• The Welcome Home Project serves to create the infrastructure we need to welcome, serve, build, form and continue our mission as Catholics.  A new Parish Center will be built that can begin to change all of that.  
   
• We would create…

• Parish hospitality events 
• Youth Ministry Gatherings
• Funeral and Wedding Receptions
• Adult faith formation gatherings
• Overflow at Easter and Christmas
• School recess and gatherings during cold/smokey weather
• Before and After School functions
• School special events, e.g. Christmas programs, graduation
• Diocesan events/programs

• Small group meetings
• Adult faith formation
• Children’s Religious Education
• Youth ministry
• School expansion use
• Staging for outreach programs

• Hospitality events
• Improved traffic flow for school entry and exit
• Aesthetically pleasing

• ADA compliant access
• Resources for staff to develop
• Storage

Where will we build this?
The existing parking lot behind the current offices will be used.
The current offices will be razed for more space.
In addition parking will be built the property on the west of Wright Street that belongs to our parish
 
What Step are we in now?
The Construction Cabinet/Building Committee re-formed in 2019.  This committee reworked the original plans and progressed to schematic design plans which were completed in the fall of 2020.

In winter of 2021, an anonymous donor came forward with a very significant gift with the caveats that we needed to expand the basement and begin construction sooner rather than later.  So we reconvened  after a COVID break and moved forward to the Design and Development phase.  The Design and Development phase will be completed in October of 2021.
October
Assuming all goes well then we begin three important steps
We begin the permitting process with the city of Reno
 Construction documents are produced so that we can go to bid on the project
A Capital Campaign begins to raise the funds for the project
 
When would construction begin?
Once permitting is approved, the capital campaign ends successfully, we can expect construction to begin sometime in the summer/fall of 2022, with completion in 2023.
 
What will happen with the current parish center on Arlington Avenue?
We would continue to use this building.  We do not want to give up any property at this time unless we need to
 
Our Future!
We have arrived at an important moment in our history as Our Lady of the Snows.  Over the past 80 years the parish has adapted and changed our facilities to meet the growing needs.  The church building itself grew from a small rectangular building to what we have now.  The school was built then expanded.  The rectory became the current offices. The existing parish center was purchased.  Now to meet our needs for the future we need to finally complete this project.  We have such a gift to offer to this community as Catholics, please join us in this moment, for the next generations to come.

In addition, a feasibility study requested by the Diocese if an eventual Capital Campaign became needed.  
 
What are the next steps?
Starting September of 2021 a Feasibility Study will take place to determine if there is  potential to raise the money for the project.  The final results will be provided in later
 

The Welcome Home Project will not be cheap, BUT… through a lot of people making gifts and a few people making big gifts we have already potentially raised nearly $6,000,000.  Here is how we did this:
 

• Parishioner generosity for the past CSA created rebates that went into the building fund
• Parishioner generosity for the “Today, Tomorrow, Together” Diocesan campaign also created a rebate that was directed to the building fund
• Parishioners making small but consistent donations over the years 
• Several large donations towards the project.

 
The Architect continues to develop the plans so that we can refine the final construction costs. We anticipate those plans to be complete in October of 2021.  Then we begin to move forward in planning and permitting.
 
Getting us to that final goal will involve:

• All of us making prayers for the success of this project
• All of us making a commitment to the Project
• All of us making a commitment to the CSA
• All of us making a commitment to the life of the Parish - School

 
We will succeed together, Parish - School, Community!


Fr. Robert W. Chorey
Pastor
Our Lady of the Snows Parish & School