News & Press Releases

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Construction of new Diocesan Pastoral Center continues on schedule

March 26, 2000

As spring begins to unfold in northern lower Michigan, the Diocese of Gaylord is looking toward completion of the new Pastoral Center. If all continues to go well, the building will be ready for occupancy in June. The new structure will replace the current complex of four buildings located just west of Gaylord, one of which was purchased at the time of the establishment of the Diocese nearly 30 years ago. The Kateri building was remodeled from a teen dance club in the early 1970's. "This is when things really start to take shape," said Tim Carson of Hallmark Construction, general contractors for the project. "You can really get a feel for how the building will look when it's finished and changes will be visible more quickly." Much of the winter has been spent in the rough construction phase of the project, including plumbing, electrical, stud walls, etc. At this time, drywall is being placed, cabling for data, phone and electrical is underway and outside brickwork has begun. Staffs of the Diocese and St. Mary Cathedral received a tour of the interior of the facility at the beginning of March by Carson and Tad Latusek of DEM Architect, the architect for the project. It was the first opportunity for most to view the inside. "I'm really getting excited about the move," said Mary Dickerson who works in the Diocesan Tribunal. "We've been watching the progress from the outside, but it was fun to finally get inside. It's larger than I thought." In addition to housing the staffs, the new building will provide several meeting rooms, the Rose Resource Center, a television and production studio, and a distance learning classroom. The large Conference Center can seat up to 600 when fully open and can be divided into six smaller rooms for instructional programs and presentations. "There has already been a lot of interest in the distance learning classroom," said Candace Neff, Director of Communications. "By utilizing the state of the art technology, we will be able tap into innumerable excellent resources and instructors to provide training and continuing education here northern Michigan. Each day we realize more about its potential." One project currently being developed in collaboration with Madonna University utilizes the new Diocesan facility for hospice training and networking across the state to provide good information relating to end of life care. Funding for the $4.3 million building project is coming from the sale of existing diocesan buildings and other donations. Grants for specific programs or are also being pursued. A letter outlining the project and offering the opportunity for individuals to help "Build the Vision" was sent by Bishop Cooney to all 30,000 Catholic households in December. Approximately 650 have responded so far resulting in $300,000 in donations (including a gift of five cents from an 8 year old girl from West Branch). "We are thankful to those who have given in support the project," said Neff. "The reality is, however, that we have a very long way to go in fund raising. We are hopeful many more will choose to participate." Donations may be sent to Bishop Cooney, Diocese of Gaylord, 1665 West M-32, Gaylord, Michigan 49735. For more photos of events and construction progress, please visit our Photo Gallery of Recent Events.