Building & Renovation Groundbreaking Held June 14—

St Rose Expansion Project Is No Longer Just A Dream

By Shannon Hicks

After four years of planning, St Rose of Lima Parish finally broke ground for a new 17,000-square-foot building and renovation to the present education facility last week.

Through a campaign supported by parishioners and a number of fundraisers, the parish raised $4.2 million to cover the cost of the project. The present education facility will be renovated to provide an additional classroom/meeting room, and a new group of offices for the principal, school secretary and nurse, and a faculty room. A state-of-the-art science facility will be created in one of the present classrooms.

The new addition will include a 7,500-square-foot gathering hall with full kitchen facilities, a gymnasium, and a stage; a state-of-the-art multimedia center that will house both the school and parish libraries and computers for instruction and research; a 700-square-foot meeting room; significant storage areas; additional restrooms meeting all to ADA requirements; and a large atrium entrance area that can facilitate parish social activities.

Reverend Robert Weiss, the pastor of St Rose, said during the brief ceremony that for many parishioners it was much longer than four years of work.

“I think the Lord is shocked we finally got here,” he said in addressing the hundreds who turned out for the event on June 14. “Some of you have been hoping for this for nearly 30 years.”

When he was assigned to St Rose in 1999, Father Bob was given a list of goals by Cardinal Egan, who was then the bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport. The tenth and final item on that list was to help the parish grow physically to meet the needs of the families.

In his first interview with The Bee in July 1999, in fact, he was already talking about the need for an expansion by his new parish. He was already looking for a large parish hall that would house a gymnasium, classrooms, and meeting rooms. Seven years and more than $4 million of money saved led to Thursday’s gathering behind the church building.

Father Bob was joined for the groundbreaking by clergy from not only his own church but also from across the diocese. The Most Reverend William E. Lori, the bishop of Bridgeport, presided with Father Bob. Hundreds of members of St Rose gathered in the parish’s field near the current school buildings, as did members of the parish staff, several diocesan and town officials, including First Selectman Herb Rosenthal. St Rose School students in their school uniforms were seated on a hill, and many religious education students also joined them.

The Knights of Columbus escorted Bishop Lori to the podium, as the St Rose Choir sang “In This Place” to begin the ceremony. Boy Scout Troop 770 then presented the colors, and all were invited to sing the national anthem.

Bishop Lori led the evening’s opening prayer, and thanked Father Bob for his “dedicated leadership.” He also thanked the church’s clergy, deacons, and lay leadership.

“It’s a great night for all of us to come together,” said Bishop Lori. “Your dedication as parishioners marks a growth in the parish. Vitality, evangelism, the Catholic education and youth ministry, adult formation… these are all things that make St Rose truly a wonderful parish.

“I look forward to coming back to cut the ribbon of the new building,” he added. “I’m really happy that we can begin immediately to make these additions to the new school building.”

“Thanks to everybody who made this night possible,” Father Bob said upon returning to the podium. “We thank our Lord and pray for this project to come in ahead of schedule and under budget,” he said to laughter. “We also pray to keep all of the workers safe from injury.”

Peg Baiad, who has worked closely with Father Bob on Easter and Christmas boutiques at the church for a few years and has raised “a significant amount of money,” he said, was invited to read the evening’s Scriptures. She read from the First Letter from Paul to the Corinthians.

As the ceremony progressed, the sun broke through the clouds that had been threatening rain in the hours preceding the groundbreaking. The sun’s appearance was not lost on Father Bob.

“Every time we do something the Lord God is here for us,” he said, raising his arms toward the sky.

Because so many people have been directly involved in fundraising for this project, there were not one but three groups of people invited to pick up shovels, don hardhats, and break ground on Thursday.

A building committee under the leadership of Susan LoPiccolo and Dan Lansing has been working with Herbert S. Newman and Partners Architects and Newfield Construction for the development of the plans and its construction. Ms LoPiccolo was part of the group invited to break ground on Thursday, as was Alex Lansing, representing his father, who was unable to attend the ceremony.

Building Committee members Nancy Belanger, Gus Brennan, and Jud Doyle were also groundbreakers, as were the following people: Reverend Robert Weiss and Most Reverend William Lori, Bishop of Bridgeport; Reverend Milan Dimic and Reverend John Inserra, both of St Rose Church; Rodd Blessey and Joseph DeMaida, St Rose uouth ministers; and Sister Mary Ellen Genova, pastoral coordinator; and Bill Calderara and Sue Lehmann, lay members of the parish corporation.

Also, Finance Council members John DiNoto and Harry Waterbury; First Selectman Herb Rosenthal; John Martocci, president of Newtown Savings Bank, and Joseph Morrissey, representing Union Savings Bank; and Doreen Morrissey, St Rose’s bookkeeper.

Also, Dr Margaret Dames, Diocese of Bridgeport superintendent of schools; Jim Gerbo, president of St Rose School Board; Mary Maloney, St Rose School principal; Pam Arsenault, St Rose parish director of religious education; and John Moulder, president of St Rose School Home School Association.

Also, St Rose School Board members Ellen Curran and Marilyn ImBimbo; Sister Thaddeus Rajca, St Rose Pre-School coordinator; and St Rose religious education staff member Janice Lindsay.

Deacons Thomas Curran, Donald Naiman, and Kenneth Stroud also broke ground, as did St Rose church members Bob Davenport, Eric D’Eramo, Joe McElgunn, Sean O’Connell, Guy Russo, and Don Studley.

Father Bob even singled out three of the church’s youngest members to be included in the groundbreaking. Peter Walsh, he said, had been very concerned about the status of the church’s fundraising efforts for many years. While a student at St Rose School (he graduated from the school in spring 2005), Father Bob said, Peter would occasionally ask how the fundraising was going.

Robert Haskins responded to one of Father Bob’s appeals to his parish. After hearing his priest say that he would get on his knees and beg for the money to pay for the expansion, Bobby told Father Bob that he didn’t want to see that happen. The boy began his own fundraising efforts shortly thereafter, which also left an impression on the pastor.

And Christopher Mok was also moved to help his church grow. The 5-year-old made two donations to the church’s renovation and expansion fund: First, he requested that those who would be attending his fifth birthday party send donations for the church rather than bring gifts for him. And then when he celebrated his First Communion a few months ago, Christopher decided to donate half of the cash gifts he received for that big day.

The new addition will be situated within the current parish campus on Church Hill Road and will complement the existing campus architecture through the use of similar building materials. The introduction of large windows will provide the spaces with an abundance of natural light as well as views of the 14-acre parish grounds.

The theme of the ceremony was “No Longer A Dream,” a reminder of how many years the parish has recognized the need to build for not only its future but for the constant growth of the parish community.

In offering his thanks to those who had raised funds for the addition and renovation project as well as to those who attended Thursday’s groundbreaking and reception, Father Bob reminded his church members that “your time and treasures are valued.

“I thank all of you very, very much,” he said. “I also thank my brother clergy, who came out to support us.”

With a final blessing, Bishop Lori offered another congratulations to St Rose and said he looks forward to the successful conclusion of this project.