Dear Faithful!
November brings great tidings for which we have much to be thankful. Last month, we met with our City Councilman, the Executive Director of Springfield Preservation and Revitalization, and Jacksonville’s Chief of Building Inspection seeking their guidance. Finalizing our path forward, I submitted our Master Plan to restore at great expense this temple in honor of the Queen of the Rosary of Pompeii to my superiors. Our proposal received the necessary approval from Menzingen and financial backing from our US District. With these two very important blessings, we can officially share the details and kick off our Pompeii Rising Fundraising campaign!
After discussing our current financial position with benefactors and long-term vision with parishioners and community stakeholders, we present to you the fruit of much prayer and discernment. For full details, please visit our updated website.
Phase I (Complete) - Everything that has happened until now. Purchasing the church, protecting it for years to come, and planning for the future.
Phase II (Started) - Everything needed to occupy the property: remodeling the interior, furnishing the church, restoring the baptistry, relocating the lavatories, and parking.
Phase III (Pending) - Constructing the Parish Hall.
The benefit of a phased approach is needing a smaller amount of cash in hand to get started. The total cost of Phase II is $5.5M, and by the grace of God we already have $1.9M in our building fund. This means we need your generosity in securing pledges of another $1.66M, of which, $846k should be collected before we can receive our first loan. Through the relationships established with the city, we’ve obtained expedited permitting, avoiding months of red tape. In essence, all the ducks are finally in a row for this to move very fast.
In this time of Advent, I am asking the friends of Our Lady of Pompeii to prayerfully consider how much they can donate according to their means. Once you’ve discerned, please let us know by Christmas. If you attend Mass in Jacksonville, and you like to give the old fashioned way, pledge envelopes are available. If you are out of town, or would like to take advantage of the convenience of online giving, our giving form is easy to use.
I know this will look different for every family. There are Giving Guilds at every level. Some will be able to give large sums. Others may only be able to give a small amount and volunteer for things like the SPAR Clean Up. Parents who have not enlisted their children in the Rosary Crusade should do so now. Maybe these children can give their allowance, but everyone should give something. A great way to help is to share our endeavor on social media. I will be giving a year end update informing you of the generosity shown. This is in the hands of the Blessed Virgin, and she will see that all the details are arranged. Keep saying your Memorare. It’s working!
Pax Christi Regis,
Fr. David Thomas
Phase II Specs (will be enlarged)
November is the month of the Holy Souls. Children pray at the grave of J.R. Walsh, the original architect of Our Lady of Pompeii.
We return to our Mailbag, and this month’s feature is the incredible life of Mary Taylor Lyle and her importance to the old Church of the Holy Rosary. Born in 1912, she moved to Jacksonville at the age of 6, attending St. Joseph’s Academy in Springfield. She was a parishioner of Old Holy Rosary from day one, and graduated in 1932. As a single woman, she served as President of the Altar Rosary Society until the congregation moved to the new location in the neighborhood of Brentwood. Mary wed Ralph Lyle in 1976 and finally settled at St. Paul’s Riverside. Maybe she felt like New Holy Rosary in Brentwood was never the same as Old Holy Rosary. We honor her dedication and memory. If you know any stories or people integral to the history of our church, or you would like to share how Our Lady of Pompeii has entered your life, please send us a message.
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