Initiated in 1853, Catholic schooling has been an integral part of the Port Washington/Saukville community for well over a century and a half, provided through St. Mary’s School, Immaculate Conception School, St. Peter of Alcantara School, Port Catholic School and, for the past nine years, St. John XXIII Catholic School. Indeed, given this remarkable longevity, our Catholic schools have served many families across multiple generations. In recognition of this extraordinary commitment to forming our youth in the Catholic faith, we plan on constructing a monument intended to both preserve and promote our longstanding Catholic education heritage (see rendering below). Our hope is to have this monument completed in time for our 8th Grade Graduation on June 7, 2025.
Central to this monument is the statue of an angel (affectionately referred to as Angel Mary) with a student looking up to her in prayer that was set above the main entrance to St. Mary’s School from the time it was built in 1916 until the building was sold in 2020. With the monument to be located aside the entryway to our current school, it has been designed to be in keeping with the architecture of both our St. Peter’s Church/school building and the bell tower due north of the church entrance. Other features of the monument include a sign with our parish and school logo to be illuminated dusk to dawn, recessed lighting above Angel Mary, and a plaque beneath her designating 2019 as the year when, thanks to the Gather and Grow Campaign, our entire Catholic school operation was brought under one roof. This plaque will also include an expression of gratitude for the school sisters who were vital to the staffing of our Catholic schools from their inception through the start of this century.
While we believe this monument will significantly enhance the Catholic identity of our parish and school, the estimated $60,000 cost of building it is considerable. Thankfully, we have secured a $25,000 Archdiocese of Milwaukee Love One Another Catholic Schools Grant in support of this project. That leaves us with a $35,000 fundraising balance to cover the base cost of the monument ($42,000) along with additional costs for the parish/school sign, electric, statue restoration, and insert panel ($18,000). Again, a substantial financial investment, but one we believe is worth pursuing not only in support of our school, but also to ensure a vibrant Port Washington/Saukville Catholic faith presence well into the foreseeable future.
With this point of interest in mind, we ask that you prayerfully consider making a tax-deductible donation to our Angel Mary Monument Project 2025. Checks made out to St. John XXIII Congregation with “Angel Mary Project” in the memo line may be dropped off at, or mailed to, the parish office (1800 N. Wisconsin Street) or placed in the weekend collection basket. Donations may also be made by clicking here. For more information, contact Bill Henkle at 262-284-4266 or henkleb@stjohn23rd.org.
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