Mother Seton Parish
19951 Father Hurley Blvd.
Germantown, MD 20874

A Message from our Pastor

My Fellow Parishioners:

My parents died within three months of each other in l985. As I celebrated the funeral Mass for one of them, I can remember being overwhelmed by all the events of my life, and the life of my family, that had taken place in that church. I had been brought by those same two people to that church to be given the hope of eternal life in Baptism. Somewhere there must be a picture of me outside that church from the day of my First Communion, and so on through the stages of my life. I witnessed the weddings of two of my sisters there, and eventually I had to commend my Mom and Dad to the Lord from our parish church. In l971, the day after my ordination, I offered my first Mass in that church and even then I realized that the parish community that built that church and filled it each Sunday was one of the great influences of my life. My passion that a church be built for the Parish of Mother Seton springs from experiencing what a parish church can be in a person's life. May God grant that the children of this and following generations have a parish church that they will remember through life as their first spiritual home.

Already our hope of "Finishing the Dream . . . Together" has begun to bear fruit in the involvement of dedicated members of the Parish family who are serving on a steering committee that directs our capital campaign. The chairs of the committees that make up the steering committee report of enthusiasm and willingness to give necessary time as they recruit folks to work in the different aspects of a campaign that will try to reach every parish member. And one thing is for sure, in a parish like ours where there is little or no extraordinary wealth from which to draw, the financial help of every parishioner will be needed. Obviously, I hope we build a beautiful church; but I also see the process of raising the money as a way in which each person and family can participate in the communal dimension of parish life. We all work together to build a focal point for all of us to come together to worship the God who has called us to be His dearly loved people.

In the next weeks, each of us will be asked through home visits or at small group receptions to pledge in a sacrificial way to the building of our church. Long time parishioners have already contributed generously to our previous campaign that bore such good fruit; but you who have given in the past and those who are newer in Mother Seton must all give now so that we, our children and our children's children can have a house of prayer that is worthy of our God. The bond that makes us a family of faith can only grow stronger as we sacrifice together to build our church.

Believe me, I am grateful for your prayerful consideration of support for the new church of Mother Seton.

In Christ,

Msgr. Tom Wells

Needs and Plans

As a vibrant, living parish in the heart of Germantown, Maryland, Mother Seton stands as a symbol of the love of God and His blessings to the parishioners and neighbors of the community. In its 25 years, Mother Seton has thrived and grown well beyond the first 38 families to over 2,000 families. This growth and the desire of the parish to provide increased services and support to its members led the Parish Building Committee, with the help of the entire parish and with much guidance from the Holy Spirit, to identify the following needs:

• A separate, much larger church for the celebration of Mass and other sacraments.
• Additional office space for the rectory and the parish ministries.
• Additional meeting rooms for our committees and social functions.
• A larger kitchen area to support activities in the Parish Center.
• Larger, more modern living quarters for our pastor, associate pastors and visiting priests.
• Additional paved parking on site.
• A larger daily Mass chapel.
• A larger gathering space for activities after each Mass.

Through the design and program process, the Building Committee developed the current plan, which would:

• Construct a 750-seat church next to the Parish Center where the McCabe Center is currently located. The new church would have pews, a dedicated area for the choir, a permanent baptismal font, and some flexible seating.Provide over 200 paved and striped parking places on the property.
• Provide a full basement in the church for parish offices, meeting rooms and storage.
• Add a hallway between the church and the Parish Center for access to the restrooms.
• Enlarge the current kitchen in the Parish Center.
• Build a new rectory on the Middlebrook side of the property. The basement/garage of the new rectory would be used for parish offices, daily Mass, and meeting space during construction of the new church. Once the new building is completed, the basement could be converted to additional bedrooms for visitors as well as a private meeting area for the resident priests.

After construction, the Parish Center will be more available to the parish community for wedding receptions and other social functions. The plan also has "designed-in" space for a new daily Mass chapel, a larger gathering area, and additional storage near the kitchen. However, these facilities would not be built until a later date.

May St. Joseph be our model and guide as we Finish the Dream to build for the present and future generations of Catholics who call this community and this parish their home.

Proposed Site Plan

Highlights: Improved, wider entrance and drive, with paved parking for 210 cars New, improved site lighting, utilities and underground storm water drainage system 3-level rectory, including basement, with suites for 2 priests, 1 guest quarter, and 2-car garage Completely enclosed concourse connection from Parish Center to new church Expanded Sacristy and improved rest room facilities in Parish Center

Proposed First Floor Plan

Highlights: Column-free worship space, with seating for 750, with combination of fixed pews and removable seats for special functions Raised Altar with elevated Tabernacle behind Baptismal Font at entry to church Marian Devotional area Full basement for parish offices and storage New larger, open outdoor gathering space

 

Kick-off Event

We invite you and your family to the campaign kick-off celebration to be held at the church on Sunday, May 7. We are planning an old-fashioned Church Raisin' Party, which will include square dancing, door prizes, games for the children, as well as food and drink for all!

Visitation

We have obtained the services of Kirby-Smith Associates to help us with our program. They are a group of experienced and committed Christians whose work is devoted exclusively to the task of assisting churches in meeting their financial goals. They have no quotas to make, nor are they compensated on a commission basis.

Through a variety of small group gatherings and visits from representatives of Kirby-Smith Associates and parish volunteers, as many of the members of our church family as possible will be contacted. They will also gather census information, ask your views about the parish, give you the opportunity to express your needs, and suggest additional forms of stewardship.

Prayer to St. Joseph the Builder O glorious St. Joseph, who has power with God to make possible things which seem impossible, come to our aid as we seek to build our new church. Take this important and difficult task under your particular attention that it may end happily. O dear St. Joseph, all our confidence is in you. Let it not be said that we have prayed to you in vain. Since you are so powerful with Jesus and Mary, show that your goodness equals your power. AMEN

 

MOTHER SETON PARISH
19951 Father Hurley Boulevard
Germantown, Maryland 20874
301-924-3838