Our Goal: $650,000
Pledged: $870,389.46
Received: $702,078.16
81% - As of 10/05/2023

September 9, 2022 - Groundbreaking!

July 14, 2022 - Approval of Construction Contract with Northwest Builders and Authorization to Proceed received from Bishop Powers. Construction cost: $1,219,704.00.

June 6, 2022 - Invitation to Bid was released by Lien & Peterson Architects, Inc on behalf of St. Anthony Abbot. Project bid deadline is 2pm, Thursday, June 30, 2022.

May 26, 2022 - Permission was received from Bishop Powers to Solicit Bids for the New Church.

The thought of building a new church is nothing new. It has been talked about for decades. I have been aware for many years, since I moved here in 2002, that the reason the Parish Center was built so far back from the road was because the plan was to build a new church on the south side of the road. I know a committee of people, under Fr. Dave Lusson, explored the feasibility of building a new church in 2010. It was determined not to be feasible then because of cost. I have been told that there were efforts before that, but none were undertaken for the same reason. Cost.

This is nothing new, and no one should be surprised that it has come up again. The difference this time, is that we are in a financial position to complete the work that was started many years ago. This is largely in part due to a significant financial gift given to St. Anthony Parish by Robert A. Ritchie in 2013 and invested in the Mission Diocese Fund. The initial gift was $500,000. In October of 2015 the parish received an additional gift of $100,000. The investment fund has performed well. We have been able to utilize interest from the fund to put a new metal roof on the rectory and the parish hall, among other smaller projects.

When I took on the position of Parish Life Coordinator in August of 2014 it became very clear to me in the first couple of years that the church building was in despair and the only responsible solution was to move forward toward the building of a new church. However, I thought the best approach would be to make some repairs to the church building that could extend the life by another five to ten years and give our investments time to grow. 

In February of 2016, with the support of the Finance Committee and Pastoral Council, I sent a letter to Bishop Powers requesting permission to proceed with repairs of the roof, steps to reduce water infiltration and some patching and painting within the church building. The estimated cost of this project was to be about $119,000.00. The letter was received and in a follow-up conversation with the Diocesan Administrator, Dan Blank, I was advised Bishop Powers questioned if that money wouldn't be better spent on a new church building, rather than making costly repairs to the current building. Bishop Powers was aware that St. Anthony's had previously considered building a new building. At that time, it was decided to explore the feasibility of building a new church and the repair project was put on hold.

In the fall of 2017 I invited an engineer to come and inspect the church building. At the beginning of the inspection, I put this question forward: "Is it possible to repair, remodel and expand the existing church building to address our needs?" Those needs being; watertight integrity, replacement of heating/cooling systems with greater reliability and efficiency, addition of gathering area and handicap accessible restrooms and increased seating capacity. At the end of the day, following a thorough inspection, it was determined that a project of such magnitude could be done, but it would cost more, if not significantly more, than building a new building.

In June of 2018 the Pastoral Council approved the appointment of a building committee to explore the feasibility of building a new church. They have worked patiently and diligently over the last three years to bring us to where we are right now. Our Finance Committee and Pastoral Council have been supportive and involved in their efforts. They truly care about this project and the success of our faith community. We are blessed by their love and care for the people of St. Anthony’s.

The reality is, even if we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair all the structural issues we have with the old building, we would still have a building that fails to meet the needs of those who struggle ascending and descending the steps. We would still have bathrooms that are too small and inaccessible to many people, not just handicapped persons. Yes, it was good enough before but now it's not. We need to build something that is adequate and accessible for everyone. Something that addresses all our concerns and improves our participation in the Mass and honors our sacred traditions. We're not just throwing an old building away. We will honor it within elements of the new building. We are seizing an opportunity to provide for future generations of Catholic men, women, and children in our faith community. God has blessed us with the opportunity and the ability. Peace be with you!

​​​​​Respectfully,
Deacon Steve Linton