Holy Rosary Church Renovation

Rejoice in the Past, Faith & Worship in the Future

Holy Rosary Church Renovation

Campaign Prayer

Heavenly Father, source of all that is good, you sent the Holy Spirit to give your Church the courage to grow. Today, may that same Spirit lead our capital campaign, keep us mindful that we are stewards of your gifts, making good use of all that you give us. Motivate us to give generously of our resources that we may bear fruit and through our worship honor you. May we be of true service to our brothers and sisters. Give us vision, energy and courage to allow your Spirit to breathe new life into our community as we work together in your name. We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. God, forever and ever. Amen

This campaign and the project it funds will benefit the parish both now and in the future. This includes a variety of improvements listed on this page.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Included below are photos of church features that will be fixed and upgraded to enhance our worship space.

Renovation Committee

Dennis Long, Chair
Jeff Albus, Capital Campaign Chair
Meloday Hoover, Secretary
Janie Spalding
Brenda Benson
Gina Carroll
Jerry Copenhaver
Fr. Greg Oligschlaeger

Cover Letter

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Holy Rosary, 

Holy Rosary has been part of Monroe City since 1884. Our church was established to share the light of Christ through prayerful liturgies, eucharistic reverence, Catholic education and service to others. For generations, our beautiful parish buildings helped us to grow closer to God and each other. As careful stewards, we are embarking on a capital campaign to improve our facilities and continue our rich history of giving. This will allow us to follow the footsteps of Christ so that future generations will have blessed places to gather for worship and provide service to others while making God a central part of our community.
Over the last several months, parish members and the church renovation committee joined me to review and prioritize projects based on urgency, cost and impact. This multi-month effort reflects realistic and achievable projects to maintain facilities and ensure the future of Holy Rosary Parish. Feedback from parishioners during the planning study mirrors the prioritized projects and was key to finalizing our goals, which were developed into tiers. I invite you to reflect on the needs outlined on this site and information forthcoming. Prayerfully consider ways God is calling you to participate.   
Through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary, we gratefully return to God all that He has given us by using our gifts and talents to build up His Church, support our parish family and welcome to our home all who yearn for Christ. This will illuminate our journey of Faith for generations to come.

Prayers and blessings, 

Fr. Greg Oligschlaeger

Pastor

Holy Rosary Catholic Church Captial Campaign

Rejoice in the Past, Faith & Worship for the Future

Our Rejoice in the Past, Faith & Worship for the Future Capital Campaign will address several facility and maintenance needs for the internal and external components of our church. These renovation projects will restore our spiritual home’s beauty, increase security and improve the structural integrity of our buildings while greatly improving their functionality.

Fr. Greg Oligschlaeger, parish leaders and the renovation committee reviewed and prioritized projects based upon urgency, cost and impact. Dedicated to stewarding God’s blessing and through listening to feedback and prayerful discernment, our team has developed a project plan to address the physical needs of our church – both internally and externally. These improvements will allow us to further cultivate God’s gifts and best prepare our facilities for years to come. On the exterior of the church, our priorities include repairing the roof, gutters and sidewalks. Inside, we will improve and restore numerous features of our sacred spaces, including a reconfiguration of our sanctuary and adding new pews, flooring, restrooms and more. As funds are available, upgraded stained glass will be placed throughout the church, including the entrance.

Tiered goals reflect project priority as identified in the planning study. Projects within each tier can happen simultaneously and are not contingent upon one another. Projects supported by this campaign underscore a vision to steward resources and strengthen our community.

Photos of our Renovation Progress

Click Here to view the Demolition Phase of our Renovation

Click Here to view Feburary 2024 - Construction Phase of Renovation

Click Here to view March 2024 - Construction Phase

Click Here to View April/May 2024 - Construction Phase

Click here to view June/July 2024 - Construction Phase

Click Here to view Sepember 2024 - Construction Phase

The short video below is demolition progress as of January 26, 2024. If you have any questions, please talk with Fr. Greg or a Renovation Committee member.

May 4, 2023 - Fr. Dan Merz Homily at Vespers the evening before the Rededication of the Cathedral.

May 5, 2023 - An Evening with architect, William Heyer about our Holy Rosary Church Renovation.

Holy Rosary Church Capital Campaign Overview

Total Estimated Costs: $2 million

Tier 1: Church Exterior and Grounds

Our church’s exterior has several deferred maintenance needs that must be addressed. If left unattended, these needs could have a larger impact – both structurally and financially – on our community. Our projects include:

Roof and gutters: Replace 30-year-old roof, eliminating damage and leaking.
Tuckpoint and sealing: Repair and protect against moisture damage around the church.
Sidewalks: Replace to rectify safety hazards and redirect water away from building.
Yard excavation and landscaping: Visually improve the front of the church while redirecting water to avoid future issues.

Tier 2: Church Interior

The interior of our church is in dramatic need of repairs and upgrades. The planned improvements underscore our vision to steward resources and will help us illuminate the path to God for generations to come. Our projects include:

Sanctuary: Improve in a variety of ways, including improved accessibility, creating a centralized choir area and eliminate raised platform behind the altar.
Ambo & presider’s chair: Coordinate with redesigned sanctuary.
Restrooms: Update all restrooms and add two with handicap accessibility.
Lighting: Increase brightness and visibility throughout church, illuminate stained glass at entry and improve electrical efficiency throughout church.
Sound and video systems: Install livestream cameras for online Mass and enhance audio experience for indoor services.
Security cameras: Enhance safety and protection of adoration chapel.
Pews: Replace pews and apply sanitizing products.
New flooring: Replace dated carpeting with terrazzo for long-term use.
Ceiling: Updates to lighting, video and sound systems, and new ceiling finish throughout.
Insulation and wall treatments: Improve for greater acoustics, aesthetics and energy efficiency.

Tier 3: Install New Stained Glass

If the efforts of the campaign are blessed and the funds raised exceed our goal, we will move on to the next phase: Adding stained glass throughout the church. We will:

Upgrade existing stained-glass windows: Replace all windows to eliminate breaks and cracks and to improve visuals.
Add stained-glass windows above front entryway: Windows will foster a more prayerful environment.

FAQs

How were the projects determined?

Parish leaders, along with members of the finance and pastoral councils, reviewed and prioritized projects based on urgency, cost and impact. The identified goals reflect realistic and achievable projects to restore and repair our historic church. Parishioner feedback from the recent planning study indicated interest in and support for the projects that prioritized church restoration. 

Who is being asked to contribute to this campaign?

This campaign and these projects will benefit the parish, both now and in years to come. Keeping that in mind, every Holy Rosary household will be asked to contribute to this campaign. In the coming weeks, all registered households will receive further materials about the campaign in the mail. Included in those materials will be a letter from Fr. Greg with a specific amount specific to each household to consider. These amounts are not expectations, they are invitations – each family should carefully pray and reflect on their own circumstances and the gifts they have received to figure out how they can contribute. We also ask that every family pray for the success of the campaign and for the volunteers and leaders working diligently to make our parish’s dreams come true.

Will Holy Rosary examine funding sources outside the parish to help with these projects?

The picture below is a proposed plan subject to final project decision.

2023.05.05 HR Proposed Imp Drawing.Heyer