named Assistant General Chairperson. Subcommittee leadership and membership volunteers appeared quickly, and the Communications Subcommittee began developing the campaign literature. Parishioner Steve Cassidy agreed to oversee all printing without cost to the parish as part of his contribution to the campaign.

Literature began reaching our parishioners in July, 2004, with the official campaign kickoff set for September 12, 2004.

This permitted the parish to expand its building coverage and impervious surface limitations so that the new additions can be constructed, and also allowed the parish to provide fewer parking spaces than the ordinance requires. Final land development approval requires our engineering firm to meet certain requirements which the township's engineer will oversee and ultimately certify, after which we can apply for building permits.

The Township Supervisors showed an understanding of the parish's vision to provide adequate and accessible facilities with limited acreage and financial resources. They approved the parish's three-phase proposal: 1) site development and the Parish Center; 2) four Pre-School classrooms added to the Religious Education Building; and 3) re-design of the Church basement. Our finances limit us to building Phase 1 at this time.