2025 CHURCH ENHANCEMENT PROJECT

CONTEXT

Looking to the future

As our attendance continues to grow and our ministries expand, our Pastoral Council developed a Strategic Plan which set the vision for St. Francis. This Plan identified the need to study improvements to our church worship space in order to enhance the overall worship experience. Fr DeAscanis organized the church enhancement committee (CEC) with representatives from the Pastoral Council, Finance Council, the former Building Committee, Faith Formation and parish staff to study these enhancements.

Proposed Enhancements:

  • 1. Sanctuary

    Expansion of the raised sanctuary to better accommodate larger gatherings of clergy and to address ADA/handicapped accessibility requirements.

  • 2. Confessionals

    Create two new confessionals with one being ADA accessible.

  • 3. Music Ministry

    We have the gift of many incredible musicians at our parish. The Pastoral Council has looked at ways to accommodate the growing needs and permanance of the music ministry.

  • 4. Pews & Kneelers

    To recognize our growth and permanence as a parish and also to honor the requirement of our Archbishop, the church enhancement will provide pews and kneelers.

  • 5. Sacred Art

    The enhancements will include the addition of a few, select pieces of sacred art such as icons and statues.

  • 6. Sacristy

    For ease of access, the enhancement will also relocate the sacristy into the church.

360° Walkthrough

Budget

As we prepare in the coming months, we will be better able to elaborate more on the budget for this project. In the meantime, we've included the estimated budget and estimated timeline.


We plan to have a Capital Campaign in Fall 2025 to support this project.


he goal is finishing the project by Easter 2026.

$750,000-$800,000

Preliminary Budget Estimate

12-13 months

Estimated time to complete the project (Feb 2025-April 2026)

Archdiocesan Approval

The Archbishop approved the overall project scope and for St. Francis to retain Foundry Architects for our church enhancement project

Architectural Consultation

The CEC is working with architect Matthew Compton (Foundry Architects) to help develop a Conceptual Design plan for these enhancements

Archdiocesan Collaboration

The overall work is being coordinated with the Archdiocese architect, Matt Regan

Before & After Renderings

Before

After

Before

After

FAQs

  • What will the seating capacity be?

    Our church currently seats between 450-500 people. We will keep that number as a minimum requirement, though we will likely be able to seat more than that with ease of seating in pews.

  • How will construction affect the celebration of Mass?

    Many of the proposed enhancements can be completed without disruption to the main worship space (music ministry, confessionals, storage space, sacristy, etc.). The only disruption would be during the replacement of the flooring and installation of pews. We can more adequately describe the impact of this once we hone the scope of the project.

  • Is lighting a consideration?

    As of now, lighting is not inlcuded in the scope of this project. We welcome feedback on lighting and desired improvements, but it may not be a part of the coming enhancements.

  • Are there plans to improve the sound system and acoustics?

    Acoustics and sound is something we have received feedback on and are taking into consideration. Please fill out the feedback form or email our Parish Coordinator directly (ssage@instrumentofpeace.org) to submit your suggestions!

  • What will the accommodations to ADA requirements be?

    ADA requirements are something we have taken into serious consideration during our brainstorming. There will be cutouts in the pews to accommodate wheelchairs, a ramp up to the altar and an ADA accessible confessional.

We want to hear from you!

As a valued parishioner, we want your input. Fill out the form below with your comments, questions, or concerns. Thank you!

2025 Church Enhancement Project Feedback