In 1997 we purchased 8 acres of land in West Chester, Ohio, a northern suburb of Cincinnati where our long-term goal was to construct a new parish plant.
When completed, the complex will include a large Gothic church, a school, a social hall/gym, offices, a covered cloister walk for processions, a tower, a rectory, and a convent.
Phase One of this project began in September 2002, and included the following:
This work was completed in December 2003, except for the exterior finish – three-quarters of a million pounds of granite to be installed in stages.
Next, in anticipation of ordinations in the next few years, we plan to construct a rectory large enough to accommodate five priests.
We also hope to complete the remaining two wings of the cloister walkway. These will converge at a 44-foot tower, a distinctive feature of the church complex that will be visible for miles in the valley below.
When completed, the magnificent Gothic church will be a “sermon in stone” on Catholicism’s perennial values, and will draw Catholics from the soulless suburban churches of the post-Vatican II religion.
With its new facility, St. Gertrude the Great Church will also truly become a national shrine. It will offer a share in the Church’s full liturgical life and its many and rich devotions and observances throughout the year not only to local Tri-State Catholics, but also to a steadily-increasing number of visitors.
The estimated cost of completing this project is $3.5 million.
Will you help us make this a reality?