News
Holy Family Parish Press Release
For More information contact Tim Melloy 319-640-0131
Fund Raising Begins For New Church Project
The capital campaign for the Holy Family Parish new church facility will kickoff Sunday October 1 at 6 p.m. at the Oakleaf Country Club, west of Reinbeck on Highway 175. A light dinner will be served, followed by a presentation about the project, the campaign structure, and the various means to contribute.
The Capital Campaign Committee for the project has been preparing for this project for many months. A decision was made not to hire an outside firm to conduct the campaign, but to rely upon the talent of parishioners.
Committee member, Joe Becker, said, “While our overall goal of raising $4.7 million in 3 – 5 year pledges is lofty, our feasibility study indicated that the resources are present. Most parishioners recognize the need for this facility and are enthusiastic about the many benefits this facility will provide.”
The campaign slogan, “A Building of Community; A Building in Faith,” was developed by parishioner Brenda Snider. The slogan represents not only the physical task at hand, constructing a building, but also recognizes the continuing process of forming a community of believers. “Churches are about more than bricks and mortar, they involve a union of people who come together because of a common faith in God,” said Pam Delagardelle, project committee chair.
The Catholic churches of St Mary in Dike, St. Patrick in Parkersburg, Queen of Heaven in Reinbeck and Sacred Heart in Grundy Center consolidated into one parish community, Holy Family Parish, July 1, 2004.
A new church project committee was formed in the spring of 2005 to study the possibility of constructing a new church facility to serve the southern portion of the parish. Proposed drawings for the facility have now been formulated and approved by the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
“We believe there is a need to provide a modern, handicapped-accessible space for Catholics of this area to worship, build community and grow in faith,” according to Joe Davis, member of the Holy Family Parish Council and Building Committee. The new church facility will seat approximately 500 people for worship, provide a fellowship hall for 300, offer kitchen facilities, afford offices for staff, and provide education space for students at all grade levels as well as adults. It will be constructed on 10 acres of land purchased on the northwest corner of the intersection of Grundy County Roads T-55 and D-35. This site is less than 10 miles from Reinbeck, Dike and Grundy Center. The site for the new church was also chosen for its proximity to Hudson, just nine miles away. Parish leaders have sought to reach out to Catholics in the area who formerly belonged to Immaculate Conception parish at Blessing before its closure this summer.
Holy Family parish leaders are taking a positive, proactive lead in the process of pastoral planning. Such foresight will best assure the weekly celebration of the Eucharist in this area and foster a healthier parish life.
Contact: Tim Melloy 319-640-0131 tmelloy@gcmuni.net
For Immediate Release
Plans for a new Catholic church are underway
The Catholic churches of St Mary in Dike, St. Patrick in Parkersburg, Queen of Heaven in Reinbeck and Sacred Heart in Grundy Center consolidated into one parish community, Holy Family Parish, July 1, 2004. A new church project committee was formed in the spring of 2005 to study the possibility of constructing a new church building.
“This committee determined there is a need for and interest in a new church building in the southern portion of the Holy Family Parish geography,” says Pam Delagardelle, building committee chairperson. The church in Parkersburg that was constructed in 1996 will remain open, thus, giving parishioners the option of attending either service, she says.
The new church building will be constructed on the 10 acres purchased on the northwest corner of the intersection of County Roads T-55 and D-35. This site is less than 10 miles from Reinbeck, Dike and Grundy Center and on county blacktops. The site for the new church was also chosen for its proximity to Hudson.
The Holy Family Parish leaders are taking a positive, proactive lead in the process of pastoral planning. Such foresight will best assure the weekly celebration of the Eucharist in this area and foster a healthier parish life. “We felt there was a need to provide a modern, handicapped-accessible space for Catholics of this area to worship, build community and grow in faith,” Delagardelle says.
The new church will seat approximately 500 people for worship, provide a fellowship hall for 300, offer kitchen facilities, afford office space for staff and provide education space for students at all grade levels and adults.
The New Church Building Committee has been working with an architect / contractor team, and preliminary plans are ready to present to the members of the parish for their review and comments. “We are hopeful the majority of parishioners will attend one of the two informational meetings Thursday, June 15 at 7 pm at the Dike Memorial Building and Sunday June 25 at 4 pm at the Oakleaf Country Club west of Reinbeck,” Delagardelle says. “We value their input and after those meetings, the plans will be finalized. Fundraising is scheduled to begin in September, with construction starting next spring.”
The cooperation shown on this project by the four Catholic communities has be used by the Archdiocese of Dubuque as an example on how rural areas can work together to provide a Catholic presence in smaller communities.