St. Mary's Rebuilding Plan
By: Drew Moore
Updated: December 22, 2012
JOPLIN -- Bishop James Johnston, Jr. of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocese gave his blessings for the new St. Mary's church and elementary school Saturday evening. The church will relocate to 47 acres of land located at 32nd street and Central City road. Phase one of the $13 million rebuilding project will be a new worship center and school for students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Church officials are excited to take the next step in recovery from the May 2011 tornado.
""It really does feel good," Johnson says. "I know it's something that the people here at St. Mary's have been hoping and praying for for a long time, and so I'm really happy for them most of all."
"All the support we've gotten is tremendous," Says father Justin Monaghan of St. Mary's. "This is just an exciting day, to be able to announce where we are and show drawings from the architects."
Father Monaghan says the church hopes to begin rebuilding on the new site by the summer of 2013. The project will take two years to complete.
""It really does feel good," Johnson says. "I know it's something that the people here at St. Mary's have been hoping and praying for for a long time, and so I'm really happy for them most of all."
"All the support we've gotten is tremendous," Says father Justin Monaghan of St. Mary's. "This is just an exciting day, to be able to announce where we are and show drawings from the architects."
Father Monaghan says the church hopes to begin rebuilding on the new site by the summer of 2013. The project will take two years to complete.
