Major $18.5 million project encompasses more than 43,000 square Feet
CAVE CREEK — St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic
Church has raised $18.5 million to fund a major campus expansion
project for the only Catholic church serving the growing Cave Creek
community.
To mark the occasion, the public is invited to
attend a groundbreaking event at 10:30 a.m., Nov. 17, which will
include Mass and other festivities with the Most Rev. Thomas J.
Olmsted, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.
The
new 12,900-square-foot sanctuary will seat more than 900 people, a
33% increase in seating capacity from the current structure. The
sanctuary space also includes a large, separate chapel which seats
another 90. The entire sanctuary building is over 23,000 square feet
in area.
Additionally, new classroom buildings
covering more than 20,000 square feet will serve more than 230
Catholic school students. This space will include classrooms for art,
science, STREAM- STEM-related projects, music, and a pavilion for
students to eat lunch.
“As I saw the plan and the
community’s enthusiasm for this new campus at St. Gabriel, I grew
excited for the facilities to serve and educate the broader Cave
Creek area,” said Fr. John Slobig, pastor of St. Gabriel the
Archangel.
The campus expansion project will
include a new community center, redesigned administrative offices,
and new parking facilities.
St. Gabriel the Archangel
Catholic Church was established in 2002 to serve the growing
community of Cave Creek. Parishioners have created a dynamic
community which includes 1,400 families and 55 ministries to serve
the community, including youth, young families, seniors and widows,
as well as the greater Cave Creek community.
“I
began attending St. Gabriel from inception and have been in love with
the community ever since,” said Barb Rechterman, St. Gabriel the
Archangel parishioner and Strategic Advisor at GoDaddy. “The
community has a pulse here that focuses on worship, learning and
healing that makes this community so special. It is a passionate and
caring community that has desired the re-envisioning and growth to
happen and it shows in the response to the fundraising. I am honored
to have been asked to assist Fr. John Slobig and the Diocese of
Phoenix in leading this project forward for the community.”
Annunciation Catholic School was established
in 2009 and has grown from its humble beginnings of 23 students to
housing one classroom per grade, kindergarten through eighth grade,
with 231 students. Annunciation Catholic School is a fully accredited
Diocesan school and provides a STREAM- and STEM-based education.
The
new buildings were designed by Phoenix Design Group, LLC, who were
architects for St. Juan Diego Catholic Church in Chandler, and the
All Saints Catholic Newman Center at Arizona State University in
Tempe.
The general contractor for the St. Gabriel
Campus Project will be Forefront Development, LLC. Forefront is
based in Mesa, with projects ranging from $250,000 to $25 million.
Currently they are working on projects at St. Germaine Catholic
Church in Prescott Valley, building a new church and site
improvements; Our Lady of Joy Catholic Church in Carefree, building
on the new social hall; and St. Patrick Catholic Church in
Scottsdale, on the new social justice offices and site
improvements.
About St. Gabriel the
Archangel
St. Gabriel the Archangel
Catholic Community is located at 32648 N. Cave Creek Road in Cave
Creek, AZ 85331.
The Mission of St.
Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community is to develop Christian
disciples who spread the Good News, serve others and welcome all with
care and compassion. Learn more about this campus expansion campaign:
stgabrielcampus.com
