2015 Parish Building Presentation

Report on the “Parish Update: Forty Years on the Journey”
November 9, 2015
Fr. Bruce Bradley, Pastor
 
 

Seton Parish Update 2015 from Seton Webmaster on Vimeo.

 
We had our parish “update” a few nights ago. The weather threatened a tornado, but many people arrived for the 7pm meeting.  There were about 200 people present. I am grateful to both the Staff and parishioners who participated.  I am grateful to Theresa and Fred Kuhn who provided the beautiful video presentation. The Parish Council presented information about the many ministries that our parish provides.
 
We have about 90 active ministries including Bible studies and various classes, charitable outreach and support groups.  The number of ministries makes it impossible to comment on them all in this report. However, I will mention a few of them. For example the Stephens Ministry has provided tens of thousands of hours listening to the lives and concerns of our people. The Quilt and Shawl ministries have provided hundreds of items for those who might be ill or in need. The Giving Tree ministry has provided over the years thousands of gifts for needy children. The nine Bible study groups have provide hundreds of hours per year to help people grow closer to the Lord. These reports are inspiring.
 
The development of our parish facility has been discussed for many years.  At one time it was suggested that our parish relocate to the corner of Custer and Hedgcoxe. That did not occur, but we bought more property down the street to expand our facility. When the new Seton Faith Formation Center was proposed it was promised that we would later build a new church. That has not yet happened. We now are reaching forty years as a parish family. It is time to address our plans for the future, and what we plan to hand on to the next generation. The general population continues to grow.
 
In the past several years the Worship Commission, the Staff, various volunteers, facility managers, architects and construction people have met to discuss future plans for our parish facility. We held a meeting some time ago where the above groups identified various needs and hopes for the parish community.
 
All major building projects, or new churches, must have the permission of the Bishop’s office to proceed. We would need to have the review of the three committees that function on the Diocesan level, which are the Worship Council, Finance Council, and the Building and Planning Commission. We would also need to obtain a bank loan on our own credit. We would need to finish the Bishop’s “Our Faith Our Future Campaign”, which ends in two years.  At this time we are only discussing the needs and possible plans for future development.
 
In reading these suggestions please remember that we have made no decisions about what we plan to do. These are for your consideration. We welcome your comments.  You can use the questionnaire provided this month in the bulletin, or use the one online at the website, or send us a letter.
 
The four basic choices presented the other evening for the development of our parish facility, were:
 

1. To retain and enhance the present church with new pews, new organ and sound system and various amenities, including a larger sacristy and confessionals. This would be the least expensive choice. We would have to vacate the church for some months.
2. To renovate and remodel the existing church with new furnishings,  new altar, extension of sanctuary platform, adding various rooms, enlarging the foyer or narthex area,  and connecting the Parish Hall with the Church, and  lifting the ceiling to enhance the appearance of the space. This would be of moderate expense.  We would have to vacate the church for about eighteen months. This would be very troublesome for Sundays, weddings, funerals, and first sacraments. 
3. To build a new church on the west parking lot, as presented some years ago, but facing Spring Creek Parkway. It would be more easily seen and therefore more inviting. This church would hold about 1100 people for Mass. This would provide more usable and attractive space for worship, sacristy use, sanctuary area, the choirs, more religious art and stained glass, a larger Eucharistic oratory, a Daily Mass chapel and larger confessionals which would be ADA accessible.  The church would be connected to the parish hall by an enclosed corridor. This choice would be more expensive. This choice would allow us to remain in our usual space until the new space was ready, after which it will be demolished.
4. To build a new church with all the amenities mentioned in the third choice, but retain the old church and “retro-fit” the space for many purposes both pastoral and administrative.  We would connect the buildings with enclosed corridors. This choice would allow us to retain the old building during the time of construction. This choice would be approximately the same cost as the third choice. 

 
The cost of such a renovation project might range from 8-9 million dollars. A new church might cost between 12-14 million dollars. These are approximate costs and based on current building standards.  Our neighbor in McKinney, St. Gabriel parish, is considering a 20 million dollar project. St. Francis in Frisco recently spent somewhat less than that for their new expansion and church. This gives you some idea of what things cost in the present environment.
 
The problem of parking is important.  While we would be losing some parking spaces, all four choices are compliant with city code for parking. However, we need parking and could think about obtaining more property nearby.
 
 You can find the video presentation on our website, which will also contain a site plan of the various choices. There will also be posted a video of “Interesting facts about Ministries at Seton”, which is enjoyable to read. We welcome your comments which you can post on the website, or on the questionnaire contained in the bulletin this month. I am considering retaining the questionnaire for the next few months for more comments. Please pray for our parish that we may serve people and make good decisions. I hope to have more public presentations and discussions in the future about these matters.
 
As a parish we have been on a forty year journey. We have many more years to travel as a spiritual family.  The next generation will be grateful for a beautiful church with adequate space for ministries.