SPECIAL COMMUNIQUE TO THE PARISHIONERS OF
SAINT CLARE AND SAINT PETER PARISHES
Since early Spring 2003 the members of our Pastoral Councils and Finance Committees have been meeting regularly with Monsignor John Marine, the Vicar of Montgomery County and Sister Janet Baker, RSM, a facilitator, to discuss our common challenges, as well as explore various possibilities to address them. Seven (7) meetings were held since March 12, 2003 and an interim "Communique" was issued to the parishioners on April 27, 2003.
The joint group has reviewed and discussed various strategies and options and the consensus is the following recommendations:
1. Immediate collaborative efforts should be initiated to build a new Catholic Religious Education Center with an auditorium to serve the needs of both parishes.
2. Further discussion will be needed about the formation of one new parish that could be established within a reasonable time frame.
3. A Strategic Planning Committee, composed of representatives from both parishes and appointed by their respective pastors, will be necessary to work out the details of these recommendations.
Important to note:
.Whatever recommendations the Strategic Planning Committee makes will be communicated to Pastoral and Finance Councils, as well as all parishioners, in order to hear their input and feedback prior to making any final recommendations.
.The recommendation, when finalized, will be sent to Cardinal Rigali through Monsignor Marine, the Regional Vicar. Cardinal Rigali must approve of the recommendation for it to become a reality.
On December 12, 2003, a brochure was mailed to every parishioner in St. Clare and St. Peter parishes. This brochure explains in detail the background, process and recommendation made by the Joint Committee. It is the desire of everyone involved with this process to keep parishioners informed in a timely fashion and to ask all to prayerfully study the information and reply with your questions and/or comments.
Important Facts:
Neither parish has a sufficient number of parishioners to be financially able to build and financially maintain the type of facility that is necessary to accomplish their common goals.
Both parishes have a similar number of families, both are facing population growth and are in a similar financial situation. Both plan to build within a 3.5 mile radius of each other. They each have similar physical restraints with no room for expansion in current sites. Both parishes have the same goals and objectives to provide for Catholic Education and to have adequate facilities to accomplish their spiritual mission. The #1 goal of each parish is the establishing of a Catholic Educational Center.
What does it take to build Parish Facilities today? In the Philadelphia Archdiocese, St. Elizabeth in Upper Uwchlan Township, a newly established parish, found they needed 1300 families in order to start their building campaign. It appears that to build the multi-million dollar campus that is necessary, $15,000,000 is the anticipated cost. To do so a family base of 1300 to1600 families is recommended. Currently, St. Clare has 880 registered families and St. Peter has 700 registered families.
Background: The demand for Catholic elementary school education became increasingly critical because of the ongoing population growth in this area of Montgomery County.
As a result of Cluster Pastoral Planning in Cluster 76, St. Clare Parish opened an Early Education Program at a leased facility which presently includes Pre-K and Kindergarten classes. The vision of St. Clare Parish was to open a complete elementary school facility, and eventually a worship site, on property located at Swamp Pike and Neiffer Road in Limerick Township. A feasibility study conducted in 2000 showed St. Clare parishioners could not raise enough money to build a Catholic Education Center and maintain it.
As a result of Cluster Pastoral Planning in Cluster 77, St. Peter Parish plan was to build a new school, and eventually, a worship site on property on Sanatoga Road in Lower Pottsgrove Township. It's present school and parish site in Pottstown is inadequate, especially for the future projected growth. Saint Peter Parish embarked on a Capital Campaign but fell short on the financial goal to start the project. St. Peter's needs 4.5 million in order to complete this project. Currently raised is $750,000 and it is at a stand still. 1.5 million is needed to start the project.
The dilemma for both parishes is how to provide adequate Catholic elementary school education and worship facilities for their parish, keeping in mind the current, extremely high cost for capital construction. In light of these circumstances and because of the proximity of their adjoining parishes, the pastors of both parishes met with Monsignor John Marine, the Regional Vicar. They decided that the Pastoral and Finance Councils of both parishes should begin a process of meeting in joint session to discuss their common challenges, as well as explore various possibilities to address them. There were no preplanned or pre-determined outcomes.
Fr. Edward P. Kuczynski, Pastor, St. Peter
Fr. Joseph P. McGeown, Pastor, St. Clare