.At St. James Parish in Davis, the saying “Build it and they will come” has become a renewed “They are coming, so let’s get busy and build it.”

On April 7, Bishop William K. Weigand presided at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new 21,000-square-foot St. James Memorial Center to be built on the current church grounds.

More than 200 parishioners turned out to celebrate an expansion project that has been a collaborative effort involving most of the parish’s 2,000 families.

“There has been great enthusiasm from the community, great good involvement from the St. James School population,” said Father Daniel Looney, pastor. “People of all ages are looking forward to having meeting space for our 35 parish ministries.”

The St. James Memorial Center, a $3.8 million project, will include an administration center for parish and ministry staff; classroom space for parish ministry activities and religious education programs; a large meeting space for classes and social functions; a multipurpose hall-gymnasium accommodating 500 people; and a dining room and kitchen.

Like the community of Davis, the St. James community has over the last 10 years been experiencing its own population increase, up about 80 percent, with more than 900 people

actively participating in parish ministries. St. James School serves approximately 300 students.

Father Looney said that a parish needs assessment determined that a place to celebrate together, to teach and learn the Catholic faith, and space for parish staff to do the work of the parish was essential.

“The study showed we needed better, more coordinated facilities for the staff and parish community,” he said, noting that the current parish hall, made from two Army barracks, vintage World War II, had become a bit dated.

John Foraker, chairman of the continuing campaign committee for the memorial center, returned to Davis with his wife Elizabeth three years ago so that their two children could attend St. James School. He said that a new central meeting place will be good for everyone.

“The parish has grown so significantly, we’re stumbling over one another,” he said. “Having a new facility in a central place will draw people more closely together, building faith.”

He said that current pledges for the project, which total approximately $2.5 million, are evidence of broad-based support.

“There have been 750 donors with average donations of $3,000, so it’s really mostly everyone stepping up and contributing,” Foraker said.

Vic Albertazzi co-chaired the fund raising in the initial phase of the campaign. He said that key to its success was the visioning program begun two years ago to identify ministries, services and facilities necessary to meet future needs of a growing Catholic community.

Major themes included improved communication and greater involvement in ministry among parishioners.

“Our fund-raising goal was about building community. The goal was to contact every family personally,” said Albertazzi, who worked with a team of 200 volunteers. “It was very successful.”

Albertazzi’s co-chair, Gigi Mar, the mother of three children, said young people of all ages will benefit from the new memorial center.

“It’s not only our youth ministry group and all the children from the school,” she said. “We’re not building just for building’s sake, but to put together a stronger Catholic community.”

Plans call for completion of a new parking area by the end of May, followed by the start of construction of the center, which is expected to be completed in the spring of 2003.

The new center was designed by Duane Johnson of Comstock-Johnson Architects, Inc. and the contractor is Jackson Construction, both based in Sacramento.

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