Here is the content of the letter Fr. Jasinski sent to all parishioners on the status of the building project. For more details, visit the Building Project page.
Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church
May 29, 2023
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Seven years ago, our parish, under the leadership of Fr. Kadlec, our former pastor, completed a comprehensive review of the needs of St. Benedict Parish. A master facility plan was formulated and it was decided that Phase 1 would be the construction of a new social hall. In June 2017, the “Embracing Our Tradition, Building Our Future” campaign was launched.
In 2018, the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Authority announced that they choose “Plan B” of the diversion project. This choice negatively impacted our plans for our current site and the decision was made to move the parish to a new location in Horace. The Core Building Committee went back to the drawing board and drafted a new master plan.
In my letter to you last year, I wrote that Bishop Folda had reviewed our plans for the new site and gave us permission to move forward. “Embracing Our Tradition, Building Our Future” was becoming a reality. I am writing you today to give you an update of the St. Benedict’s Parish master facility plan.
Our New Home: On July 11, 2022, the Feast Day of St. Benedict, Bishop Folda blessed our new site, and joined the members of the building committee, Kory Peterson (Mayor of Horace) and Mike Gallagher (construction manager) in the ground-breaking ceremony.
Our new site, located at Saint Benedict Avenue and Front Street in Horace (3 blocks south of the new Horace High School), consists of approximately 20 acres located in the Lakeview Addition (a map of the Lakeview Addition can be viewed at lakeviewnd.com). Phase 1 of the master facility plan is 22,000 square feet, includes a social hall and offices, and will be called the “St. Anne Center”. This first phase will not include construction of a new rectory; however, the parish will secure housing near the new facility.
Finances: Through the generosity of parishioners, the 2017 capital campaign successfully reached the “stretch” goal of $2,000,000 (there are still a small number of pledges yet to be satisfied). With this money in hand, construction on the St. Anne Center was started last summer. The projected cost of Phase 1 is estimated to be $9,300,000. We have taken out a loan with the Catholic Church Deposit & Loan Fund of Eastern North Dakota to cover the balance of the cost of this project. The Finance Council has advised that once we move to the new site, a capital campaign be conducted to pay off the loan.
Over the last year, conversations have continued with the FM Diversion Authority regarding their refusal to provide assistance to the parish to address the negative impact of the FM Diversion upon the parish. To date, the FM Diversion Authority has not changed its position. However, representatives of the Diocese of Fargo continue to be open to further discussion with them on this issue.
The Existing Church and Patrimony: As I wrote to you last year, the current church will not be moved to the new site. Existing church patrimony—the statues, stained glass windows, altars, and other items—will be removed from the church. Some of the church patrimony will be installed in our new social hall and the remainder will be stored for eventual incorporation into the new church to be built on the Horace site. Beginning in the fall, some of these things will disappear from the church. Please do not be alarmed. It will be sad to see the church stripped of its beauty, but that beauty will be lost only for a time, and you will see the patrimony in our new building.
Items which will not be used at the new site, such as appliances, furniture, and equipment, will be sold. Let me assure you that no liturgical items or religious art will be sold.
Design Drawings and Selections: Over the years, you have been provided with design and conceptual drawings of the master facility plan. Copies of the final drawings for the new parish hall and offices are posted in the social hall. These drawings will give you an opportunity to see greater details of the St. Anne Center. The Core Building Committee has finalized details related to exterior masonry and siding, interior design, kitchen design, and other interior design details.
Construction Status: Construction of the St. Anne Center is well under way. Periodic updates have been published in the bulletin and on our website. The building is now completely enclosed and exterior masonry work and siding will commence soon. Interior work has started.
Transition: At this time, it is estimated that the St. Anne Center will be completed in early 2024. Once done, all parish operations will be moved to the new facility. Mass will be celebrated in the social hall until the construction of the new church.
Our current site, which consists of approximately 25 acres, will be transitioned fully to cemetery use operated by the parish. The Cemetery Board will work on a landscape plan to address the removal of buildings from the site. Parish leadership has recommended retaining all the land of the current site west of 38th Street. The vacant lot and other property located east of 38th Street will be sold when the ring dike that surrounds the village is no longer needed. We are exploring the feasibility of renting out the education buildings, as this part of the property will not be needed for the cemetery for the foreseeable future.
We will continue to provide you with updates in the bulletin and post them on the “Building” page our parish website (www.stbensnd.org/building). If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me or parish leadership as identified in the parish bulletin.
Finally, I am excited to announce that in the evening of July 11, 2023—exactly one year after our ground-breaking—the St. Anne Center will be opened for tours. It will be far from complete, but on that day, you will be able to walk through it, and see the size and layout of the facility in person. This will be the only day it will be opened to all parishioners until the day it is completed and we move in. Please watch the bulletin and the parish website for more information.
Please continue to pray for the successful completion of the St. Anne Center and the future of St. Benedict’s Parish. It is an exciting time in the history of our parish and represents an investment in our faith. We are truly “Embracing Our Tradition, Building Our Future.” I am truly grateful and humbled by the dedication and generosity of the members of the Core Building Committee, other parish committees and all parishioners in supporting this vision. May Mary, Mother of the Church, and St. Benedict, our patron, pray for us.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Andrew Jasinski
Pastor