Jamie Ghilardi and Chris Hoggie, representing the Mohr Small Christian Community, walk in the procession from St. Elizabeth Seton Church to the new center.

By Carrie McClish
Staff writer

“All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place,” sang more than 800 parishioners of the Catholic Community of Pleasanton as they marked the dedication of the parish’s new center, Nov. 23, at its St. Elizabeth Seton site.

The sight of the multigenerational assembly and their resounding voices left Father Padraig Greene, parochial administrator, awestruck. “As I watched all the generations, including our first communicants in their t-shirts, singing those words, I thought, ‘What a sight, what a prayer to God! What better way to celebrate the growth in our parish,’” he said.

The dedication ceremony, preceded by a liturgy with Bishop Allen Vigneron as presider, marked the completion of the first phase of the expansion project of the parish, which has churches (St. Augustine and St. Elizabeth Seton) and parish offices at both sites. The parish serves Catholics who reside in Pleasanton, Sunol and parts of northeast Dublin.

Tiffany Nguyen and Lauren Nester sing at the dedication Mass as part of the parish’s youth choir.

Constructed on 1.1 acres of parish property, the new 44,000 square foot center was built to accommodate the needs of the still growing parish which has 5300 registered families and hundreds more who are unregistered.

The parish’s existing facilities had been “consistently fully booked,” said Frank Spindler, a parishioner and dedication coordinator. The new $6 million center will allow the community to come together for parish events and activities “that we did not have the space to handle previously.”

Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) basketball was already in “full swing” at the time of the building’s dedication, Spindler said. The center, which consists of a large main room and storage and restroom/shower facilities, will accommodate athletic activities, parish receptions, dances, conferences, and youth events.

It fills one of the parish’s most urgent needs — a place where parishioners can gather together, to get to know one another better and build community, said Father Greene.

The center is the first building in Pleasanton required to be certified as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) compliant. LEED is a green building rating system that evaluates the environmental safety and impact of a building from construction to the building’s life cycle.

Vice Mayor Jerry Thorne of Pleasanton congratulates the community during the dedication ceremony.

Rick Hankin, the project manager who donated his services for the project, said that all construction materials had to meet certain recycled content requirements. All the debris removed from the site was sorted, weighed, and reported to determine the recycling rate for each class of material.

The center also has energy efficient air conditioning and lighting systems, tankless water heaters in the restrooms and showers, and drought resistant landscaping. The roof is coated with a material designed to meet stringent reflectivity requirements.

The second phase of the expansion project will include multiple conference and meeting rooms and a kitchen.

The parish launched a major capital campaign in 2005, with parishioners making pledges which are being fulfilled through 2010. “This is providing the bulk of the funding,” Spindler said.

Additional funds have come from foundation grants, non-pledged contributions from parishioners who contributed in monthly Mass offerings, and seed funding from parishioners prior to 2005. The parish received a diocesan loan to enable completion of construction, while the funds are being collected.

After the dedication ceremony, parishioners shared foods that reflect their cultural backgrounds. “The idea is that from wherever we come we bring our blessings in the shape of cultural spirit and values,” said Father Greene.

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