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The master plan we are calling Building Faith; A New Generation has been passing through three formal levels of approval: parishioner consultation, diocesan/bishop approval, and City of North Royalton. 

On page 5 of the Building Faith Campaign brochure there is a text box titled "Anticipated Financing". Included in the figure are the estimated costs of the $10 million project, the approximate savings in the parish, and the $7 million campaign goal. A parishioner asked for more details about the costs of the entire Building Faith Project:

Many of the earliest discussions among parish leaders and planners was related to the location of the parish offices and the parish life center on our parish property. The final decision to locate the PLC in the "center" of our 18 acres was made after considering several other options. The most convincing argument for this central location was to expand the use of our largely unused property to make traffic, parking, and access easier, safer, and more convenient. Likewise, by discreetly connecting the new building to the rear entrance of the school building will make the many features and spaces within the PLC available to our day school and PSR students without having to travel outdoors.

We’re off! Last weekend at all parish masses our building faith campaign was announced and the latest images and a 3-D model of our parish campus we’re located in the Wallings entrance of the church. The executive committee of the campaign was also published in our parish bulletin last week. Please see below the generous families and individuals who have committed to leading this exciting campaign for the future of Saint Albert the Great.

In the summer of 2016 the master plan subcommittee established the "laundry list" of needs and desires confronting our parish ministries.  On that list were large captial expenditures that would have to be taken care of in 3-5 years.  The largest single item on that list was the deteriorating parking lots and driveways on all of our property. 

Since 2013, the beginning of our Vision 2016 “Every One Add One”, our Saint Albert ministries to the poor, have grown exponentially. With the encouragement and the planning of our parish pastoral Council, the number of justice and compassion ministries grew from four to today over 30 different ministries.  This growing parish ministry is known in North Royalton, in the Diocese of Cleveland and all the way to El Salvador as a shining light of charity, justice, and compassion. Our 30+ justice and compassion ministries, hundreds of our parishioners, and God’s grace are responsible for all of this grace and love.

What are the prospects for the next 10 years of life and faith in North Royalton and at Saint Albert the Great that impact “Building Faith: A New Generation” (con't signs of growing congregation) -Last Easter we welcomed 12 new Catholics into the church through the RCIA process. This fall we already have commitments from eight adults. -Our confirmation group had 145 people be confirmed and we have equal numbers in our first communion class. -In 2017-18 we welcomed over 600 people into an adult Bible study 15-session series(that, from testimony from the Ascension Press people, was the largest-ever such Bible study that they were aware of in their national ministry). People are hungry for the Catholic faith when it is presented well and with vibrancy. I see only more of that happening in the next 10 years.

Question:  What are the projections for the next 10 years of life and faith in North Royalton and at Saint Albert the Great that impact are decision to embrace “Building Faith: A New Generation” This question has been raised in several of the conversations that I have been involved in concerning what the future of St. Albert the Great parish might look like 10 years from now.  Because my response was so long I had to stretch it iover two bulletins (this week 9/15 and next week 9/22)

The work of St. Albert Parish and the Diocese of Cleveland are inseparably joined in every way from spiritually and sacramentally to legally and financially.  While all of the financial assets of St. Albert parish belong to the parish and are not available to the bishop, the bishop holds the title to all of our property and he signs all contracts for work done costing more than $25,000.  And, of course, the bishop operates the ministry of the diocese of Cleveland mostly from the "assessments" or "taxes"  we pay on all of our Sunday, Christmas and Easter collections. 

I have spoken often about the process that was used to develop the master plan behind Building Faith: A New Generation. Specifically, how parish leaders and the planning engineers consulted with the various members of our community, those who use our facilities (i.e. ministry leaders, parish staff, parish maintenance, school parents, city planners, etc) and other experts (i.e. traffic engineers and soil quality scientists)to gain insight into how these facilities could work better for everyone.

The proposed new Parish Life Center will not only have three dedicated meeting spaces (fitness, youth, conference), a full-sized industrial kitchen, a welcoming concourse area with seating and beverage station, and the centerpiece of a grand gathering hall that can be used as a 900 seat auditorium (with a presention stage) or a 500 seat banquet facility, or four excellent sized meeting spaces but also a new, handicapped accessible office building that can accommodate 10 pastoral staff members and the four clerical staff members currently at work in our parish.

The questions about timeline, phasing, and how long it will take are probably the most frequently asked questions by those who are enthusiastic about this project. The answer is multi-layered. As you may recall the traffic and parking zones of our proposed plan are divided into three: The church parking and traffic zone, the school and PSR zone in the middle of our property, and the new ministry center parking and traffic zone on the south end of the property. Generally, the contractors, engineers and architects imagine this 24-month project of construction will best be accomplished in three phases, each one centered around one of the three traffic and parking zones.

The first and most important "group" to be consulted about the future needs of St. Albert was the parishioners themselves. Beginning in 2013 the life and ministry of our parish began to grow and expand in ways that we had not seen before. As the ministry grew, the buildings and the grounds, the meeting rooms and offices, the parking, traffic and safety issues really began to "cry out" for help.

Many of the people who have considered the "Building Faith: A New Generation" proposal  have immediately asked, "where will the priests live?".  That question is one that has challenged us as a parish since our founding 60 years ago.  Fr. Winters lived in the original farmhouse (in the current parking lot C) from 1959 until his death in 1983.  In 1977 when Fr. Viall arrived he quickly built a priest house in St. Thomas Woods (directly behind the church building). In 1982, the Humility of Mary Sisters ended their ministry at St. Albert, and Fr. Viall had their 1964 convent renovated into the current parish offices and priest residence.

Why isn't the Parish Life Center attached to the church building? The following priorities helped engineers and parish leaders to proposed the new building to be located in the center of our property attached to the school building: