December 20, 2024
Dear Holy Name of Jesus Community,
We have three extraordinary announcements to make regarding our Foundations for the Future campaign and the resulting capital projects.First, at Holy Name of Jesus Church, we are nearing completion of our new indoor bathrooms, bridal suite, accessible entrance, and front plaza. The entire renovation should be done by the end of January.
Second, exactly one year ago, we surpassed our stretch goal of $7 million. As of today, we are happy to announce an additional $1.5 million for a grand total of $8.5 million!Third, thanks to our partnership with Mathes Brierre Architects, who did an outstanding job coordinating a successful design and bid process, we are pleased to announce that Holy Name of Jesus School is moving forward with the construction of our new classroom building along with a fully-completed gymnasium!
Over the past few months, we have explored innovative options to make the best long-term financial decisions for our parish and school community. We crafted cash flow budget sheets, reviewed bank loan terms, and finalized effective and affordable building designs. In partnership with our finance council, school advisory board and pastoral council, we have come to the conclusion that NOW is the time to move forward with building a gymnasium for our community, rather than waiting for a more costly and time-consuming second phase.We have awarded the full project scope to Ryan Gootee General Contractors, whose contract will officially begin in February 2025. We anticipate the construction to be complete around March 2026. The project will include ten classrooms for our Little Gators and PK3 students, a new playground, a new elevator, a regulation-size gymnasium, a concession stand, new bathrooms, a new art studio and music room, and an elevated running track.
The $8.5 million raised, along with a $5 million line of credit, will support the construction cash flow. Since the amount we have raised is $3.5 million short of the actual cost of the project, we intend to continue to fundraise to close this gap; every additional dollar we raise will allow us to borrow less money and reduce the $1.5 million in anticipated interest costs.Mark your calendar to join us on Friday, January 31, 2025, at 2 p.m. in the Chiu Family Yard at Holy Name of Jesus School for the groundbreaking ceremony of our new building.
Thank you to our families who have helped achieve this transformational moment in the history of Holy Name of Jesus. We are deeply grateful to each and every one of you, and we are blessed to have you as part of our faith community. May God bless each of your families during this Christmas season!
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Mark E. Thibodeaux, S.J., Pastor
Kirsch J. Williams, Principal