Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Gregory the Great Parish,

I write to you on a subject that is truly historic in the life and times of St. Gregory Parish.

After much thought and study and prayer and consultation with our parish leaders over the past three years we have decided to embark on a most ambitious program – that of renovating, refurbishing and expanding our Parish Church of St. Gregory.

Over the past fifteen years we have, as you are no doubt aware, rebuilt or upgraded or renovated all the other parish facilities at St. Gregory Parish. Our relatively new parishioners are fortunate indeed to be the beneficiaries at this time of all of these fine facilities provided for us by the sacrifices of those who preceded us. Because of the magnitude and the sensitivity of the project we have, however, put off until now this mammoth task (of renovating our Church).

From the recent series of articles in our parish bulletin you have been made aware, I am sure, of the rationale for this project.

The growing congregation with which we are singularly blessed at St. Gregory’s has outgrown our present space. Despite the provision of temporary seating (some years ago) we have now regularly over 100 people forced to stand at our Sunday evening services.

Besides, with the passage of time, some of our very basic structures – seating, flooring, electrical, sound system, etc. have substantially deteriorated and need immediate attention.

Moreover, in keeping with current Vatican liturgical guidelines, there is also a great desire among many of our people to have the Most Blessed Eucharist in the Tabernacle returned to its rightful place in a prominent position in the Sanctuary area.

Lastly, in these modern God-starved times, the Parish Church structure in a parish such as St. Gregory should be a tangible and visible evidence, a living testimony to the presence and place of God in our very own midst. Our proposed renovated Parish Church building is designed to give precisely such a public witness.

For all these reasons and with the urging of many parishioners, we have by the Grace of God, initiated a campaign entitled "Worshipping Together in Faith" with a goal of $6,000,000 to finance this huge project.

It is our task and privilege as Catholics to live a life of Faith, to gather together regularly (every weekend) to worship our God through the sacrifice of the Mass, to nourish ourselves spiritually through the Sacraments, to be strengthened through that nourishment to nurture, by our lifestyle, that Faith in others and most especially to pass on that Faith to our children and grandchildren. Our Parish Church is the focal point of all these spiritual activities and should provide a noble ambience for that sacred work.

In the spirit of that same Faith, I ask you, as your pastor, to pray for the success of this major endeavor which we undertake solely for the honor and glory of God.

Secondly, I present to you the challenge and opportunity of investing in this sacred adventure by making a major financial commitment.

The following pages present to you an opportunity of memorializing someone who is precious in your life’s memory or of tangibly expressing gratitude to Almighty God for the good things He has shared with you and your family.

I ask you to make a pledge over approximately the next three years – not just a generous pledge, but the serious and sacrificial kind of pledge that is needed if we are to reach our goal and provide a House of God in Plantation of which we Catholics will be truly proud.

I know that some few in our parish because of some particular circumstances will perhaps be unable to participate as fully as they might wish. Please know that I understand that. I do know, however, that the majority of the great people of St. Gregory will appreciate the critical and sacred nature of this undertaking and that you will make a sacrificial commitment that is in keeping with your resources and the many blessings God has given to you.

May God bless and direct you and your family as together with the other families in our parish we collaborate in faith and love and sacrifice in" Worshipping Together in Faith".

Your devoted pastor,

Msgr. Noel Fogarty, P.A.