September 2023

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

I am writing to update you on the success of our capital campaign. To date, we have received pledges in excess of $13 million, and we have collected over $6 million in donations already, which are deposited in a separate interest bearing account. Our goal is $15 million in pledges over a period of 5 years, and we are still receiving pledges and donations. You have been incredibly generous with your resources and your time, and I cannot thank you enough for all you have done over the past year to reach our goal.

We have begun planning for the construction of a new Parish Center where the current Parish House is; expansion of the school building to include several new classrooms and resource rooms; expansion of the gymnasium to include bleachers; installation of a turf field; expansion of the vesting sacristy in the church; and upgrades and repairs in the school and the church. We have combined all of these projects into one to request permissions from the Archdiocese of Washington and Montgomery County to proceed with our construction. It will take up to one year for us to submit our plans and receive the permissions from the archdiocese and the county to proceed. We have contracted with Thomas Flanagan Architects and the Soltesz Company civil engineers to assist us with requesting the necessary permissions and all of the planning that is involved. This means that, most likely, we will not see any construction begin until next summer. Once we have county approval, we will be able to tear down the current Parish House and begin construction of the new Parish Center, which is estimated to take about a year. At the same time, we will move ahead with the projects in the church and school. We will keep you informed as the planning progresses with updates in the parish bulletin and weekly newsletter.

Thank you, once again, for your incredible generosity and support. If you have not yet had a chance to make a contribution to the capital campaign, I ask your kindness in considering it. There is information in the back of church about the campaign and pledge cards for your convenience, and on our website at www.olom.org. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at frcharles@olom.org.

God bless,
Monsignor Charles V. Antonicelli Pastor