The Entire Thought

The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

“The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes” (Psalm 118:22).

“How’s the building project going at Holy Name?” At least one person asks me that question nearly every weekend. So Easter seems like a good time to summarize our status, not only because it’s a time to reach more people, but because the message of Easter actually relates to our building project. Consider the verse above which is from the Easter Responsorial Psalm. Christians apply this psalm to Jesus because he was like a stone rejected by the builders on Good Friday causing his followers to fall into a deep faith crisis. But on Easter he rose from the dead and became the cornerstone of the New Jerusalem. One of the ways to interpret this Paschal Mystery is to believe that God is able to transform an apparent tragedy into a greater good.

The current economic downturn can be viewed in the same way. Surely it has been a tragedy for many people. At first glance we could say that the timing of our capital campaign could not have been worse. But we believe that, as God raised Jesus from the dead, he is able to transform our situation into a greater good. How so? First of all, on a purely spiritual note, more people are participating in Mass. In spite of having fewer visitors to Steamboat this winter, the church has been consistently filled with locals. I do not believe that our loving God inflicts tragedies upon us; but I do believe that he allows certain tragedies to develop as the natural consequences of our actions. He allows these things to happen as a means to bring about a greater good. When people come back to God as the Source of life, that is good.

But how could this economic downturn possibly be good for our church’s capital campaign? The answer is quite simple: lower construction costs. We are hoping to release our project for bids during this down economy. In doing so, we hope to trim $500,000 to $1 million off of our initial cost estimate. But before we can have the project bid we need construction drawings, and before we pay for construction drawings we should have our plans approved by the City. So the ideal proposed time line is something like this:

Spring – Summer 2009: Formal review process for City approval
Fall 2009: Construction permit granted and construction drawings begin
February 2010: Construction drawings completed and sub-contractors begin bidding
March 2010: Bidding Process complete and the building cost finalized
March – June 2010: Campaign to raise the balance of the cost (our new goal)
June 2010—Fall 2011: Construction of the Church (Phase 1)

Yes, we are moving forward on our plans to expand Holy Name Church. Our capital campaign is ongoing. We sincerely appreciate the sacrifices of time, talent and treasure that so many have made to get us to this point. For more information on our current financial status please see the section of this bulletin entitled “Time—Talent—Treasure.”

We are also deeply sensitive to the financial difficulties that some people may be experiencing during this economic slowdown. If you have made a pledge to our capital campaign and are experiencing difficulties making your payments, please contact me, Fr. Tom or the office. We are more than willing to work with you to adjust your payment schedule to one that is more comfortable. If you have not yet made a pledge or gift to our campaign, we encourage you to consider doing so as soon as you are able. Based on our current estimates, we still need to raise about $2 million (at least in pledges) in order to break ground in June 2010. If we reach this goal, we will be part of the economic stimulus for Routt County.

Lord, we continue to entrust this project into Your hands. May it reach completion in Your time, in Your way and for Your glory. Fill us with the grace we need to be the living stones of Your temple so that, when it is complete, we will be enraptured with Easter praise:
“By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.”


Wishing you Easter joy,
Fr. Ernest Bayer

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