The Ministries Appeal.
Learn More
At the turn of the 20th century, the Iron Range region of Minnesota experienced a dramatic change in its demographic, cultural, and economic landscape with the launch of the mining industry. Immigrants from 43 different nations came to the area in pursuit of a better life for their families and the opportunities mining would provide. The Iron Range population quadrupled from 1900 to 1920 and settled into ethnic subdivisions in the community.
Marquette School’s new facility in Virginia was purchased in March 2023. (Submitted photo) |
Along with the booming mining industry, new businesses developed, and numerous churches and schools were built during that timeframe. One of the schools was a beautiful brick four-story Catholic school — Marquette Catholic School — that was established in 1917 near the bustling downtown corridor of Virginia.
For over a century, generations of families and thousands of students were educated and formed in the teachings of Jesus Christ at Marquette’s current location. And while the school’s mission remains unwavering, the 106-year-old facility is feeling its age with its antiquated electrical, plumbing, and HVAC infrastructure, crumbling walls, and lack of accessibility and modern safety features. Marquette’s growing and expanding student population has also outgrown the small, land-locked property as enrollment has doubled in the last eight years and a fifth to eighth grade middle school was added to provide students the opportunity to stay at Marquette for two additional formative years.
After much prayer, deliberation, and professional study and guidance over the worn out and overcrowded school situation, members of Marquette’s home parish, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, knew the best decision would be to build a new school or find an existing structure to convert into one.
As only God’s providence could provide, the perfect facility surfaced across town, which, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, led the occupying business to migrate from a congregated workforce system to a work-from-home model no longer requiring a building.
After long and complex negotiations, Holy Spirit Church was able to settle on a price of $2.9 million and closed on the purchase at the end of March 2023. The school is currently in the middle of a fast-paced capital campaign, and committees are meeting regularly to plan for the structuring, financing, and sustaining of the new school. Sometime during the upcoming 2023-24 school year, if fundraising and construction goes well, Marquette will get to move to the beautiful 15-acre property so perfectly situated adjacent to the community college and near the city park, playgrounds and ball fields, and the cemetery.
After constructing classrooms and converting the business into school facilities, Marquette will then be striving to raise funds for a much-needed gymnasium for the new school.
One of the biggest blessings that has come from this new school endeavor has been the amazing and overwhelming outpouring of support for this project. In addition to our school families, Holy Spirit parish and other Catholic churches in our surrounding community are all rallying and banding together as they realize the critical need for Catholic education and how important it is for our students and the future of our Catholic churches. Often, I encounter folks who have misinformation about our Catholic schools and how we get funding versus our public-school neighbors. Just to clarify:
I share these to underscore how valuable and critical your support is for all our Catholic schools. For those who purchase raffle tickets after Mass, attend school fundraising galas and events, donate to capital campaigns, or send your kids or grandkids or sponsor kids to attend Catholic schools, we need you, we are grateful for you, and we could not do this without you!
This is just as true today as it was in 1917, when a group of committed, visionary, faith-filled individuals prioritized the establishment of Marquette School and sacrificed for it, providing a place that would educate multiple generations of students and lead them to Jesus.
Lord, please send your Holy Spirit that we might persevere in serving you and doing your will in our new school space — and all Catholic schools — for the next 100 years.
Lisa Kvas is principal of Marquette School in Virginia.