Dear Friends in Christ,
For more than 60 years St. Agnes has grown and flourished to become a beautiful, vibrant, and diverse community. The power and beauty of God’s love has been manifested throughout our parish. St. Agnes has a remarkable history and we firmly believe that our best days are ahead of us. Today we serve over 1,500 families, celebrate Holy Mass for over 3,000 faithful each week, educate 500 students at the Academy and 600 in religious education, and nearly 800 parishioners are active in 23 ministries that serve the needs of our parish and broader community.
To secure the future of our parish, we must make some necessary improvements as the needs of the community have changed, space is limited, and our facilities have greatly deteriorated.
We consulted with the Archdiocese of Miami, the Village of Key Biscayne, architects, contractors, our finance and parish councils and conducted several focus groups with church, academy and community members. We initially considered remodeling the church, however, that was not feasible with the new building codes nor would it solve all of the issues. Therefore, based on all these considerations, we made the decision to build a new church and to make improvements to our campus.
The Building with JOY project is estimated to cost $18 million, and will address the following imminent needs of the parish:
- Build a new church with more capacity and functionality.
- Build a multi-purpose center that will be a gymnasium and also be used for educational, religious, and social activities.
- Enhance security and child safety.
- Improve the grounds for better traffic flow, additional parking, and to minimize flooding.
This campaign calls for the assistance and generous spirit of our entire community. I ask you to prayerfully consider what sacrificial commitment you can make with your time, talent, and financial support. We should all unite to make this project a reality and provide an environment where we can live our faith today, leaving a legacy for generations to come.
By Building with JOY- we will be putting Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last.
Blessings,
Juan Carlos Paguaga
Pastor.