MISSION STATEMENT Blessed Sacrament Catholic School is committed to providing our students a positive learning environment in which they can develop intellectually, socially, culturally, and physically, centering on the teaching of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.
HISTORY OF BLESSED SACRAMENT PLANNING PROCESS TIMELINE 1957 Ground was broken for the present school on March 17, 1957. The building accommodated a chapel as well as school classrooms and a parish hall. It served the new parish of 150 families well. 1958 The School Sisters of Notre Dame from Mequin, Wisconsin arrived. The new Blessed Sacrament School opened in September of 1958 with 141 students and four teaching sisters. All eight grades were taught, two to a classroom. 1961 Due to a need for additional worship space, a church building committee was established to begin planning and fundraising for a new church. It was decided to go ahead with the plans for the new church building. 1963 The Bishop gave final approval for the new church in February. 1964 The church was completed and dedicated by Bishop Franz on June 7. 1999 A new rectory was constructed. 2000 Fr. Mark A. DeSutter became the fourth pastor at Blessed Sacrament in the spring. That fall, Blessed Sacrament entered into a strategic planning process. Various recommendations came out of that process, and the parish began to implement the proposals. Plans to update facilities began in three phases for renovations to the school, a school addition, and the building of a parish center. Dear Friends in Christ, August 1, 2016 Philippians 1:6, I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus, has always been one of my favorite verses in Sacred Scripture. It is with great delight and sincere gratitude that I serve as the Superintendent of Schools when the community of Blessed Sacrament Church will undertake a capital campaign to assist in furthering the mission of Catholic education through the addition of a new gym, cafeteria, school entrance and four classrooms. Indeed, a good work has begun, and we will know of its impact as we watch our children grow in wisdom, age and grace. Thank you for your faithfulness in supporting this capital campaign! DR. SHARON WEISS, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF PEORIA 2005 In February construction was completed on phase one additions and renovations to Blessed Sacrament Catholic School and phase two construction of the Blessed Sacrament Parish Center. 2009 Phase three Church renovations began in January with Masses being held in the parish hall during construction. The newly renovated church was rededicated on December 6, 2009. This event was a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Blessed Sacrament Parish. Sincerely yours in Christ, 2014 Msgr. Gerald Ward became Blessed Sacrament s fifth pastor, and Fr. Kyle Lucas, a newly ordained priest, joined our parish as a Parochial Vicar. 2016 The Bringing to Completion the Good Work Begun Capital Campaign begins to fulfill the need to build a new gymnasium/cafeteria/music room, reconfigure the school entrance, and add new classrooms, a playground and parking. Blessed Sacrament Church in Morton has been a wonderful spiritual home for so many Catholics since the mid 1950 s. Within the parish borders and beyond, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been proclaimed in word and deed. Through your many programs for Spiritual and Liturgical Ministries, Service, Catechesis and Evangelization, and Community, the people of Blessed Sacrament Parish have demonstrated an active Catholic faith deeply rooted in a commitment to Jesus Christ and his Church and his people from all generations and backgrounds. Guided by the Spirit of God and based upon the conclusions and recommendations gathered from your recently-completed campaign planning study, you are now ready to move forward into a capital campaign. My congratulations on your willingness to build up the Kingdom of God in our midst and further ensure your future. You have my wholehearted support and prayers in successfully going forward with Bringing to Completion the Good Work Begun. May God bless your efforts to build a gymnasium, cafeteria, a secure school entrance and new classrooms, so that you may continue your strong Catholic presence in the Morton area for decades to come! Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C. BISHOP OF PEORIA
L E T T E R F R O M F A T H E R Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: As we continue to build God s kingdom in our community and in our lives here in the Morton area, I am grateful for the faithful of this parish. This especially includes those who have gone before us and those who sacrifice to make Blessed Sacrament Parish the welcoming, vibrant and faith filled community that it is. Everything that we have is a gift from our loving God and Father. When we share our gifts with our brothers and sisters, we are the embodiment of the good and faithful servant who Jesus tells us shares in the kingdom of God. Blessed Sacrament Parish has taken several steps toward providing for the needs of our current community and our future growth. The master plan of rebuilding our parish and school facilities began with Fr. Mark, and we now have the privilege of seeing it to completion. As many of you are aware, we have reached a point where we must move forward and build a more adequate gymnasium, reconfigure our school entrance for the safety and security of the students, and replace new classrooms for our youngest students. As we begin the Bringing to Completion the Good Work Begun Capital Campaign, I ask you to prayerfully consider supporting this effort. We will be praying our campaign prayer at every weekend Mass over the next several months. As you contemplate your gift, please think about what an asset and blessing your Catholic faith is to you and your family. Think of those who, before us, worked tirelessly and made many sacrifices to make our community what it is today. We have built our parish with God s grace, and now we must keep moving forward to build facilities for the generations to come. I am very thankful for the many volunteers who are helping to make this a successful campaign. May God continue to shower His blessings upon our parish as we work together in Bringing to Completion the Good Work Begun! Sincerely in Christ, Msgr. Jerry Ward Pastor OUR VISION In the fall of 2015, a new facilities building committee was formed and began to work with faculty, staff, coaches and volunteers to study the current and future needs of our school. A strategic plan was developed that calls for a new gymnasium, cafeteria, school administration space, a secure school entrance, and preschool and kindergarten rooms. The committee interviewed four architectural firms and selected the best fit for our school and parish. With input from the aforementioned groups, the architects developed preliminary designs and costs for the projects, which were then presented to the Peoria Diocesan Commission on Buildings. As a result of this meeting, detailed costs, along with slight revisions to the design, were finalized, and the decision was made to move forward with the planning process for a capital campaign. In late June of this year, the results from the planning study were presented, and the leadership committee decided to proceed with a capital campaign. As principal of Blessed Sacrament School, I am thrilled to be a part in this last stage of building construction, Bringing to Completion the Good Work Begun. Due to the dedication of the Blessed Sacrament Community and their vision to prepare for the future, they have laid the ground work for Blessed Sacrament Parish and Blessed Sacrament School to flourish for many years to come MIKE BIRDOES SCHOOL PRINCIPAL We are all on a journey of faith and life, and we are not ever meant to walk that journey alone. This project will help ensure that anyone who comes through our doors will have an authentic companion on the road towards Heaven, and on that road we will together find the fullness of life. FR. KYLE LUCAS
CAMPAIGN GOALS We want to ensure that our school and parish remain strong, safe and modern, while always focusing on our mission. We will do so by creating a secure environment with adequate space for our school and parish activities. This will be accomplished by unifying our community and sharing our resources to establish a strong foundation of evangelization to our youth and future generations of Catholics. New gymnasium, cafeteria and music room Our gym was built in 1957 and, in addition to significant maintenance and structural issues, it lacks the functional space we need today. Competition is fierce among schools to provide the adequate space needed for a safe and secure athletic arena. The gymnasium will be a pre-engineered frame with metal roof and metal siding above a masonry base. This system allows for a music room to be created beneath the mezzanine along with much needed storage. A separate cafeteria will be created with an open viewing area of the new gym. This cafeteria will provide a separate, dedicated lunch room space to utilize during the school year. New classrooms, playground and parking lot The new gymnasium would eliminate a significant amount of parking on the north side of the campus. Our plan calls for the demolition of the original school building/gym, construction of four new pre-k and kindergarten classrooms, and the addition of a new parking lot and playground on the south side of the campus. Reconfigure school entrance A distinct school entry will be front and center as a person pulls into Blessed Sacrament Catholic School. The entrance will give the school a focal point that separates the school office from the parish office. Safety and security will be addressed with this reconfiguration, and new, dedicated school offices will allow school personnel to better monitor who is entering and leaving the building during the school day. This will also allow for containment during night activities at the school.
We need to provide the safest atmosphere possible and set our school and Parish up to be successful for future generations. GYMNASIUM DICK SEVIER NEW ENTRANCE SCHOOL OFFICES CAFETERIA MUSIC ROOM My family wants to help complete the work of providing a facility where (our) children can safely and securely know Jesus Christ, grow their faith, their academics and their health. GREG LAMBRECHT PARKING LOT OVERALL CAMPAIGN GOAL $5.25 MILLION NEW CLASSROOMS PLAY- GROUND My children and I are all proud graduates of Blessed Sacrament School, and I support the proposed additions and renovations. I believe these upgrades are needed so Blessed Sacrament School can continue to provide a great Catholic education for generations to come. PATTI WIGGERS
Investing in the future of our Blessed Sacrament Catholic School will continue to strengthen our parish, help fulfill the ministry of our church, and serve families for many generations. BRIAN AND MICHELLE DENNISON The legacy that we will be leaving to future Blessed Sacrament families will allow them to raise and educate their children in a school where Christ and Catholic values are at the center of that education. They will have facilities that are safe, welcoming, and top of the line. This will continue to attract parents to send their children to Blessed Sacrament. ERIC AND ELIZABETH WILSON M E T H O D S O F G I V I N G Pledges A campaign pledge is an agreement to fulfill a financial commitment over a period of time. To maximize the funding potential which may exist within our community, we are asking all of our families to consider a three-year commitment in support of the Bringing to Completion the Good Work Begun Capital Campaign. Pledges are obligations made in good faith, but are not legally binding. Pledge payments are tax deductible, as provided by law. Checks or cash are the most common form of payment, but Blessed Sacrament Parish also graciously accepts gifts in various forms including those listed here: Appreciated securities Appreciated stock gifts offer advantageous tax savings Corporate matching gifts A matching gifts program through your employer or board membership may allow you to increase the value of your gift. Many companies match charitable gifts of employees, retirees or board members. Check with your employer to see if there is a matching program available to increase your gift to the campaign. Other methods of giving: Bonds and mutual funds Gifts of life insurance Charitable remainder trust Gifts of real estate Deferred or planned gifts Gifts of retirement plans Gifts in-kind LEVELS OF GIVING BUDGETING YOUR GIFT OVER THREE YEARS Initial Semi- Pledge 10% Balance Weekly Monthly Quarterly Annually Annually $100,000 $10,000 $90,000 $577 $2,500 $7,500 $15,000 $30,000 $50,000 $5,000 $45,000 $289 $1,250 $3,750 $7,500 $15,000 $25,000 $2,500 $22,500 $145 $625 $1,875 $3,750 $7,500 $15,000 $1,500 $13,500 $87 $375 $1,125 $2,250 $4,500 $12,000 $1,200 $10,800 $70 $300 $900 $1,800 $3,600 $9,000 $900 $8,100 $52 $225 $675 $1,350 $2,700 $7,500 $750 $6,750 $44 $188 $563 $1,125 $2,250 $6,000 $600 $5,400 $35 $150 $450 $900 $1,800 $3,000 $300 $2,700 $18 $75 $225 $450 $900 $1,500 $150 $1,350 $9 $38 $113 $225 $450
Investing in this capital campaign and project will benefit the entire Blessed Sacrament community for the next 50+ years just as our founding parishioners sacrificed for us 60 years ago. JEFF KING NAMING OPPORTUNITIES At one time or another, someone special has touched our lives in some way. A truly gratifying experience is giving a gift in honor or in memory of someone important someone who has influenced our development. Blessed Sacrament Parish has multiple opportunities to create lasting tributes to family and friends. This list of commemorative and naming opportunities offers the chance to remember someone important and make a difference for the students of tomorrow. CAMPAIGN PRAYER Almighty God and Father, we give praise and thanks for the many blessings You have bestowed upon us. We humbly ask You to open our hearts to respond generously during this campaign. Guide our parish leadership and volunteers. May this be a time of unity and may it strengthen our community of faith. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, help us to successfully bring to completion the good work begun. We pray this through Christ our Lord. AMEN. Gymnasium $1,000,000 Cafeteria $250,000 School Administrative Offices $150,000 Music Room $125,000 Four Student Classrooms $100,000 each I m helping the church on this project because I was the beneficiary of the previous parishioners who built the church and school, and so I want to do my part to ensure future families will enjoy the same success as we had. Paying it forward! JOE WIRTH This parish and school community has a tremendously positive impact on our children s identity, and we gladly commit to a campaign to ensure that families continue to experience this now and in the future. DAVID HOEFT
CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP Parish Leadership Msgr. Gerald Ward Pastor Fr. Kyle Lucas Parochial Vicar Mike Birdoes School Principal General Chairs Brian and Michelle Dennison Eric and Elizabeth Wilson Campaign Cabinet Trent and Amy Ahlers Kevin and Tracey Baughman David and Luciana Hoeft Andy and Cindy Honegger Jeff and Mickey King Greg and Cheryl Lambrecht Mike and Leah Rochford Joe and Jennifer Sander Dick and Katie Sevier Wayne and Christina Smith Tony and Maureen Venegoni Joe and BethAnn Wirth Development Counsel Anthony Schenk Steier Group Blessed Sacrament Church and School 225 East Greenwood St. Morton, IL 61550 Phone (309) 266-9721 Email info@bscmorton.org website bscmorton.org