We are planting seeds for the future of our parish. Bishop Caggiano, in his vision for evangelization, calls us to plant seeds, create beauty, and build community in our parishes. The goal of it all is to build up the Church and nurture the gift of faith. The plans we have for reimagining the plant and property of Saint Aloysius align with this vision, and it’s all becoming a reality in very visible ways.
A first step for us is the demolition; we must do that before we can plant. Fencing is now up around the east side of the existing campus, blocking access to the school and closing off the South Avenue entrance. The parking around the school is no longer available and 30 Maple Street is fenced in. The handicapped entrance to the sanctuary will be on the southwest corner of the sanctuary. The most active entrances to the church are completely accessible. During demolition and construction, access to Stapleton Hall will be through the Maple Street entrance. Further information regarding this will come if the traffic patterns change.
The community room/youth center building will be a welcome addition. More information will be coming regarding the opportunities for youth that the new space will provide. The education and faith formation center plans are taking shape, and we are tweaking here and there to offer the perfect spaces for parishioners of every age and experience to learn, discuss, create, and embrace the Truth. We are partnering with Villanova University in a project that will challenge us to create a campus that respects the beauty of creation and explore more “green” energy. The creation of outdoor green areas, beautiful upgrades in our church and new spaces to gather as a community will be fine-tuned all along the way. As we take each step, we will post new information in the bulletin, on the website and in social media. The latest information about the campus project is on our St Aloysius website (starcc.com), including a video “flyover.” I hope you will continue to look for these updates.
This is an exciting time for our parish. We are blessed by your support and your flexibility during these months ahead as we build and plant our seeds. Your support of the vision of Bishop Caggiano and our Saint Aloysius response to build and upgrade is important. Our efforts will provide blessings to our parish and the larger New Canaan community for years to come.
What can you do?
- Pray in thanksgiving for the many blessings we have received as a parish family, and for God’s special blessings on the bold new steps we are taking together for our future.
- Stay informed. Look for updates in the bulletin and website and read your email.
- Attend soon-to-be-announced events that will keep you updated and provide time for your ideas and questions.
- Contribute with your gifts.
And one more thing. What about the Annual Bishop’s Appeal (ABA) for 2023? Since we are still raising funds for our capital project, I asked the Bishop to allow us to fold the ABA into the We Stand with Christ Campaign (as we have done for the past two years) so that we are not running two fundraising campaigns at the same time! Bishop Caggiano agreed, and lowered our goal for the ABA from $909,000 to $800,000.
So, what does this mean? This year, you will not receive an appeal letter from the Annual Bishop’s Appeal. When you give to the St. Aloysius Capital Campaign (We Stand with Christ), you are automatically contributing to the 2023 Bishop’s Appeal. If you have already given to the Capital Campaign and wish to support the ABA, you may do so by sending a gift to the Diocese and indicating that it is to be directed to the ABA.
I’m hopeful that this plan will make it easier for us to reach our We Stand with Christ Campaign goal before too long. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions: frrob@starcc. com.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Welcome to the Saint Aloysius! Our parish was founded in 1896 to serve the Catholic families that were settling in the greater New Canaan area.