We are at the beginning of a new and very important project for our parish and school, for our ministry and our mission. By the time you read this I am expecting that the Option Agreement between the Diocese of Austin and the developer, Graystar, will be signed and operative. This means the development of our campus to build 700 units of student housing operated by an independent contractor, and for us a new school, gym, rectory and church offices, is now officially our goal. We are on the way!
I hope that you will listen to one of the 20 minute presentations on the project that will be given after every Mass this weekend. Understanding the nuances of the project is integral to our parish community. Not everything, indeed most things, have not yet been definitely decided. But you can be informed of the general thrust and the overall implications of this decision.
This is a BIG project. It has ramifications that will affect our ministry in the parish and in the school for generations. It is exciting and it is scary.
The appropriate response is to pray. Just as we had a very successful prayer for our “Faithful To Our Mission” campaign when we renewed the exterior of our church and added bathrooms, so we now have a special prayer for this endeavor. This project is a journey, a pilgrimage into the future to a new home that will serve us much better as a dynamic parish and school. This is, thanks to Michael Flahive, our “Prayer For Our Pilgrimage”
Amazing Spirit of God
Awaken us again to your enlivening presence,
In parish and school – in classroom and pew.
You have guided and walked with us from our beginning,
with the founding generations to the present moment.
Upon your urging we now are raising up a new home
for the mission you entrust to us:
to be a beacon of hope in the life of our world,
and a touchstone of faith and mercy for generations to come.
Strengthen our commitment step by step.
Clarify our vision and its application so as not to falter.
Keep us grounded.
Keep us truthful.
Bless us with the lightness of your touch in laughter
and in stillness.
Remind us that we build in service of your most amazing mission
to be the expression of God’s love
in this place, for this time.
As we are taught, we dare to pray
in Jesus’ name.
Amen
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