The road to renovating the Newman Chapel has already been a long one ... and it's likely to continue to be so before we achieve our goal.  Right now we are working on two different angles: continuing our fundraising, and readying the plan for Phase One.

We started with our parish's stationary members, and to date they have pledged $1,773,920 towards the $2.2 million goal.  Small parish fundraisiers like the music ministers CD sale, last spring's Plant and Flower Sale, and the upcoming raffle had helped to spread the word beyond our own members.  The Marian and John A. Elliott Foundation committed to match, dollar for dollar up to $50,000, every gift for this project made by parents, students, and Newman alumni, and as of September 2007 the first two groups have contributed just over $30,000 to the cause.  In October and November we will begin reaching out to our Newman alumni in hopes of raising at least the remaining $20,000 in the Elliott match by the end of 2008.  Given the moratorium on borrowing from the Diocese set in place by Bishop Listecki in the Spring of 2005, every last dollar will need to be raised before construction can begin.

On the the implementation side, the Renovation Committee has come back to life after "going on sabbatical" during the major fundraising effort was being accomplished.  They are working with River Architects to fine tune the design, preparing the construction documents, and staying in touch with the necessary civil and Diocesan authorities as we move the Phase One of the project into reality by early Summer of 2008.  This part of the work will address our roof, entrance, offices, HVAC, and asbestos abatement issues.  Phase Two, timed out now for three years away, will then provide the makeover of our Chapel and Gathering Space.  The timing of that piece, of course, is contingent on our benefactors to continue to complete their pledges to Building on Good Faith Campaign.