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                 Saint John's Center for School and Religious Newsletters

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                 Newsletter # 1
                 Newsletter # 2
                 Newsletter # 3
                 Newsletter # 4
                 Newsletter # 5

       To view view the entire Case For Support document, click here.
         For a smaller document without pictures, click here.
                                                                       FORMED  BY  GOD’S  LOVE,
                                    WE  FORM  OUR  CHILDREN

                              †                      †                      †                      †                      †

                                                       SAINT JOHN'S CENTER
                                            FOR
                             SCHOOL & RELIGIOUS FORMATION

                                                                                (THE CASE FOR SUPPORT)


One hundred thirty-five years ago the first Catholic Mass was offered in what is now Wahpeton.  One hundred twenty-four years ago the first Catholic school in Wahpeton opened.  Through numerous droughts and floods, depressions and recessions, civil unrest and foreign wars, personal trials and family difficulties,

Saint John 's the Evangelist Catholic Church and School have not only survived, but thrived.  From Father Ignatius Tomazin to Fathers Dale Lagodinski and Luke Meyer, from pioneers Albert, Frank and Joseph Chezik and Frank and Joseph Formaneck, to newly-baptized infants and RCIA adults, Saint John Parish has been blessed with dedicated priests and committed parishioners.  Change has been a frequent visitor to area Catholics.  We have progressed from a small and primitive dugout along the banks of the Red River to our present Saint John’s Church , which is a place of beauty and spirituality.  The School and Religious Formation classes, too, have evolved from being situated in the front of an old church and in an old rectory living room to the present location of an eighty-two year old, walk-up brick building. Baptisms, Communions, Confessions, Confirmations, Funerals, Marriages, Rosaries, and more – How many have there been in our church?  Hundreds, thousands or more?  And, classes, graduations, questions, recesses, spelling bees, tests, and more.  How many of our young children have attended Saint John’s School or Religious Formation Classes for a week, month, year or decade?  Do you remember having Sister School in the summertime?  Our parish is a beautiful tapestry of liturgies: of kind words and sincere prayer; of inspiring homilies and captivating music; of young and old, robust and ill; of the traditional and the new;  of sufficiency and want….The parish family is just like our own families.

The Saint John's family is now facing a major challenge.
The crisis is a school facility that cannot last much longer.  While the existing building has served our children well during its eighty plus years, major repairs were made to the interior following a break in plumbing during the winter of 1976.  There was much damage to floors, ceilings, and walls.

Now, three decades later, there are major concerns about this aging educational building, including old plumbing, old electrical, and asbestos which is presently contained.  In addition, there have been frequent challenges to meet the fire code.  Furthermore, handicap accessibility must be addressed in a major way.  Finally, costly and ongoing updates are needed.

The current condition of our school building is deteriorating and is a growing financial problem.

As with all similar institutions, our building is annually inspected by the State Fire Marshall.  Just consider the Fire Code violations since 2001. We have had to address the following issues:  cooking equipment protection – installation of fire rated doors, illuminated exit signs, emergency lights, open clothing racks, proper storage of chemicals and combustibles, fire alarm system, interior finishes, self-closing doorways, electrical service including permanent use of extension cords.  Many of the violations are the result of out-of-date electrical needs, lack of physical space, and the absence of modern, quality building materials.  The School and Religious Formation are a major part of our parish mission.  Without an adequate facility, how and where does the parish provide religious education?  At our All Parish Meeting, our architect presented the options of making major repairs to the current facility or of building new.   After listening to the data and to the compromises involved in remodeling the existing structure, the consensus of the meeting was to build new, as the total cost of renovating properly would approach the cost of new construction.  Furthermore, we have all seen schools which have spent a lot of money repairing and adding on to an old building.  Yet, they are regularly in need of further repairs, and, more importantly, these schools still do not have what is needed.   

SAINT JOHN'S SCHOOL

Founded in October, 1882, St. John’s is the oldest Catholic school in North Dakota . The present school facility was constructed in 1924.  Our school provided area youth with both elementary and secondary education until 1932 and 7th and 8th grades until 1971.  St. John’s School continues to offer a disciplined academic curriculum in a faith-filled environment at a reasonable cost for children preschool through grade 6. 

St. John’s School is approved and accredited by the North Dakota Department of Education.  All teachers are highly qualified and are licensed to teach in the State of North Dakota .   Our students perform above average on state standardized tests.  The strong curriculum boasts a religion program that impacts students  throughout every day, incorporating our love of God and our Love for others through prayer, sharing of gifts, and caring for those in need. 

All families are welcome to send their children to Saint John’s School , regardless of their ability to pay.  Tuition is based upon income.  This allows all children the opportunity – unavailable in many parishes – to have   an education where both faith and knowledge meet.  St. John’s School enrolls students regardless of their race, creed, or national origin.

In addition to tuition and many fund raisers, alumni, parents, community members and other generous benefactors continue to play an important role in the financial support of St. John’s School . The I-CARE Fund began 25 years ago with a donation of $10,000 from the estate of Matilda Mathiesen.  The I-CARE Fund was created as a dedicated fund.  Only the interest earned on the principal amount may be spent from the fund and then only for operating expenses.  Therefore, all of the original gift contributions remain invested for the benefit of today’s and tomorrow’s students at St. John’s School – a lasting legacy.  Today, the principal funds exceed $400,000 and provide thousands of dollars of financial assistance to the operation of St. John’s School each and every year.

Despite the declining population of school-age children in Richland County , St. John’s School student population is relatively stable.

School Year

Wahpeton

St. John's

 (% Catholic)

2000 - 2001

1593

147

 93%

2001 - 2002

1547

157

 92%

2002 - 2003

1543

156

 91%

2003 - 2004

1513

148

 93%

2004 - 2005

1438

137

 90%

2005 - 2006

1409

120

 90%

2006 - 2007

1322

135

 90%
                              *% of enrollment that is Catholic, including non-parish Catholics, which fluctuates between 1%-2%
YOUTH AND ADULT RELIGIOUS FORMATION

One of the great blessings of St. John’s parish is our vitality and the wide variety of ages present.  About one quarter (26%) of our parish is 18 years of age or younger. They are truly the future of the Church. While it is the parents’ primary role to form their children’s faith, it is the parishioners’ privilege and responsibility to provide children with formal religious education, upon which they can build their Catholic faith throughout the rest of their lives.

Despite the declining and shifting population both locally and throughout the state, the number of students in Saint John’s Religious Education Program has decreased only minimally.  In 2006, our CCD and Youth Ministry had programs in place for 337 students (only 48 less than at the beginning of the decade), not including students attending St. John’s School .  Exceptional percentages (85-95%) of elementary and junior high students participate.  About half (50%) of high school students are involved in the parish’s Religious Education Program.

There are three distinct difficulties regarding spaces for the Religious Education Program:

         Number
                                   Appropriateness
                                                                    Scheduling

First, there is an insufficient number of meeting spaces available.  Specifically, on Wednesday nights, dedicated as Church Night, we lack adequate space for Religious Formation and other church meetings. As more and more of the adult population works outside the home, it is increasingly difficult to find volunteers who are available to teach our students during weekday afternoons after school.  This trend suggests that in the near future our Religious Education classes may need to meet only during evenings.  There are not enough class-sized spaces to accommodate evening sessions. 

Currently, the number of classroom spaces needed for students in the program far exceeds what is available at St. John’s School .  Scheduling additional classes for our children in private houses is not a realistic option.  In order to accommodate our students, twenty-one (21) classrooms are needed.  To provide these teaching areas, we have utilized:

         - The Newman Center, including the basement and church areas
                (high school and college  youth)

         - Both rooms of the Mehok Center
                (high school youth)

         - Private homes
                (high school youth)

         - St. John’s School in the evening
                (junior high students)

         - St. John’s School in the afternoon
                (grades 1-5)

         - The Child Care Lunchroom
                (pre-schoolers and kindergarteners).

Second, the current spaces used for religious education classes are inappropriate.  Clearly, many of the above spaces were not intended for classroom instruction, making religious instruction a difficult and challenging task for our dedicated staff and volunteers.  In addition, having religious education classes in such places causes complications for those who use the facilities at other times for different purposes.

Saint John’s has made a renewed commitment to youth ministry.  However, appropriate physical facilities, which could attract more of our teenagers, are lacking.  Many of the spaces currently used for instruction classes are not meant for older students.  Some of the 7th and 8th grade students must sit in tiny grade school desks.  Outside of the weekly hour of the formal religion class, there is no large, multi-purpose room where teens, including college-age students, can interact with our youth ministry in a Catholic, teen-age gathering place.  Appropriate, not luxurious, spaces for youth ministry can help to ensure that our high school students, on the cusp of adulthood, continue to be active participants in our parish.  They are our parish’s immediate future.

Handicapped accessibility is another serious challenge regarding appropriate facilities.  The proposed plan for St John’s School and Religious Formation Center would enable our parish to meet the needs of any child or adult faced with physical challenges.  All of the areas would become handicapped accessible. These plans are not for the children only.  In the past year alone, two of our dedicated religious education teachers had foot surgery and knee problems.  They faced the painful and physically difficult challenge of climbing many steps.  Also, several students with crutches or wheelchairs were confronted by similar difficulties.  The Parish Plan will ensure all people will be able to gather regardless of age or mobility challenges.

Third, different times and meeting spaces cause scheduling and logistical complications for families.  Those with more than one child may need to drop off and pick up their children at two different locations, but at the same time.  Other families may need to rearrange their schedules to provide religious education multiple times on the same day.  And, often, it is not simply a matter of committing to a complicated schedule.  The situation itself can become next to impossible, given the work schedules of  parent(s), who must also deal with other family obligations, such as infants, sick family members or the needs of  elderly parents.          Consider the logistics of juggling one’s children in the following manner: Grades 1-5 during the afternoon at St. John’s School , Junior high students during the evening at St. John’s School , High school youth during the evening in the Mehok Center, and High school youth during the evening at the Newman Center. Surely, having religious education and formation sessions scattered by time, day and location discourages and diminishes attendance.

For reasons of insufficient space, inappropriate space, and scheduling difficulties, Saint John’s Parish needs a central Center for Religious Education and Formation.

ADMINISTRATIVE SPACE

Presently, the parish has very limited storage, supply and work space.  The parish is also lacking in adequate number of office spaces.  There are shared office spaces which should be separate for privacy reasons.  The parish copy room has insufficient ventilation.  There is no dedicated workroom space for school and religious education needs; these tasks are currently completed in the hallway area.  Space is lacking for small group meetings at the school; these meetings, too, utilize hallway areas.  There can be no doubt that office, meeting and work space is lacking at Saint John’s.

The need for more administrative and other work space is not a “wish list”.  Instead, it is based upon information gathered by individual and group meetings of parishioners, including parish staff.  The administrative space needs of the entire parish, including church, school and religious education, are based upon the following considerations:

         1) The main administrative office area should be located near the primary entrance of the building in order to provide appropriate security. 

         2) All parish offices (including church, school and religious education) should be centrally located to provide effective communications and to enable efficient sharing of work space. 

         3) All offices and meeting rooms should be warm and inviting. 

         4) All offices should be equipped with computers or computer access, telecommunications systems, adequate lighting, soundproofing (both not to disturb others and to provide privacy for parishioners). 

         5) Adequate office areas for all staff (including church, school and religious education), as well as sufficient storage, supply, and work room areas, should be provided.

The most efficient solution to the problem of insufficient administrative space at St. John’s Parish necessitates the creation of a combined office area.  Foss Associates prepared a facility assessment report to address the administrative needs of our parish.  The following chart identifies both the current and the recommended administrative space.

Area

Current Office/Space

Proposed Number of Offices/Areas

Parish

3

8 *

Reception Area

1

1 (Combined)

Conference Room

1

1 (Combined)

Work Room

1

1 (Combined)

Faculty Area

0

1 (Combined)

Religious Education

1

3

School

2

4 **

TOTAL

9

16

         *   General Office, Pastor, Associate Pastor, Business, Outreach, Archive/Music room, Volunteer room, Storage room
         ** General Office, Principal, Nurse, Counselor

THE PLAN

During recent years our Parish has met many times and discussed what to do about its physical facilities.  Almost a decade ago, Saint John’s faced a crisis when the flood of 1997 brought backup of sewage, not only into the basement of the old church, but also into the space where our child-care is located. There was an even greater challenge as we faced the serious issues of our church building which had become badly in need of repair and restoration.

Parishioners joined together.  They determined that providing a proper place to worship God is the priority.  They raised the funds necessary to renovate and expand Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church.  Parishioners are proud of their beautiful church.  Local residents and out-of-town visitors are greatly impressed with the parish community’s commitment to have an awe-inspiring and spiritually-encouraging House of God.
Now, the parish is once again coming together to overcome another challenge– for our school, religious formation and related spaces.  The priority is, and must be, providing the right physical facilities for education and religious formation of all parishioners, both children and adults.

To do so, parishioners have once again met numerous times to evaluate the situation and determine the best way forward.  This process culminated in a Feasibility Study conducted during the spring of 2006.  The voices of Saint John’s Parish members were heard.  The resulting plan of action, described below, is the collective wisdom of the parishioners.

  First, the Parish desires to address our need to have a quality facility for school and religious formation.

  Second, the Parish desires to have all potential costs identified and included before construction begins, so that we minimize the need for add-ons at a later date.

  Third, the Parish desires to maintain fiscal responsibility by undertaking a reasonable project, both in size and costs.

Our present needs, as stated in this would cost approximately $5,700,000.   The Feasibility Study conducted by our consultant firm has recommended that we should consider our Capital Campaign a success when we reach a goal of $3,000,000.   Consequently, the present plan for Saint John’s Parish is to concentrate on building a new educational and administrative center.  Our first priority is the new Saint John’s School and Religious Formation building.  Our second priority, for cost efficiency purposes (both capital and operating), is a common administrative space for School, Religious Formation and Parish.

Realizing that specific details and monies raised can affect the final expense of this project, the Parish will spend only whatever monies are pledged.  If, for example, there would be only $3 million to plan our new facility, the educational facility would have only 8 smaller classrooms, 1 set of bathrooms for all the students, and the existing Mehok kitchen would be used to prepare and serve the school lunches.  In this case, the parish offices would not be addressed at all.  As in our last capital campaign, Saint John’s Parish will build only what we can afford. 

(Information about proposed options is available through the Parish’s Steering Committee.  Actual plans and costs will be determined only after the necessary monies are contributed.)

Can we build our new School and Religious Formation Center ?  The challenge truly is ours.

Only by the Grace of God and our generous gifts can this be accomplished.

WHAT ABOUT CHILD CARE? 

Because raising $5-6,000,000 is seen as a challenge for our parish, the Child Care is not listed as a priority in this campaign.  Plans are that it would remain in its present facility. If our expectations are exceeded, the issue of childcare could be revisited at that time.   (If you would like more information about St. John’s Child Care, please feel free to contact our director.)

WHAT ABOUT THE RECTORY?

 The Diocese prefers that parish priests live in a rectory which is located on, or in close proximity to church property.  The present diocesan norm is that Saint John’s Parish should have two full-time priests assigned to it.  A rectory for more than one priest ideally provides for a common kitchen, dining and lounge area with separate living quarters for each priest, as well as an attached garage.

The present rectory was purchased in 1981 and remodeled shortly thereafter.  The original building is approximately 100 years old and was not designed to be a rectory.  It is located on Dakota Avenue which is a very noisy and busy street.  Although the roof shingles are new, the interior is aging and will need repair, particularly its windows.

Despite this, the proposed new capital project does not include renovation or relocation of the present rectory, nor construction of a new one.  The issue of the rectory, while important, is not the priority at this time.  However, the proposed new School and Religious Formation Center does raise the question of whether to turn the present rectory site into additional parking to make up for lost parking due to the new center.  In any case, such decisions need not be made at this time, especially when the exact size of the new facility has yet to be determined.  For an indefinite period of time, the present rectory could be maintained as the residence for a pastor and parochial vicar.  Certainly, appropriate neighboring property might be available for purchase or may be donated at some time in the future

.WHAT ABOUT PARKING?

As much as possible of the existing parking will be maintained.  The parish recognizes the need for sufficient parking.  Because the actual size of the “footing” of the new center has yet to be determined, it is difficult to be more specific about future plans for parking.

WHAT ABOUT THE OLD SCHOOL BUILDING ? 

Because of its deteriorating condition, most likely it will be demolished.  Demolition costs are included in the overall construction budget.

THE CHALLENGE

As baptized adults, we are obliged to worship God in prayer and good deeds.. As Catholics, we must also continue to learn more and more about what we believe.

The patron of our Church is Saint John the Evangelist.  Jesus Christ asks us to go forth and spread His Word, to evangelize.  What better way than to shape those we love through formal educational programs?

Be it Saint John’s School or after hours Religious Education Classes from childhood through adulthood, it is our duty and responsibility to teach the children of our parish to love God as we ourselves grow in our Catholic Faith.

In the end, each of us will be judged not on what resources we have accumulated, not on what fame we have gained, not on how many friends we have secured, not on what experiences we have enjoyed – but, put very simply, on whether and how we have loved and served Almighty God.  The future of the Church is our children.


                              BUILDING SAINT JOHN'S CENTER
                          FOR SCHOOL AND RELIGIOUS FORMATION
                                        IS WHERE WE,
                              LEARNING AND BEING FORMED
                                     BY THE LOVE OF GOD,
                           WILL TEACH AND FORM OUR CHILDREN.
                          THIS IS SURELY AN ACT OF LOVE WHICH
                                   IS VERY PLEASING TO GOD.

               †                      †                      †                      †                      †

Almighty Father, You have sent Your Spirit to build up the Church You established through Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Formed by Your love, we form our children.  Send Your Spirit upon us now, as we, Your Church, begin the work of building Saint John’s Center For School And Religious Formation.  By Your grace may our work bear fruit in the hearts and lives of our children and all of Your people.  Form us in our faith and in our work, all for the greater glory of Your name.  Amen.