Our Needs
Education Center Facility
The learning environment we provide our Religious Education Program and Divine Mercy Catholic School has serious health, safety, and security problems. The facility does not reflect the level of care, welcoming environment, or education excellence that we are committed to providing our students.
Maintenance Issues
- Our current plant deferred maintenance costs are over $6 million.
- The school doesn’t meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so, anyone with mobility issues can’t access or be welcomed into all of our educational programs.
- Many classrooms have water damaged ceilings and walls and actively leak when it rains.
- The building’s foundation has defects which are a serious safety concern.
- Since the playground is too small, students play in the parking lot, which is not ideal and poses a safety risk.
- Our gym is a sub-standard size for playing sports and hosting games and tournaments.
- The classroom radiators get very hot, so those in rooms for younger children have had to be safely enclosed.
- The utilities are very costly, current maintenance costs keep increasing, and many deferred maintenance items are beyond repair.
Space Limitations
- We cannot grow our enrollment because the school is landlocked and out of space.
- Our student body has been broken up because our preschool had to be relocated to an old convent and our sixth graders to Bethlehem Academy.
Location Issues
- Not having the religious education center by the church creates a disconnect between the two communities.
- It is also difficult to identify our education center and school as Catholic. This makes it appear as if they are not very important parts of our parish’s overall ministry.
- It is hard to hold student Masses and use the church to teach our students the intricacies of our Catholic faith.
- It is almost impossible to host weekend faith formation at the church due to its inadequate educational space.
Multi-Use Fellowship Space
Gathering & Fellowship Space
- About 350 people attend weekend Mass, but our gathering space only accommodates about 70 people.
- Our lack of large fellowship space restricts our ability to foster a sense of unity and community among our parishioners and visitors.
- It also impacts our capacity to host funeral luncheons, wedding receptions and other social events at our church.
Meeting & Ministry Space
- The lack of church meeting and adult ministry space frustratingly limits new spiritual and social ministry initiatives.
- Being unable to accommodate all the desired family, spiritual, and social ministries impacts our ability to enhance community, outreach, and evangelization.
Church & School Offices
Separate church and school locations means separate parish and school offices resulting in staffing, supply, and process inefficiencies. It also prevents parish and school staff from developing a true sense of community and collaboration.
Parish Offices
- The parish office’s old residence location is not welcoming or conducive to a professional environment.
- Offices are scattered throughout the facility in converted living spaces, and the HVAC, lighting, electrical, and plumbing systems are residential, not business quality.
- Entrances are not ADA compliant which limits access for the elderly and handicapped people.
School Offices
- Our school office areas reflect the same problems as in the rest of the school building, such as significant water damage and peeling paint.
- The office’s poor condition does not reflect a welcoming environment or the commitment to excellent education we want our families to perceive when they visit our school staff.
- It also does not provide the inviting, appreciative, or excellence-inducing environment we want for our staff.
The learning environment we provide for our Religious Education Program and Divine Mercy Catholic School has serious health, safety, and security problems.
