From the Desk of Fr. Thomas - November 2025 Newsletter

Pompeii Rising
23 hours ago
4 min read

A financial update from Our Fundraising Chair

Dear benefactors,

We’ve come a long way since this time in 2024 when we sat at $925,000. After last year’s Advent fundraising campaign, we met our goal of $2.75M by the grace of God and your generosity. To date, we have raised a total of $4,022,122. Thank you! Construction is well underway, and we want to carry this momentum forward.

-Alex Allaire

Dear Faithful,

These numbers are astounding!

I am now officially kicking off our Jubilee Year-End Campaign, setting the new objective to bring our total funds to $5M by the New Year’s Eve.

I send this newsletter out today so that you can share these updates with your loved ones around the dinner table tomorrow. The success of this $1M goal (either cash or pledges) is ambitious, but since this project is a sign of contradiction, Our Lady needs to triumph now more than ever. As you budget for Christmas, please remember Our Lady of Pompeii in your charity. Practically speaking, December is an excellent time to make year-end contributions to our tax deductible 501(c)3.

As the Society's superior general Fr. Pagliarani instructed in the mailbag from last month, we should have a spirit of appreciation for all of the graces we've received so far. Echoing Mr. Allaire’s acknowledgement of those who have generously given so much, you have my heartfelt gratitude.

This Thanksgiving, let the two meal prayers be little catechisms. Before the meal, we contemplate the blessings from God's bounty, and after, we give Him thanks for all His benefits. In fact, even the word Eucharist (εὐχαριστία) is Greek for 'excellent grace' or 'thanksgiving.'

In the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus,

Fr. Thomas

P.S. November: the month of the Holy Souls. I’ve felt great peace in praying for all the departed, but in particular for the soul of James Walsh, original architect of Old Holy Rosary, who died 101 years ago. Providentially, he lived long enough to see his masterpiece come to fruition on Christmas, 1923, but he would not live long enough to celebrate Thanksgiving with his loved ones the next year. His grave is in the old cemetery just a few blocks north of the church. Looking at his gravestone, I can hear him say “What you are now, I once was; what I am now, you shall be.” Very motivating to remember all of our days are numbered. It is how we use the time the Almighty gives us that counts.

Momento Mori! Is there a kind soul willing to clean Mr. and Mrs. Walsh's headstone? A map can be found here.

Left: The actual altar installed

Center: The altar envisioned by Walsh

Right: The altar purchased, to be installed over the next few months.

Walsh designed the church to have a magnificent high altar. Unfortunately, I imagine due to budget constraints (what today we call “VE” or Value Engineering) his full vision was never realized. The grand altar we see in his original blue prints from 1922 sadly does not match the modest altar found in pictures my readers have submitted. To honor Mr. Walsh, we have picked an altar as close to his design as possible. This new altar now has a new foundation.

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday and my trip to Kansas last week, I asked our contractors to wait until December to lay the ceremonial stone which came from the original altar. I wanted to be there for it and this small delay will not impact any date of completion.

Construction Updates - Workforce management is impressive.

The MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) was laid below the floor joists. This allows us to restore the original wood floor which will be laid back down in the next two weeks.

Left: StormTec parking lot is beginning to be laid.

Center: You can now take a 3D tour of the church from the comfort of your home. Keep visiting our homepage where it will be updated every 2 months.

Right: The new construction started on the exterior room which will house the AC mechanics. I really enjoy seeing the men work so diligently on our live cam. I hope you do, too.

This month’s mailbag comes from Facebook of all places. William S. saw our project and sent these two photos of his father's First Holy Communion in 1927 and his own First Holy Communion in 1960. Truly a treasure. Two thoughts strike me immediately.

Everyone in the first picture has run the race. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." [2 Timothy 4:7] And likely, many in the second picture, too. Those who have gone on to their reward can be a part of Pompeii Rising Restoration Project as a member of the Church Triumphant or Church Suffering. Let us remember to pray for all of the faithful departed, especially in the last few days of November.
The shear number of children. I count 89 receiving Holy Communion or Confirmation from Bp. Patrick Barry in 1927. This is the same year many martyrs were made in the Cristero War. In 1960, it was the peak of the Cold War, yet we see 55 boys and girls devoutly receive Our Precious Lord for the first time. Look how vibrant this church was and can be!