As soon as the Catholic Church was allowed to publicly exist in the early 4th century without fear of Roman persecution, Catholic Christians spared no effort to construct great churches appropriate for the house of God and the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries. These expressions of faith were not limited by time or resources but only by available technology and will.
St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome was started in 1506 and was not completed until 1626. The great Ulmer Münster in Ulm, Germany is the tallest church in the world. Yet it was begun nearly 650 years ago in 1377 and took centuries to complete. Closer to home we see the magnificent St. Columban Church in Chillicothe, built by pioneer farmers and Irish railroad workers and recently restored by their descendants. And we see similar monuments to faith and sacrifice in and around downtown Kansas City, built mostly by poor immigrants united by their heritage, faith, and a shared desire to give all glory to God.
A DIFFERENT WORLD CIRCA 2021
Led by many wonderful pastors, our parish has come a long way from the Mass being celebrated in a small house on N. Brighton Avenue. We’ve grown from 46 families to nearly 1500 with more joining us every week. Our incredible devotion, fidelity, and growth are admired by visitors and have come to be known in the larger community. Sadly, not all parish communities will survive in the coming years. There is a great reckoning to take place. No doubt that we are living in challenging times as Catholics in what has become a secular culture. Our expression of faith is often viewed as childish and even ridiculed by many in our society. Moreover, we cannot ignore issues within our own Church that have contributed to a decline in the practice of the faith. This reality, however, does not change our mandate as followers of Christ the Savior. We are still called to live out our faith, raise our families, spread the truth of the Gospel in every time and place, and inspire all we encounter to join us.
THE HOUSE OF GOD
Few things say more about faith than where people are nourished with the Word of God and the Eucharist. For this reason, the parish church has always been considered the preeminent place where the faithful encounter the living God. It is here where we are made Christians in the font of Baptism; it is here where we receive the Living God in the Most Blessed Sacrament; it is here where we make vows to God and to each other; it is here where we are absolved from sin and given strength to take the next steps; it is here where we discover our vocations and are anointed with sacred oil; it is here where we are educated in matters of faith; it is here where we bury our dead. In a word, the parish church is the most important building in our lives!
Yet the secularization of our culture has infiltrated into our church buildings. Our sacred spaces now seem sacred in name only. They no longer nourish the souls of those who enter and attract the souls who pass by. We have the opportunity to change that.
Conviction built the great cathedrals and parish churches of the world. True followers of Christ have always valued the sacred before their own wants and desires. Such was the faith of generations before us—such is the faith of many parishioners of St. Andrew the Apostle.
WHAT INSPIRES US
Catholics have traditionally taken art and architecture very seriously. In fact, the church building itself and the celebrations taking place within it are sacred. When entering a church, people should experience a place out of the ordinary, otherworldly, divine. What did Mary feel before the Archangel Gabriel? What was happening to the hearts of the Magi as they gazed upon the face of the infant Jesus? What did the blind man experience upon his healing? What did John feel before the crucified Savior? What did the witnesses of the glorified Lord understand when he stood before them? It’s hard to put any of these feelings into words, but the essence of them should be felt upon entering the house of God.
This sacred place should draw us out of ourselves and convey a sense of mystery, the opposite of what we experience when entering a department store, café, or a hall. It must be designed with the sole purpose of lifting our hearts and minds to the Divine.
We believe the church should be built with great care, understanding that it is an investment in the faith of our children and a place to inspire future generations. It is not just the passing on of brick and mortar, but the transmission of goodness, truth, and beauty from one generation to the next.
RESTORING THE SACRED. BUILDING THE FUTURE.
Our mission is not only to restore a sense of the sacred with our new church but to accommodate our needs for decades to come. In addition to a worship space that seats 1200, there will be additional classroom space for our growing school, youth program rooms, meeting rooms, and other needed facilities. There will also be a large reception hall, This new hall will be a strong addition to our family of faith, for fellowship, and so many wonderful social events.
One of the single greatest blessings that St. Andrew the Apostle has had in recent history is the tremendous number of young men who are answering the call to the Sacred Priesthood and entering seminary from our beloved parish. This is due, in no small measure, to these young men being able to work closely with the priests of our parish. I have been blessed to be your pastor now for 12 years, but we have also had excellent associate pastors who have been a tremendous influence upon the young men of our parish. Another part of this project is to construct a new rectory to accommodate the next generation of priests who will give their lives to serve you for years to come. The main reason to construct a new rectory, the cost of which will be a minor piece of the overall project, is to accommodate more priests to serve our growing and spiritually dynamic faith community. After a period of consolidation, the Catholic parish of the future will likely be housing, not two, but three or four priests.
In the end, the overall look of our parish and school campus will be different, but it will be positively stunning and inspiring - like those of the generations before us.
BEGUN WITH A GENERATIONAL GIFT
A project of this scope and glorious vision would not be possible today, were it not for the incredible generosity of some very special donors who share this vision. They have made it possible for us to conceive and build a Church for the Ages. But while their gift makes the vision possible, we must still do our part. Simply put, it will take all of us. I am confident that every family of our parish will want to proudly say, “I helped build our beautiful church!” It will become the touchstone of our lives, the strength of our local community, and the place where our prayer rises up to heaven like incense.
Our Moment. Our FUTURE. Our Legacy.
In building our new parish church, hall, and rectory, we are looking out to the future, not 20 years, but 200 years! Together, we will leave a living legacy, understanding that the sacrifices we make today will spiritually benefit us and future generations. In a new church of this size and magnificence, replete with sacred art, there will be many, many opportunities to honor God and to memorialize friends and loved ones, living and deceased. There will be much more information to come.
With the assistance of your prayers, our project will move along rapidly and I promise to keep you up to date in all phases. Please know, as always, of my prayers for you, especially at Holy Mass.
Your Brother in Christ, Father Vince Rogers, Pastor