The experience of building a new Church – once in a lifetime!

       Very few pastors get the experience of building a Church. The phrase is not entirely accurate – construction companies build the Churches. Pastors are the spiritual leaders of parishes – some of whom witness the construction. When I arrived at Our Lady of the Snows Church in Floral Park, Queens, on June 30, 1999, a question many people kept asking me was: do you think we can ever have a “real Church”? I didn’t quite know how to answer them.

       Certainly, I was not sent to the parish with a mission to “build” a new Church. After thought and prayer, we undertook a very logical approach. We employed a fundraising company to do a feasibility study. The study consulted with the people by mail and by personal interviews. The outcome was that the majority of the people wanted a new church, and the overwhelming majority would support it financially!

       So, the fun began, and a seven-year project commenced, which culminated in the dedication of a new church on August 5, 2008. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the extremely generous donations of so many parishioners, family members, and friends. They raised 7 million dollars which enabled us to pay for the Church, its furnishings, and all the extras that come with a construction project of this type.

       The people of Our Lady of the Snows Parish took ownership of the building project by not only their donations but also by their time to serve on the many and variety of committees, e.g., design, fundraising, etc.

       The parishioners are proud of their accomplishments, and rightly so. It was a risk they took, and it was an exciting time in the history of the parish! The former Church (an auditorium) was used for 55 years. It held many memories, as did a small chapel, which became undersized after only the first five years of the parish’s existence. The parishioners were amazed when, in 2009, their former Church became a gymnasium for the parish sports program and the parochial school.

       Our Lady of the Snows Parish was always considered sort of avant-garde … a step or two ahead of the rest of the world. By taking on the vision of the Second Vatican Council and always doing programs to educate the laity and involve them in the parish leadership. The new Church stands as a testimony to people with a vision. I was fortunate to be their Pastor from 1999 to 2012.

While this brief summary may make it seem like an easy task, these parish visionaries had to overcome a number of obstacles and challenges to make their dream of a new church a fantastic success.