St. Mary Catholic Church launches building expansion campaign

PELLA – St. Mary Catholic Church is growing and its current facilities are struggling to keep pace.
St. Mary Catholic Church has launched its public phase of "A Place for Everyone, A Future for All," a capital campaign aimed at expanding faith formation, ministry and gathering spaces to meet the needs of a rapidly growing parish community. The first phase of the project represents an investment of more than $6 million in the future of St. Mary and the growing community it serves. 
The need is being driven by significant growth throughout the parish, particularly among children and youth. St. Mary’s currently serves more than 230 children in faith formation, with significant growth across the parish in recent years, including a 72% increase in Youth Ministry participation among students in grades 6 – 12 over the past four years.  The planned expansion will provide dedicated classrooms, flexible ministry space and an expanded multi-purpose area designed to better support children, youth, young adults, families, and parish ministries. 
The campaign was celebrated during a parish-wide Launching Event held at Central College, where more than 300 parishioners gathered for Mass, fellowship, an overview of the expansion project, and a keynote presentation by nationally known Catholic musician, speaker, and evangelist Steve Angrisano. The event brought together families of all ages to celebrate St. Mary's vision for the future and the opportunity before the parish community.
"This campaign is about much more than bricks and mortar," said Fr. Joseph Phung, Pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church. "It is about creating spaces where future generations can encounter Christ, grow in discipleship, strengthen their faith and build meaningful relationships within our parish community. We are investing in the future vitality of St. Mary and ensuring that our facilities support the mission God has entrusted to us." 
A call to participate
The success of the campaign will depend on the participation of the entire St. Mary community. Parishioners, alumni, friends of the parish and community supporters are invited to prayerfully consider how they can help make the vision a reality. 
There are many ways to participate, including: 
● Making a pledge commitment or a one-time financial contribution
● Praying for the success of the campaign and the people who will be served through the expanded spaces
● Sharing the campaign vision with others and helping build awareness throughout the community
“St. Mary is blessed to be experiencing this kind of growth,” said Fr. Van Phung. “With growth comes responsibility. We want to make sure we have the spaces necessary to welcome people, form our children and young people in the faith and build a strong community for generations to come.” 
For additional information about the campaign or to learn how to participate, visit the parish's campaign resources at GrowingStMary.com.