Supported by the

Past

Building for the Future

St. Mary

Catholic Church

Oxford, Iowa

Our Mission
The mission of Saint Mary Church is to
proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ among
our members and the broader community. We
do this in word but also in being an example of
faithful discipleship in our daily lives. We
celebrate the sacraments of the different stages
of our lives with joy and care.
Our goal is to lead people to the Kingdom of
God through offering a foretaste of that
Kingdom here on earth through prayer,
celebration and service.

Letter from our Pastor

Yes, we can dream creatively into the future and meet the needs of our present faith community and for those many
that will come after us. Our predecessors did dream into the future over one hundred years ago in building the red
brick church on the hill. So often we hear from our visitors, What a beautiful church you have! We can be proud of our
church and thankful for those who did dream into the future in their own time. We can be sure that there were those
who said, It cant be done. The old church on the same site is sufficient. Let be what is.
About five years ago, discussion arose about the difficulty of teaching our youth in the lower level of Saint Mary
Auditorium where the dining room is divided into classrooms by folding screens. The noise level makes it difficult to
teach and learn in such an environment. Moreover, no education materials or wall decorations can be left in the area
from week to week. For some of the students, to go to the restroom involves opening and closing two or three of the
dividers and walking through other classrooms where classes are being conducted. We need a more permanent and
suitable religious education center. As our parish grows, one of the first things that prospective parishioners with young
children look at is the religious education facilities.
Moreover, if we want to have any social events after Mass, when we say that it will be in the Auditorium, the people get
into their cars and go home. It is difficult to drive to the church hall, get the family out of the car, into another building,
and then repeat the procedure in getting to ready to go home. We do have coffee and doughnuts after Mass in the lower
level of the rectory during the summer months, but access is not easy and space is limited. We need a church hall
adjacent to the church where our social events, dinners for various occasions, and overflow crowds for big liturgical
feasts can participate easily through modern communication. Our youth group will also have a place for their activities
and projects.
Finally, most churches now have a gathering space where, when the liturgy calls for a blessing ceremony to take place
outside the confines of the church, for example on Palm Sunday or the Easter Vigil, the faithful gather there and then
process into the church. The gathering space can also serve as a place for a wake service, a preparation place for
weddings, and just a place to greet others and socialize. We need such a gathering space to meet liturgical needs of our
day.
This is a major undertaking. We have successfully completed a number of projects in recent years. When the time comes,
Saint Mary Parish rises to meet the needs. The Diocesan Building Committee requires us to have an outside consulting
firm to prepare a feasibility study to see if the parish members are willing and able to under take and successfully
complete such a project. Most of all it is a way to educate the faith community on the rationale behind such a
project the assessed needs, the way to meet those needs, and seek feedback.
My hope is that the community of faith of Saint Mary will come together and share a similar dream in securing a
memorable future for ourselves, our children, and those who will carry on the proud tradition
begun by those who built our beautiful church.
May the Blessed Mother, our patron, intercede for us, and may God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bless you all.

Sincerely,

Rev. Ed Dunn

Our history
1860

St. Mary Church was formally organized under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Dubuque. The McGuillicudy,
Dalton, Reynolds, and Floerchinger families were among the first members.

1862

The first church was erected and the interior was finally completed five years later.

1877

A larger church was needed for the rapidly growing community and a frame building was constructed on the
corner of the current church site. Father Hollan was sent as the first resident priest.

1912

The cornerstone was laid for a beautiful new red brick church to replace the smaller frame church on the
same site.

1932

Father Lawlor arrived with the task of cleaning up the parish debt. He also had the foresight to purchase St.
Mary Hall.

1937 1964

Father P.J. Ryan served St. Mary for 27 years. During his time he redecorated the inside of the church,
repainted the hall, and built the rectory.

1988

The beautiful stained glass windows were refurbished.

1997

Father Helms became the first pastor to serve both St. Mary and St. Peter.

2000

New air conditioning and heating systems installed.

2001 Present

Father Dunn has been our Pastor. During his time the tile roof on the church has been refurbished, the
parking lot enlarged, the pipe organ restored, handicapped accessibility improved, interior improvements to
the floors, carpet and pews.

2014

Feasibility Study initiated to test for a new Parish Hall, Education Center, and Gathering Space.

parish life & ministries

Parish Leadership
Priest
Deacon
Pastoral Associate
Coordinator of Elementary Faith Formation
High School Youth Minister and Confirmation
Parish Council
Finance Council
Parish Trustees
Communications
Parish Website
Weekly Bulletin
Parish Directory
Electronic mailing list
Youth Goup
Parish picnic
Volunteer at Crowded Closet
High School Youth Rally
Junior High Youth Rally
National Catholic Youth Conference
Adopt a Family at Christmas
Food Drive for Crisis Center Food Pantry
Mardi Gras Mass and Celebration fundraiser
Walk for Dignity
Meal at Ronald McDonald House
Week long mission trip to David, Kentucky
Catholics in Action
Letters to Santa for grades 1-2
Notre Dame Vision Conference
Faith Formation
Baptism Preparation
First Reconciliation Preparation
First Eucharist Preparation
Confirmation 2-year cycle & retreat
Marriage Preparation & sponsor couples
RCIA
Vacation Bible School
Childrens Mass at Christmas
Bulletin Board at parish hall
Community
Oxford Fireworks Fund Donor
CCA Post Prom Party
CCA Adopt a Family
Iowa City Hospice

Social Action
Operation Rice Bowl
Christmas gifts to care center
Samaritans Purse Pack a Shoebox
Heifer International- Donate an Animal
Hats, mittens, scarves, gloves to local elementary
schools
Food drive for CCA Family Resource Center
Prepare meal for Iowa City Free Lunch Program
Soles for Souls Shoe Drive
Needs Drive for Iowa City Shelter House
Utility Assistance
Spiritial Life and Liturgy
Greeters
Ushers
Altar Servers
Cantors
Choir
Instrumentalists
Lectors
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Stations of the Cross
Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service
Christmas poinsettia/Easter lily memorials
Altar and Rosary
Flowers on Altar
Maintain altar linens
Oversee parish hall kitchen
Votive candle stand
Funeral luncheons
1st Communion Gifts
CCA Post Prom Party
CCA Sponsor a Family
Iowa City Hospice
Knights of Columbus
Fish Suppers during Lent
Pancake Breakfast
Free Throw Contest
Spelling Bee
Scholarships to Senior Class member
Rosary to graduates
Parish support with pew restoration fire system
hall kitchen
Mt. Calvary Cemetery
Memorial Day Mass
Avenue of Flags

needs & Solutions

identified needs

proposed solutions

Our current parish hall has folding partitions

that divide the lower level, the dining room
area, into four gathering spaces for
classrooms. Problems with this arrangement
include but not limited to: the noise level;
entering and exiting difficulty for young
children; access to restrooms is disruptive,
and the inability of teachers to leave a
classroom set up. In addition, the parish hall
does not have the necessary capabilities for
technology to meet the needs of todays faith
formation classes.

Provide a suitable education environment for

faith formation with permanent classrooms,
office and work rooms for staff and volunteers
and technology capabilities.

The location of the hall from the church

makes it nearly prohibitive (distance, safety,
weather, etc.) to take classes to the church for
further instruction. It is not a suitable
arrangement for passing on the faith.

Provide ease of access to and from church for

religious education needs.

The parish hall located downtown away from

the church creates a less than ideal situation
for gathering after masses for social activities.

Connect the church to the parish center to

facilitate movement between the two and
more importantly, to encourage parishioners
to feel at home in both the church and the
parish center.

The parish hall is dated and not an attractive

or welcoming space for visitors.

Create a more appropriate space to allow the

congregation to participate more fully in
liturgies that begin apart from the church and
to better gather the people to form
community.

architectual
rendering

Proposed
Front Elevation

pROPOSED First
FLOOR PLAN

pROPOSED Lower level

FLOOR PLAN

estimated costs
Building Construction

Elevator

100,000

Site Evaluation/Soil Testing/Permits/Misc

50,000

Furnishings/Equipment Allowance

50,000

Land Purchase/Demolition

40,000

Landscaping/Sidewalks

24,000

Architectural Fees & Services

25,000

CONSTRUCTION SUBTOTAL

$ 1,270,772

Contractors Fees (10%)

127,077

Contingency Costs (5%)

63,538

General Insurance (1%)

12,707

Campaign Fees & Expenses

75,000

Interim Financing

10

981,772

151,371

CONTINGENCY, FEES & EXPENSES SUBTOTAL

429,693

TOTAL OF ESTIMATED COSTS

$ 1,700,465

proposed scale of giving

SCALE OF GIVING REQUIRED TO
SECURE $1,700,000
No. of Gifts
In the Range of
Total

1
$350,000
$350,000

1
200,000
200,000

1
100,000
100,000

4
50 75,000
220,000
5 25 - 40,000

150,000
12
Gifts of $25,000 or more
1,020,000 (60%)


8
15,000-18,000
130,000
10
9,000-12,000
105,000

30
6,000-7,500
200,000

50
3,000-5,000
200,000

82 Under $3,000
45,000

180
Gifts up to $18,000
680,000 (40%)

192

TOTAL GIFTS

$ 1,700,000

11

POTENTIAL COMMEMORATIVE
OPPORTUNITIES
Commemorative opportunities may be provided to encourage multi-year pledges and
sharing of gifts by family members. Commemorative gifts will be recognized in an
appropriate location in the new facilities. Listed below are some potential
commemorative opportunities and the total amount needed to commemorate a
respective area. Other commemorative opportunities may be added after final plans
are approved prior to a capital campaign.
Naming Oppurtunities Total Pledge
Parish Hall

$ 350,000

Gathering Space
Elevator

12

200,000

100,000

Kitchen

75,000

Parish Hall Office

50,000

Vestibule/Entryway (2 each)

40,000

Prayer Garden

30,000

Trees/Landscaping

25,000

Kitchen Equipment (2 each)

20,000

Classrooms (8 each)

15,000

Coat Room/Storage (each)

12,000

Letter from our bishop

13

parishioner
endsorsements
We have belonged to St. Marys for 51 years. Gene has belonged to it all his life. Parish
members are like family, we share the joys of baptism, confirmation and
weddings and sorrows of the parish families. All of our children were baptized, received
first communion, confirmation and got married here and moved on to other parishes.
We have served on various committees and boards and taught Faith Formation classes
for many years. We should pursue this feasibility study so we can reach out to our
young catholic families. A new parish hall will promote the viability of our parish.
Gene & Brigit Leeney

We are grateful for the gift of faith and community that we receive from being
members of St. Mary Parish. We need to care for the needs of our parishioners. As we
move forward we need to grow and meet those future needs. We have been a strong
community for over 150 years and we need to continue to build on that strength.
Pat & Deb Kinney

I am a lifelong member of St. Mary Parish. I have served in a number of roles as a

parishioner: lector, Eucharistic minister, faith formation teacher, secretary/bookkeeper
and in 2012 was appointed pastoral associate to assist in many other ways.
I love the St. Mary parish family, as they are the church. But also, I have always admired
the beauty of our church building, stained-glass windows, statuary, pews and altars. As
I grew older I came to realize the sacrifice our forefathers had to make to realize this
dream. They were working folks, just as we are. They had a vision to expand and build
a new church in 1912. Now is the time for this generation to have that same vision to
look to the future of our parish. Oxford is located in a fast-expanding area and we are
fortunate to be a vibrant and growing parish with parishioners from surrounding
communities joining us in worship. The addition of a Religious Education, Gathering
Space, and Parish Hall would ensure the needs of our parish and youth are being met. I
support this feasibility study to see what direction our parish will take.
Kathy Brack
Pastoral Associate

14

I have been a member of St. Mary Parish all of my life. I have served as an altar boy,
taught catechism two years, was a member of the first diocesan lay council, former
member of the parish council, am in my fifty-first year in the choir, and currently a
cantor. My mother was organist and choir director for 53 years. Therefore, St. Mary
Parish has been a great part of my entire life. I am currently one of the lay directors and
member of the finance committee.
In my catechism days, we had three groups meeting in the congregational part of the
church and two sacristies. In later years, the classes were moved to St. Mary Hall using
folding dividers in the lower level to partition off meeting spaces. From a teaching
environment, this is not totally desirable.
The proposed project would have separate classrooms which would allow bulletin
board space and soundproof rooms. Therefore, I am supporting the feasibility study to
determine whether or not our parish is in a position to take on this project.
Don Saxton

Just as St. Mary has been an important part of our family, it has blessed the lives of
many others these past 154 years. And although the Church Hall has served us well,
were excited about the potential to build a more functional and handicap accessible
gathering space. One in which our students will learn and grow spiritually and all members can gather to celebrate life occasions safely and comfortably. This is an important
step in the life of our parish and one that will benefit generations well into the future.
Tim & Robin Hennes

We have been members of St. Mary for over 15 years. Our three children
received an excellent religious education from the numerous volunteer teachers.
Through the guidance of the teachers our children received the sacraments of Holy
Communion and Confirmation. We have been blessed to have two of our children
receive the sacrament of Holy Matrimony at St. Mary. As our community and our
church community continue to grow, a modern facility is needed to meet our growing
demands; a facility that will provide not only our religious education needs but our
parish life and our community needs. Lets build for the future.
Brad & Lynn Hahn

15

St. Mary Church has been a very important part of our lives for many years- 56 for Joel
and 30 for Joan. Our children make the fourth generation of St. Mary parishioners. We
consider St. Mary Church our home. As with any home, there are times when updates
and expansions are necessary in order to grow.
We believe the addition will help our church grow in community and spirit. The
Parish Council would like to hold more fellowship events right after church. But
traveling to the hall is a barrier to attendance. Imagine the ease of attending if the
event is in an adjoining space!
Providing a quality environment for religious education should be a top priority for our
parish. The frustrations of teaching in the hall are, at times, daunting. Ask anyone who
teaches religious education in our parish.
I like to think of the possibility of a new center as paying it forward just as the
generations before us have. We look forward to what the feasibility study
recommends.
The Joan & Joel Grabin Family

We are so blessed to have St. Mary church in our family. We have celebrated many
events there over the years. Our dad is 85 years old and his parents were members of
St. Marys as well. My parents raised 7 children, each of us became involved in one way
or another in the church. We all have taught Religious Education including teaching First
Communion, Confirmation, RCIA, different mission works, retreats, etc. Our mother was
the Religious Education director for many years. We have in return raised our own
families in St. Marys. All 37 in our family received our sacraments there. St. Mary
church is one of a kind, its open and caring to all people who enter. My own son was
wanting to go to a Notre Dame Division youth catholic retreat in Indiana. He needed to
raise $425 in order to go. Within a few weekends we raffled off a garden basket after
each mass. All of the youth that wanted to go were able to because of the generosity
of the St. Marys people. The community spirit at St. Marys church is unmatchable. We
are so proud to be a part of this loving and growing parish.

The Alfred Scheetz Family

Fifty years ago we joined St. Mary Parish and were warmly welcomed into this vibrant
community. Our family has received the sacraments, had weddings and funerals, and
participated in the many activities in the church and at the parish hall. The parish has
become larger and more diverse over the years, but still remains a family and
wonderful place to worship.
Thelma Wagner Kolar

16

We have been active members at St. Mary for the past 11 years and attending members
for longer. The openness and accepting nature of this parish has always impressed us.
That openness extends from welcoming new members to new ideas and new practices.
After being so involved with the liturgy, Faith Formation, Knights of Columbus, and
Church Council, we see the tremendous need for new facilities to match the greater
number of new faces, the growing service programs we offer, and the new technology
with which our parishioners are fast becoming accustomed. The longer we are here,
the more we desire to see facilities to match all the needs of our community whom we
have come to love. We want to celebrate those milestones within our community and
not have to go elsewhere for lack of facilities.
Dorene & Joe Francis

St. Mary has served 5 generations of my family. We couldnt imagine going anywhere
else. Its the people and their involvement that makes St. Mary the wonderful place
that it is. Our needs are growing and our parish needs expanded facilities so we can
continue to thrive for generations to come.
Camelle Disterhoft

The existing hall gets us by for most things, but it is in need of many upgrades. Also, it
should be closer to the church for maximum use.
Mass, weddings, funerals and other events happen at church and now you must drive
five or six blocks to the hall and many folks opt not to once they are in their cars after
mass. This is an opportunity for us, as our past parishioners have done, to expand and
make it more functional for our parish. Building an education center, along with a
gathering space next to our existing church is greatly needed.
Leon & Linda Curran

17

And He said to them, Because of the littleness

of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have
faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to
this mountain, Move from here to there, and it
will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
Matthew 17:20
18

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19

Prayer

For Our Parish Hall

Gracious God, you who have made all things that are good, true and beautiful,
we turn to you now as we discern if our plans for a new religious education
center, parish hall and gathering space is feasible according to your will and the
will of the parishioners of Saint Mary Parish.

Send your Holy Spirit to be our guide and our strength in this life-changing
project that will respect what has been done in the past, and prepare for what is
needed now and into the future.
Strengthen our faith that we may be able to respond to your call with generous
hearts. Deepen our hope that we may walk steadily toward your final will for us
the Kingdom of God. Under the example of Jesus, the carpenter and
master-builder, let all we do increase our love for you and for one another.
Under the protection and intercession of Mary, our parish patron and our
mother, if it is your will may we walk together happily to the successful
completion of this project.
May our efforts show our appreciation of all those who build the beautiful church
that we enjoy, those who labored tirelessly to pass on of the faith to our children,
and those of every age who desire to honor you in a way that is fitting.
With joyful yet humble hearts, we make our prayer to your Father, through your
Son Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

St. Mary Catholic Church

215 Summit Street
Box 80
Oxford, Iowa 52322
319-828-4180

Feasibility Study Management and Direction by:

Joseph Consulting - 6025 Shadowbrook Drive - Bettendorf, IA 52722 - www.josephconsulting.net - 563-349-0589