For nearly 130 years, Saint James Catholic Church has served the faithful of Gulfport. Now, the church asks our parish
community to address some much-needed projects through a comprehensive capital campaign. This campaign will provide the space and resources we need to better serve our community, enabling us to more effectively carry out Saint James Church’s mission of “Leading people to heaven with Christian hospitality and fostering Eucharistic Discipleship.”
Our additional priorities will be the Church Narthex and possible relocation of vital ministries: church offices and the
Perpetual Adoration Chapel. These additional priorities are contingent on the success of the campaign. The Pre-K2
program, reclaimed parish center, and Church Narthex will allow us to meet our established priorities aligned with
Saint James Church’s mission, particularly in our evangelization efforts and our commitment to supporting those in need
within our community.
As part of this bold endeavor, and after much feedback from our parish leadership,
families and our school families, we have identified the following priorities for our campus:
Priority #1A -
Parish Hall Renovation
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Renovating the existing Parish Hall space so that we will have room for
parish gatherings, a dedicated youth ministry space, and meeting spaces.
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Cost Estimate: $300,000
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Priority #1B -
School Facility Renovation/Construction
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Renovate the convent (to include an addition to the current building) to be the new
ELC facility to serve our preschool thus freeing up space needed for other classes in
our school. The first floor would house our Pre-K programs, and the upstairs would be
framed up for future ministry expansion.
Cost Estimate: $2,800,000
Priority #2 -
Church Office Relocation and New Perpetual Adoration Chapel
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Possibly relocate the parish offices to a renovated Philomena House to accommodate
our staff and build a New Perpetual Adoration Chapel next to the Rectory garage.
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Cost Estimate: $325,000
Priority #3 -
Church Narthex Construction
Construct a narthex (expanded main entrance) for the church, to include bathrooms
and additional gathering space. This would be an addition to the existing church
structure.
Cost Estimate: $1,900,000
TOTAL COST: $5,325,000
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These vital improvements will require an investment of $5.3 million. We understand that this is
a large undertaking, so please, begin to pray about how your family can invest in our parish and
school. We need everyone’s support to help these ministries continue to grow and serve our community.
Your participation makes it possible
For over 30 years parishioners have worked to place the Eucharist at the center of our parish; our
Perpetual Adoration Chapel is a true blessing. May the Lord bless you abundantly as you support ministries,
the many parts, that are backed by faith and trust in Jesus’ presence in the Holy Eucharist, the one body.
