After eight years of waiting for a place to call home, St. Clare Parish has officially broken ground for its new church on a 15-acre site in the Antelope-west Roseville area.

On Sept. 17, Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Garcia blessed the land where construction will now begin for an 18,000-square-foot Spanish mission-style church to serve the parish’s 600 families.

Also present at the ground breaking and site blessing were Father Colin Macdonald, pastor, members of the parish council and building committee and other parish leaders.

The parish, which was created in 1992, has been challenged with meeting the needs of a church community in one of the fastest growing areas of the Sacramento region. Weekend Masses have been held in three locations: at North Country School in Antelope and Woodcreek High School and Pleasant Grove Community Church in west Roseville. To accommodate over 100 children involved in the church’s religious education program, parishioners have opened their homes for class instruction.

Ruth Kaiser (right), chairwoman of the continuation campaign committee, and Carol Yelavich, chairwoman of the parish council, display a conceptual drawing of the new Spanish mission-style church, which will also include an administrative wing arcade and chapel. Cathy Joyce/Herald photo

Due to multiple locations for liturgies, Father Macdonald says “creating one church community” has been a priority.

“It’s been a challenge, but we’ve planned a lot of activities like parish picnics and social events with the support of a very generous group of parishioners,” he said.

St. Clare is a blend of people from the nearby Del Webb Sun City retirement community in Roseville and a large number of young families moving into the area. Father Macdonald said planning for the new church has developed a strong group of leaders and volunteers who raised $1.1 million last year in a fund-raising drive.

“It’s almost been like giving birth,” he noted. “There’s been tremendous energy, hospitality, warmth and a true sense of community.”

The new church, which will have a seating capacity of 1,000, was designed by Carissimi, Rohrer, McMullen Associates architectural firm in Sacramento. The contractor for the project is Sacramento-based John F. Otto Inc. Plans call for a white stucco, red tile roof exterior and a contemporary interior design. Completion of phase one church construction is planned for July or August 2001.

Ruth Kaiser, chairwoman of the continuation campaign committee, says with the tremendous surge of new people coming to St. Clare the new church can’t come too soon.

“It will be strengthening, tremendously unifying and sanctifying for our church community,” she said. “It’s something we’ve all pulled together to accomplish.”

A second phase of building, to begin in two to five years, calls for a multi-purpose facility. Phase three will include construction of a parochial school.

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