St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community Announces New Community Campus Plan
Major $18.5 Million Project Encompasses More than 43,000 Square Feet
CAVE CREEK, Arizona (Nov. 7, 2019) — St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church has raised $18.5 million to fund a major campus expansion project for the only Catholic church serving the growing Cave Creek community.
To mark the occasion, the public is invited to attend a groundbreaking event at 10:30 a.m., Nov. 17, which will include Mass and other festivities with the Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.
The new 12,900-square-foot sanctuary will seat more than 900 people, a 33% increase in seating capacity from the current structure. The sanctuary space also includes a large, separate chapel which seats another 90. The entire sanctuary building is over 23,000 square feet in area.
Additionally, new classroom buildings covering more than 20,000 square feet will serve more than 230 Catholic school students. This space will include classrooms for art, science, STREAM- STEM-related projects, music, and a pavilion for students to eat lunch.
“As I saw the plan and the community’s enthusiasm for this new campus at St. Gabriel, I grew excited for the facilities to serve and educate the broader Cave Creek area,” said Fr. John Slobig, pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel.
The campus expansion project will include a new community center, redesigned administrative offices, and new parking facilities.
St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church was established in 2002 to serve the growing community of Cave Creek. Parishioners have created a dynamic community which includes 1,400 families and 55 ministries to serve the community, including youth, young families, seniors and widows, as well as the greater Cave Creek community.
“I began attending St. Gabriel from inception and have been in love with the community ever since,” said Barb Rechterman, St. Gabriel the Archangel parishioner and Strategic Advisor at GoDaddy. “The community has a pulse here that focuses on worship, learning and healing that makes this community so special. It is a passionate and caring community that has desired the re-envisioning and growth to happen and it shows in the response to the fundraising. I am honored to have been asked to assist Fr. John Slobig and the Diocese of Phoenix in leading this project forward for the community.”
Annunciation Catholic School was established in 2009 and has grown from its humble beginnings of 23 students to housing one classroom per grade, kindergarten through eighth grade, with 231 students. Annunciation Catholic School is a fully accredited Diocesan school and provides a STREAM- and STEM-based education.
The new buildings were designed by Phoenix Design Group, LLC, who were architects for St. Juan Diego Catholic Church in Chandler, and the All Saints Catholic Newman Center at Arizona State University in Tempe.
The general contractor for the St. Gabriel Campus Project will be Forefront Development, LLC. Forefront is based in Mesa, with projects ranging from $250,000 to $25 million. Currently they are working on projects at St. Germaine Catholic Church in Prescott Valley, building a new church and site improvements; Our Lady of Joy Catholic Church in Carefree, building on the new social hall; and St. Patrick Catholic Church in Scottsdale, on the new social justice offices and site improvements.
About St. Gabriel the Archangel
Contact: Amy Jo Hutchinson, (480) 238-2425 or capitalcampaign@stgacc.org
St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community is located at 32648 N. Cave Creek Road in Cave Creek, AZ 85331.
The Mission of St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community is to develop Christian disciples who spread the Good News, serve others and welcome all with care and compassion. Learn more about this campus expansion campaign: stgabrielcampus.com
