The parish master plan guides our long term building and grounds planning and expenditures.  Our goal is to make the most of the facilities we already have to support the Diocese’s three goals for parishes (providing amazing worship experiences, forming missionary disciples, and increasing our acts of charity, mercy, and justice), and prudently plan for our future needs. 

The parish master plan was updated in 2022.  As reported at the June 22, 2024 State of the Parish meeting, projects that are part of the parish master plan are funded using repurposed donations from the closed capital campaigns for the canceled project for a new parish church. 

The first four priorities in the 2022 parish master plan have been completed:

1. Remodel Saint Joseph church, adding air conditioning, new restrooms, and updated interiors (completed, except for air conditioning which will be completed in 2024) 
2. Repair the museum’s damaged building foundation (completed) 
3. Renovate Ministry House 1 for use as the pastors residence and Ministry House 2 for use as the relocated parish office (completed) 
4. Build a paved gathering area across St Joseph Terrace from the church to provide space outdoor events and additional parking (completed)

Repairing the exterior of the Carriage House building in 2024 is the beginning of the master plan’s fifth priority, which is to renovate the Carriage House and turn this deteriorated building into a valuable parish asset, providing ministry and meeting spaces in addition to its existing storage uses.

Future Master Plan Projects

$2.7 million of contributions to the closed capital campaigns have not yet been reclaimed or repurposed to support the parish master plan.  The parish has made its best efforts to contact the original donors (and where known, their family or heirs) and will follow diocesan guidelines and state and federal regulations for the ultimate disposition of these remaining capital campaign contributions.

As more repurposed capital campaign funds become available, they may be used for the other two projects in the parish master plan:

1. Build a sports field or other parish facility on the vacant land we own behind the school
2. Construct a new building connecting the Mission church and the museum to provide restrooms and interior gathering space for the Mission and museum.

Some Projects are not part of the Master Plan

The museum renewal project is being paid for with new, separate donations from parishioners for this project.  Other recent projects funded entirely with separate donations include the outdoor Stations of the Cross, the Heart of the Holy Family statue outside the parking lot entry to St Joseph Church, and the Wedding Feast of the Lamb painting in the church.

Changes to the parish master plan

The first parish master plan was created in 1999.  The 1999 plan’s highest priority was building a new, larger parish church. Other priorities included a school expansion.  However, the parish master plan isn’t “cast in concrete” – it changes as parish realities, needs, and goals change.  

In 1999 average Sunday Mass attendance was 3,000 and parishioners had to stand in the back of the church at some Masses; our average Sunday Mass attendance in 2022 was 1,000.  In 1999, our school was full; today the school is under capacity.  In 2013 we updated the master plan to add a kindergarten building for the school, which wasn’t envisioned in the 1999 master plan. 

When the parish master plan was updated in 2022 a larger church and school expansion were no longer necessary. But some things hadn’t changed.  In 1999 we did not have enough office or meeting spaces.  We were even renting office space across Mission Blvd for some ministries.  Today we still need more ministry and meeting space.

The parish pastoral leadership team guides the parish master plan with advice from the parish facilities team.