St. John Neumann
Catholic Church

May 7, 2006

Dear St. John Neumann Parishioners,

When I was first introduced as your new pastor in June of 2005, I was struck right away by the welcoming spirit of the parish family. I could understand why St. John Neumann (SJN) has been one of the most vibrant worship communities in the Archdiocese for many years. I also could see that the parish faces many challenges as it continues to grow. In fact, on my first day here I was asked what I intended to do about the church’s building needs!

I soon learned that a capital campaign was underway for constructing facilities the parish badly needed. I could find no fault with anything in the plan. A large parish hall, a chapel, meeting rooms, space for the music ministry all would be great assets to the parish. After discussing the plans with various groups within the parish, agreement was reached to move ahead with them. As work progressed on the final design, however, it became apparent that the plan lacked some important components. In addition, there were issues of liturgical appropriateness that we needed to resolve.

As a result, with the approval of Archbishop Wilton Gregory, I enlisted the help of lay consultants and clergy who have expertise in liturgical design and church construction. What we learned from them was unsettling at first, because a great deal of hard work and care had gone into developing what was thought to be an acceptable, appropriate building plan for this parish. It was not easy to hear the experts say that a better, longer-range plan was needed. But it also did not take the Building Committee and me long to know that they were right.

At all Masses this weekend, representatives of the Building Committee are sharing news about a significant change in the planned building program. The change is in keeping with a strategic direction that compels us to build up the Body of Christ at St. John Neumann as we develop a master plan to ensure SJN has appropriate facilities for worship and for ministering to the many needs of our faith community.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Building Committee and I unanimously believe that the direction we are recommending for our capital program is the right direction at the right time. We have encouragement and support from Archbishop Gregory to pursue our plans. We hope to earn your enthusiastic backing as well as we solicit your input to perfect the plan and then make it happen.

So what will be different? Most significantly, the proposed plan calls for the construction of a new sanctuary, a church large enough to accommodate over 1,000 worshippers. The long-desired chapel also is included, along with space for parish gatherings and meetings, and other practical necessities such as an elevator, storage areas and increased parking. The new plan provides all the parish improvements you said you wanted in the past, and more! Detailed information about the plan will be shared in the coming weeks.

I want to commend the Building Committee for taking this courageous step. The parish has been planning its capital improvements for the last several years, and you have patiently waited for construction to begin. I know that you will have questions, and I want to be sure you have an opportunity to have them answered to your satisfaction. So the Building Committee and I are holding three parish forums to tell you more about the new building program and to hear and respond to your questions. Please try to attend one of the meetings, as your input is very important to the Building Committee, the architect, and me. All comments will be noted and considered in designing a master facilities plan that will serve the parish’s needs for the next 15-20 years.

As the new plan continues to evolve, I pledge to keep you informed with up-to-date communications. The SJN Bulletin will run information on a regular basis, as will our parish Web site. The goal is to ensure that all parishioners know our plans on an ongoing basis.

As your pastor, I believe the Holy Spirit guided us to this resolution, and will bless our efforts moving forward. I ask that you prayerfully consider what you are hearing today, and that you take time to communicate your thoughts and ideas to the committee members about our plans for building up the Body of Christ at St. John Neumann Church by providing the parish facilities we need.

Yours in Christ,
Monsignor Frank Giusta