Patience is the companion of wisdom. – Saint Augustine
With the Ground-Breaking almost upon us, we are working with our partner next door, Naples Park Elementary School, to ensure the smoothest possible transition from the campus we have now to the campus we will have next year. The safety of our Parish Family and the children of the school is our top priority. We have been working with the administration of Naples Park Elementary to communicate the Year of Patience and Flexibility and they will be as flexible and supportive of us as we are of them.
The main construction traffic for our Life Center will come into our campus through our main entrance. It will then drive around the outer perimeter of our parking lot and use the direct driveway from the front parking area all the way to the back area, traveling immediately past the adjoining roadway between us and the school, the tennis courts, and the baseball field. This construction traffic will impact the use of that driveway during business hours and school hours. It has been the determination of both the church and the school that the gate between the two campuses should be closed during those hours to ensure students, parents and parishioners are not put in harm’s way. Additionally, the school will be instructing all its members and after school programs that they can no longer park on our campus for pick-up times. We will have a dual-lock mechanism on the gates so that we can ensure access and use of the school parking for Mass times. This will allow us to continue to have access during our needed parking times, while protecting everyone during construction.
At the end of this construction, however, we will have a vastly improved connection between St. John and the school. We will be constructing a brand new pedestrian walkway between the school parking lot and the church. We will be widening the roadway to a true, two-lane access road. These changes will make it easier for our Parish Family to utilize the parking and fields on the school grounds for CYO and Masses, and allow the school to benefit from our parking lot and newly renovated access. It will be a tremendous step forward for both organizations. Please join me with your patience as we make the necessary changes to support the growth of our church and the Naples area.
As we Build Our Future, Serve Our Past, we still need all the gifts, prayers, and support of our Parish Family to reach our Pinnacle Goals. If you have any questions, please contact Joe Lichwalla, the Campaign Coordinator at 239-495-2001 or email: [email protected].