CONSTRUCTION HISTORY
August 2009
The stone has arrived! It made it through customs all the way from China. Interior work is progressing well: ribs are going up on the drywall, stone cornices are coming along, and some stone work has begun. A lot of painting is underway, including the side shrine areas, Daily Mass Chapel, and the Adoration Chapel. The Liturgical/Devotional Committee is meeting regularly to make decisions concerning colors, windows, and statue purchases.
Paving of the west side parking lot will begin soon. There will be more parking spaces and a curve drive will be completed. We have a feeling this will become a preferred parking area when finished!
On the financial side, about $170,000 has been raised towards the $250,000 match currently in place. While we are grateful to everyone that sacrificed to make this pledge amount possible, we don't want to let this generous match go to waste! We will be holding more capital campaign meetings this fall to reach out to those families who may not already had a chance to hear our message and consider giving to the building fund.
July 2009
Tim Jones, the construction manager, has updated us that we are at the 2/3 point of the construction process with a year of progress behind us and six months to go. The next stage will move quickly and visibly with changes.
The shingling is now complete on the new roof. The finial boxes (on the corners of the steeple) have been primed and are ready to be painted their final color before the finials are inserted on top of them and the church roof.
The main stone has been cut and is currently being shipped to us from China. It will take approximately one month for it to arrive in Fargo. The installers are ready to get their hands on it! The stone for the furnishings will follow.
Thank you to all who have contributed to the Capital Campaign and sacrificed to complete their pledges. We are very blessed to have such generous families in our parish, and it shows in not only the bottom line, but in the love and dedication that is being poured into the design process. If you have not yet made a pledge, we ask that you prayerfully consider contributing to help us all build a house of God worthy of his worship that will inspire and guide the faith of many for generations.
June 2009
Progress is visible! Much has been accomplished since last November as we head forward towards our February 2010 Dedication date.
Shingling the building was delayed a bit, but it should now be completed by the end of this month. The parking lot should be completed by the end of August, and landscaping will be well under way this summer.
All paint colors, flooring, and stone colors have been chosen. The Daily Mass Chapel especially is moving forward quickly, and the ceiling is starting to take on its final look.
Stone samples have arrived from China, and everyone on the building and decorating team is very pleased! Fr. Bachmeier receives regular picture updates of the stone being cut into our necessary pieces before being shipped to us here, and everything is turning out beautifully.
The stone medallions for the main aisle have been finalized and will be shipped soon. We have also received a few statues already for the side shrines, although these shrine areas will not all be completed by the time we move in.
There have been many opportunities recently for parishioners to keep abreast of the building progress. A newsletter was sent out to all families the second week of May, Fr. Bachmeier gave an update homily at all of the Masses in mid-May, an Open Meeting with Tours was held recently, and many samples and pictures are displayed in the Gathering Space and online for everyone to view!
November 2008
We broke ground on April 30, 2008 as planned. The Bishop held a service in the worship space with Monsignor Gross, Fathers Bachmeier, Kadlec, and Katanga and several hundred parishioners in attendance. The Bishop then proceeded out to the site of the new church where blessings were given, and finally, shovels of dirt were turned.
The theme for the night was “Can You Dig It” with personalized Sts. Anne
& Joachim shovels for the kids and
several “adult” parishioners who knew of a small child who couldn’t make
it! There were sand piles for the kids and a replica of the church layout painted on the grass. The groundbreaking was followed by a reception in the gathering space
where a memorable experience was had by all.
That was six months ago and as you can imagine the church has had many changes since then. The footings and
foundation have been poured, the walls for the basement are in, and the
bell tower is almost finished.
The bell tower, which stands 125 feet
above our present finished floor height, is about 90% complete with only
minor work left to be done. The three bells were put in place in late
August, and the steeple was raised and put into position on the 15th
of September. The brickwork and other finishing touches took place after
the placement of the steeple and were completed in late September. This
was followed by the removal of the scaffolding from around the bell
tower.
Work continues to be concentrated on
the erection of steel, with emphasis being placed on getting as much of
the roof structure up as possible.
The air handling unit arrived (10/20)
and will be lowered into the basement sometime this week. After this is
done, the balcony will be put in. This will be followed by the roof
trusses and support beams. While all of this is going on, the masons will
continue to lay face brick along the south wall of the church.
Soon the decking for the roof will be going up. The plan is to start on the daily mass chapel and then work on
the south side of the church. If all goes well, the structure will soon
be enclosed for the cold weather.
Please pray for our construction workers and for their safety.