Campus Expansion

Dear Parishioners of St. Peter Church,

I am pleased to share news of a decision that will help St. Peter Church continue to meet the needs of our growing parish community and support our mission for years to come. The house at 112 North Harrison Avenue recently came on the market, and last week St. Peter Church entered into a contract to purchase the property. Closing is anticipated later this summer. The home sits immediately adjacent to our parish office building, the former rectory, making it a unique opportunity for our parish campus.

As many of you know, real estate in Kirkwood moves quickly, and opportunities to acquire property contiguous to parish-owned land are exceedingly rare. Because time was of the essence, I consulted members of our Finance Council as well as parishioners with expertise in real estate and property management. After inspecting the property and conducting a thorough review of the parish’s financial position, it was determined that St. Peter could pursue the purchase responsibly without incurring additional debt or requiring a loan. With that assurance in place, I secured the necessary permission from Archbishop Rozanski and moved forward with the acquisition.

The final purchase price of the property was $670,000. Given the strong demand for homes in Kirkwood, and especially in this area, there were multiple offers on the property, making timely action essential if St. Peter wished to secure this unique opportunity for the future of our parish. You may also be wondering how the purchase will be funded. Approximately $450,000 will come from undistributed earnings of a parish endowment that has been held by the Archdiocese. The endowment was established in 2001 to support projects at the discretion of the pastor. The remaining $220,000 will come from existing parish reserve funds. Throughout the review process, great care was taken to ensure that this purchase would not create an additional burden on the parish budget, impact our ordinary operating expenses, or require the parish to take on debt.

I also want to be clear that this acquisition is completely separate from the Casting Wide Our Nets Capital Campaign and its projects. No funds that have been pledged or donated to the capital campaign are being used to purchase this property. The projects associated with the campaign—including the school HVAC system, parish office renovation, gym entrance accessibility project, and Adams Lot improvements—remain unchanged and fully funded as planned.

Of course, the natural question is: What are we going to do with the house?  

At this time, we do not have a specific use identified for the property. However, we do know that securing a property immediately adjacent to our campus is a rare opportunity that will provide flexibility as we continue planning for the future needs of our parish. The property will become part of our long-term campus planning as we assess how best to support our ministries, staff, parishioners, and growing community.

This purchase reflects our commitment to being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us and to planning thoughtfully for the future of St. Peter. It is another positive step in the story of our parish and an investment for the generations that will follow us. Thank you for your continued generosity, support, and stewardship, which allow St. Peter to remain strong, vibrant, and responsive to the opportunities God places before us. I am grateful for all you do to make St. Peter such a thriving faith community.

In service to Christ and you,
Reverend Matthew O’Toole
Pastor