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Community
Center Project History:
In
the beginning:
In the spring of 2002, Monsignor John-Coelho-Hargunideguy
shared the following message with our Faith Community for the
purpose of introducing the “Celebrating the Past and Responding
to the Future” campaign.
No
one is more aware of the tremendous growth in the Fresno Area
than the priests, staff and volunteers who minister in St. Anthony
of Padua Catholic Community. The number of registrations, baptisms,
and weddings each month, coupled with the increasing number
of people attending Mass, is a good indication of the rapid
growth of our Parish family. The Parish buildings have very
full schedules, every day of the week and we are bulging at
the seams.
We
are blessed to see so much growth for our faith. St. Anthony’s
is a Parish of 5,000 families, offering twenty-nine different
ministries that meet every day reaching 3,000 parishioners.
We have responded to the needs of our Faith Community with new
outreach programs. Religious Education Classes for Adults, programs
for our youth and Masses to address the cultural diversity of
our Parish. People from all over Fresno and Madera Counties
are coming to participate in the ministerial programs and Liturgy
of Sundays.
Thirty-three
years ago, when the Church was constructed, the Social Hall
became the hub of St. Anthony’s Parish programs and social
activities. For as long as most of us can remember many evening
and afternoons of great Parish fellowship have embraced the
walls of this meeting place. Today, the Social Hall is much
too small to accommodate our growing needs. The rectory was
converted into office spaces. This modification addressed the
need to accommodate staff and meeting areas for a number of
the ministry programs. The garage was converted into a conference
room and today it provides daily service to our Parish. With
these additions and the growth we have experienced over the
last five years, we have barely met the needs of those we serve.
The
growth of our Parish is a blessing from God and it is our responsibility
to honor that blessing. I have given the name “Celebrating
the Past and Responding to the Future” to the project
that is before us. We are grateful to all of the work that has
been done before us to build St. Anthony’s Catholic Community.
To meet the present and future needs of our community, we are
embarking on a bold new effort to build a community center.
This center will enable us to meet the present demands of our
Parish, as well as allow for future growth. It will provide
the necessary gathering space for both small and large events,
strengthening our Parish’s presence in the community.
We cannot embark on building our community center without remembering
and reverencing the tireless efforts of the pioneers of St.
Anthony’s. Without their wisdom and guidance, we would
not be where we are today.
Now
it is our turn to respond to our future. We need everyone’s
cooperation and participation to meet the present need of our
growing Parish community. We must all respond to our future.
I am sure our vision for a new community center will become
a reality through your generosity and stewardship.
With
the help of many volunteers in our Parish, we will continue
to be engaged in a process that will both make clear the scope
and scale of our Parish endeavor, inviting us to make a real
sacrifice to bring it to reality.
Please
pray that through the intercession of St. Anthony of Padua,
who enabled Christianity to expand and touch many lives, we
will be able to embrace this work with joy and confidence.
Sincerely
Yours in Christ,
Monsignor John Coelho-Harguindeguy, Pastor
A
Brief History:
1957
– An executive committee and team captains organized to
raise funds for a new church as the influx of new Parishioners
in the southern end of Fresno deemed it necessary.
The ground breaking ceremony took place in 1957. The church,
located at 5680 N. Maroa, was dedicated under the patronage
of St. Anthony of Padua.
1959
– The first Mass was offered in the new church on Easter
Sunday, 1959. The building consisted of what is now the Social
Hall and the Kindergarten.
1966
– Ten acres of land that were purchased for sixty-seven
thousand dollars became the site of the current St. Anthony
of Padua Church. A fund-raising campaign was attempted, but
most of the debt on the church was eliminated through the generosity
of the Parishioners in the Sunday offerings.
1971
– The rectory was added. The expenditure put the Parish
debt at seven hundred thirty-nine thousand dollars.
1977
– Debt for the addition of the rectory was resolved by
Easter Sunday of this year.
A room was added to the north end of the Parish Hall to accommodate
our school library and learning center. At the same time, refrigeration
was installed in the Hall. Kitchen facilities and a bar were
added in addition to storage rooms and a new roof. All these
additions amounted to over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
The sale of a narrow strip of Parish property on Bullard netted
the Parish one hundred and seven thousand dollars, with the
result that the Hall was now clear of debt and all diocesan
assessments were paid.
2004
– Those who came before us have blessed us. Now it is
our turn to wisely plan and take action to provide for our Parish
family for generations to come……
Celebrating The Past And Responding To The Future.
NOT
EQUAL GIFTS, BUT EQUAL SACRIFICE.
The
Master Plan:
The
Master Plan was developed to address our many current and future
needs in the most effective way possible. When the Master Plan
is executed, St. Anthony’s will be a beacon to Fresno
Catholics and will play an even more vital role in fulfilling
the spiritual needs of our St. Anthony’s Parish community.
In
2004, the Master Plan included, (subject to permit approval
by the City of Fresno):
-
One High School Regulation basketball court or three practice
courts
-
Bleacher seating for 350-700
-
Assembly seating for 900-1000
-
Banquet seating for 400-500
-
Restrooms (12 women’s and 8 men’s)
-
Concession Space
-
Flexible space based on program requirements
-
Teacher lounge
-
Classrooms – (6) 20x22 each or (3) 20x45 each
-
Modifications to the exterior of the existing Social Hall,
to unify the structure with new construction.
-
Much needed upgrades to the kitchen facilities would also
be done at this time.
We
have established a projected budget of $3.5 million to meet
this goal. In addition, we have set aside approximately $1 million
for unforeseen cost increases throughout the progress of the
campaign and construction.
The
Capital Campaign:
The campaign
was developed to reach out to our Faith Community and establish
pledges to meet our goal of the estimated $3.5 million.
On
May 2, 2004, the Church had an outdoor Mass in celebration of
the Project, followed with a light reception. This event as
well as many Advanced Commitments allowed us an overall commitment
of $3.6 million. Over 1400 faithful family and friends of St.
Anthony’s pledged to make payments on weekly, monthly,
quarterly, yearly, or one time basis.
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