Building Updates... May 9th: Submitted building plans to the Town of Gilbert design review board. May 20th: Interviewed four contractors for phase 1 building project:
- Adolfson & Peterson
- Haydon
- Redden
- Caliente May 28th: Approved by Diocese of Phoenix building commission to proceed to the next phase of building design. May 30th: Hired Caliente Construction, Inc. for phase 1 building project.
The vision of St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Community is to raise sufficient funds to build a church campus that will feature an inspiring place of worship, serve as an inviting meeting place for parishioners, provide a quality Catholic school for our children, establish a respected base from which we will minister to the community, and accommodate the future growth of our parish.
“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” We declare that our faith at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Community is not dead, but very much alive, and we will demonstrate our faith by our actions.
The risen Jesus commanded his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”2 We accept that as disciples of Jesus Christ, we share in this responsibility to build His church, and build His church we will do.
James 2:17 (NIV).
2Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
Dear Parishioners of Saint Mary Magdalene,
I am extremely happy to report that, with the hiring of architects and their recent activities to submit
our designs to the Town of Gilbert Planning and Zoning Committee, we have formally begun the process of realizing the construction of our Williams Field Road complex. The first phase of construction will involve the development of the basic site infrastructure, along with a 20,000 square foot multi-use building. This first phase of building will establish us on our parish property and give us a facility that meets our needs for worship, administrativeand meeting space, and religious education activities. Phase II of construction (to be undertaken at a later date) will involve a 2000 seat church facility and a K-8 elementary school.
The cost for this first phase of construction is approximately five million dollars. The Diocese of Phoenix requires that we have between three to four million dollars in cash and pledges for them to loan us the remaining balance. Our capital campaign for raising the necessary funds for Phase I of our building program has been underway for over a year now and going well. As a result we are currently in a financial position to look at breaking ground sometime between the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009.
Yet, as we proceed toward construction, we need to continue with our fundraising efforts so we can be sure to meet our upfront financial obligations as well as being in a position to begin paying off what is loaned to us by the diocese. Needless to say, the more upfront cash and pledges we have, the less debt we will have to pay back. As a result, the more quickly we can enter into Phase II of our construction efforts, a permanent church and elementary school.
The chart below presents suggested pledge amounts, and samples of what the financial commitment would involve over a three year period. Knowing that any gift of any amount is important, I ask you to pray about what you can do to help in building your church – a church that will be a true Catholic presence in Gilbert and a witness of your dedication and service to your community and the Lord. You may pledge over a three year period or make a one time gift. Whatever sacrifice you make will help move us closer to turning our vision into a reality.
