Remsen St. Mary's Schools breaks ground on elementary addition

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

School, parish and community members gathered on June 23 to bless and break ground in preparation for construction of a new elementary school addition that will attach to the existing middle/high building at St. Mary’s School in Remsen.

According to Father Tim Pick, president of the school and pastor of Most Holy Name of Mary Parish, a capital campaign kicked off just five months ago and due to the generosity of donors the $7 million goal needed to complete this addition has already been raised. More funds are being sought for a challenge goal to make additional improvements on the school campus.

Opening the ceremony in prayer, the pastor said, “We are on the cusp of a long-held dream coming true – held by so many in this community for many years, for students of St. Mary’s Schools to study and grow in the faith on one campus.”

Kim Phillips



https://youtu.be/WislaIW-31QKim Phillips, principal at St. Mary’s, extended gratitude to all those who contributed to the We Believe… Our Faith, Our Family, Our Future Capital Campaign and spoke about the many benefits of the one campus site such as saving time for teachers and students who have to travel between the buildings. 

“I don’t have to drive down there if there is a problem or just to walk into a classroom. I can be right here,” said the principal, who added that the younger students must walk every day to the middle/high school building for lunch. “And the older kids will not have to walk down there to do things with the younger kids. I look forward to those interactions.”

While the school is “already a family,” Phillips said the one campus will create an even better sense of community.

Bishop John E. Keehner of the Diocese of Sioux City was on hand to participate in the ceremonial breaking of ground, blessing of the site and to offer words of support.

“What we are doing today is showing that we are people of hope – hope for the future, hope for future generations, hope for the lives of our children who come here not just to be educated but to be formed as disciples of Jesus Christ,” said the bishop. “That’s what we do as Catholic schools, we educate our children but we form them as disciples.”

Bishop Keehner said he couldn’t think of a better way to show hope in the future than by coming together to celebrate not only the hard work that’s been done in raising the capital,Bishop John E. Keehner blesses the site where the new addition will be built. in the work that is to come with the building project as well as the work that continues every day by the teachers and staff.“I never had the opportunity to go to Catholic schools. I am a product of public schools and I got a great education, but I wonder what my life would be like today had I had that foundation of Catholic education forming me as a disciple from a very early age rather than just from my college years,” said the bishop. “I join with you in hoping for the future that you are laying the foundation for today.”

Barry Galles spoke on behalf of the RSM school board. He said this gathering was happening because the community believed deeply in Catholic education and in the life-changing impact it has on the students and families.

“This moment is a result of many months and in truth many years of prayerful planning, thoughtful judgement and unwavering commitment to our kids and their future,” he said. “We all know this is much more than just a building. It’s a place where we can build on, spaces we can make memories in, a building that honors the memory of RSM while allowing the future generations resources to thrive.”

Craig Bartolozzi, Remsen mayor, mentioned the groundbreaking marked an important step for the town as well as the school community as the facility would provide a safe and modern facility for the children to learn and grow.

Following remarks, Bishop Keehner offered a prayer, asking God to bless the project and all those involved – those who planned, contributed to and will build the school.

“Bless this ground that will be the foundation to support this elementary school and bless us all with a spirit of gratitude for your continued trust of us with the sacred mission of educating students with hearts and minds for the common good fulfilling the school’s mission statement to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God,” prayed the bishop.

Bishop Keehner first and then Father Pick blessed the site with holy water.

The bishop, Father Pick and Phillips donned hardhats and broke ground as a number of students joined them at the site.

After the ceremony, Phillips said after working on this project for four or five years “this is a dream come true.”

Construction is slated to begin July 1 and the principal said when it starts, she’s going to do jumping jacks. 

Along with six classrooms for PreK-2, the new addition is going to include new offices and aFather Tim Pick, president of St. Mary's Schools, addresses the crowd. common space with a library. The current library in the middle/high school will be remodeled and made into two additional classrooms for the third and fourth grades.“They say you have to have goals, so I feel in breaking the ground today we are almost there,” said Father Pick, who noted the estimated completion date is the fall of 2026. “The campaign does continue with our challenge goal.”

Funds raised in the challenge goal would add air conditioning to the middle/high school and include other cosmetic updates.

“Growing up in Le Mars, I was familiar with the St. Mary’s community for many years and the love of the school that they have. To be part of reaching the goal they have had for many years is humbling.” 

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