Future Of St. Mary’s Unveiled

Joe Hornaday

It might be a few years away from completion, but the unveiling of the new St. Mary’s Parish brought hundreds of people out of their homes and into church Saturday afternoon.

In front of a packed St. Mary’s school gymnasium, Pastoral Council President Chris Tebbe and Msgr. Harold Knueven welcomed the group to the unveiling.

“There has been a lot of thought and time that went into what we’ll be able to see today,” Tebbe told the crowd.

The new parish will be located along the east side of U.S. 421 in what is currently a field.

The project really got going in July of 2004, when John Wahl, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, recommended a structural engineering study. Following submittal of the report, a few meetings and a feasibility study, an engineering firm called Entheos Architects, who specialize in religious construction, presented the study to the parish.

The Parish Council sought a master plan from Entheos in January of 2006, and later in June the leadership decided that the St. Mary’s site did not meet current or future needs.

Msgr. Joseph Schaedel, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, was the unveiling’s guest of honor and was invited to offer his thoughts and reflections on the project.

A church is not just a building where people come to worship, Schaedel said.

“The church is people. The church is found wherever people of God gather,” he said.

The St. Mary’s school and church have continued to grow in Decatur County, something Schaedel said he was pleased to see.

“What do the Catholics here really need?” Schaedel asked rhetorically. “We’re all in this together.”

The unveiling, he noted, was a big step in anticipation of the growing needs of the parish. The school has a great reputation, but “tired buildings,” Schaedel said.

Half of the money for the project has already been raised, and Schaedel attributed some of the credit to the St. Mary’s youth, who themselves had raised about $12,000. He also thanked and affirmed the leadership of Msgr. Knueven.

“You wouldn’t have gotten off the dime if it weren’t for Msgr. Knueven,” he said.

He added that it had to be divine providence that Knueven was assigned to St. Mary’s in Greensburg.

Kevin Stuckwisch, representing Entheos Architects, was next to address the crowd, offering a short description of the new church and offering an impressive virtual tour of the future site.

Two new vehicle entrances, more parking, a prominent steeple and semi-circular seating in the worship space were some of the main points of Stuckwisch’s presentation. There will be a large gathering space near the front, as well as a another gymnasium. New school rooms and administration buildings will help to fill up the new building. Outside, there will be lots of green space for the students, including a playground in the back.

Stuckwisch noted that the information presented was only the first phase of design, but felt it provided a good sense of size, function and image of the new parish.

The St. Mary’s Parish has about 1,100 families, with hundreds of children utilizing the school and the church. The staff and volunteers, Tebbe noted, were too numerous to be measured.

“These are the assets that are going to be at the heart of the success of this project,” he said.

But the project still has a long way to go. Large amounts of money still need to be raised to fully fund the new parish. Donations and pledges are being accepted.

“Now is the time to make this a reality for all of us,” Tebbe said.

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