Two new playgrounds, new classrooms and new facilities with state-of-the-art equipment will be among the resources available to students of Divine Mercy Catholic School. One aspect among the benefits of the new building includes something students have looked forward to for years: air conditioning.
Clergy of Divine Mercy Catholic Church and staff of Divine Mercy Catholic School gathered the local Catholic community following regular Mass for the ribbon cutting and an open house of the new school building late Saturday afternoon. The new school has been under construction since breaking ground in fall 2022 , and will hold its first school year in the new building for 2024-25.
Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Archbishop Bernard Hebda led the church congregation through regular Mass. During Mass, the archbishop and other clergy members expressed the achievement of the new school for the Catholic community in Faribault.
“There are lots of parishes that want to build new schools and to be able to pass on the faith effectively,” Hebda said. “But it’s really a unique situation in 2024 for a community to be able to carry that forward. And I’m so grateful to all of you for doing that. You see, my brothers and sisters, there’s nothing more important than passing on the faith.”
He said many of the adults in the room have a commitment to passing on the teachings of Jesus to the next generation, and he commended Faribault for that commitment.
“Those of you who are already adults and have experienced Jesus in that way know that you want to make sure that our young people have that experience as well, that they come to recognize that Jesus’ words are indeed the words of eternal life,” he continued. “As wonderful as Faribault is, we believe that heaven is even greater.”
He said that the community’s many faith communities have shown that commitment for many years.
“It’s Jesus who has those words of eternal life,” he said. “My sisters and brothers, as glorious as your new school building is, even more beautiful is this community that recognizes that as a priority.”
Following a brief story from Father Cory Rohlfing about reaching out to another parish that recently built a Catholic school of their own and receiving the blueprint from them, Hebda explained his hope that Divine Mercy would become a resource for other parishes considering that step.
“Just as Father Cory shared of being in contact with a new school in Travers City, Michigan, I hope that you too will be a resource as more parishes and schools consider making this kind of a commitment to the work of the Catholic faith,” Hebda said.
After Mass, the group of hundreds of churchgoers walked over to the main entrance of the new school building, where a ribbon was tied to a column on either side of the front door.
Hebda used holy water to bless the crowd and school, then Divine Mercy Catholic School Principal Gina Ashley shared some words about the new school and its importance to her.
“It is with immense gratitude that I stand here today,” she said. “My heart is so full, it seems impossible to express what I feel in words, but they told me I have to. I am so thankful for all the people who came together to make this beautiful facility a reality.”
She then listed off some organizations and businesses who put in labor for the new school building to become a reality.
“Our school continues to be strong because of the support of organizations like these,” she said. “Thank you very much. However, I owe the biggest debt of gratitude to all of you, the Faribault Catholic community. You have rallied together to make this happen. You have made it possible for our community together to step forward in faith. And we are here today because of all of you. And now, we celebrate.”
She called the project a “dream project.”
“We celebrate the completion of a dream project imagined by this community over 17 years ago to build a church and school, joining the Faribault Catholic community as one,” she said. “As this ribbon is cut in a few moments, we begin a new chapter, built on a legacy of church and school, working together to educate and form children.”
Hebda blessed the building and crowd using holy water, before the ribbon was finally cut and the visitors filed into the building. The air conditioning was among the first things many people noticed upon entering amid the heat advisory Saturday.
As attendees roamed the halls of the two-story building, they found a cafeteria with lunch and snacks, a large, closed gymnasium with a freshly coated floor.
At the end of one hall, art teacher Lynnette DeShane was excited to see her students, many of which excitedly hugged the teacher. DeShane was especially excited for her view of the cornfields and the general landscape outside her new classroom’s massive windows.
The new library had special tables that can be separated into individual desks or put together to form a group table. Even a new 3-D printer was available for use in the library.
“Welcome to our new home,” Ashley said.
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