St. Michael Field House Construction Begins

In a simple ceremony today, Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi led those present in a prayer and blessing before signing the contract to begin construction of the St. Michael Catholic High School Field House. Monsignor Bill Skoneki, Vicar General of the Archdiocese, Mrs. Gwen Byrd, Executive Director of Catholic Education, Mrs. Michele Manry, CFO of the Archdiocese, Gary Cowles, project engineer, Otis Gatlin, architect, and Conan Terrell of Termac Construction were all on hand to celebrate the occasion, together with other diocesan and school officials. 

The field house is the second phase of a multi-phased capital development plan, made possible by an athletic campaign last year that raised 5.1 million dollars in pledges over a 5 year period. The first phase targeted the purchase of 40 acres of adjacent property north and west of the school, giving the school a total of 80 acres for future development. 

The 10,000 square foot facility will include a weight room, male and female locker rooms, bath and shower facilities, coaches’ offices, a physical trainer’s office, a multi-use room, a laundry room and storage. The weight room will have a large back door that opens out to a second practice field. Site work for this practice field has already begun. 

Future phases will include a football/soccer stadium, a baseball field, concessions, rest rooms  and additional parking. A visual of the  athletic complex, when complete, can be reviewed here.

Archbishop Rodi blessed the site with holy water, praying:  “May this building be a blessing to all those who use it, and may God’s protection and grace be with those involved in its construction.”  The signing ceremony followed. The construction is expected to take seven months, finishing some time in November. 

“The addition of this field house will be a god-send,” said Athletic Director Paul Knapstein, smiling afterward. ”The locker-rooms, the athletic training rooms, the state of the art weight room, the coaches’ offices—all of it— will really help our coaches and student-athletes, who have worked in confined spaces since we started.“

"I am so thankful for the generosity of our donors who have made this field house possible,” added Faustin Weber, St. Michael principal.  “They have given our students an incredible gift! Stepping back a bit and thinking about the big picture, I'm awed by how quickly this is happening.We knew when we started St. Michael in 2016 that we’d grow, and eventually need to add on, but approaching full enrollment next year, doubling our property, and adding a 10,000 square foot facility just 4 years later,  is beyond what any of us could have foreseen." 

Weber elaborates: “So we will continue to build these athletic facilities, a piece at a time, as the pledges are paid. It’ll be fun to see the complex unfold! But we’re already dreaming about a chapel, next up in the school’s master plan, placed at the epicenter of the campus, a visible symbol of our school’s foundation in the Catholic faith. 

“We want students to become “scholars, leaders and disciples of Jesus Christ.” If we are boldly faithful to that, I believe our community will continue to be generous to us,  and God will continue to bless our growth.”