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'We Feel So Blessed': Holy Savior Dedicates New Church

A project in the works for more than 20 years was completed last week when Holy Savior Catholic Church held a dedication and blessing for its new church.

The new church and school, Holy Savior Catholic Academy, were part of a $9.1 million campaign. The new campus is at 3000 E. 13th St. North, just west of Hillside. 

“The dedication of our people, parishioners of Holy Savior, has made all of this possible,” said Father James Billinger, pastor of Holy Savior.

Billinger said the old church and school building were not up to standards and did not meet the needs of the Holy Savior community. A study on renovating the buildings indicated the cost would be high.

“We saw that we perhaps … would be better served if we would try just to … build a brand new campus,” Billinger said.

Demolition of the old church and school buildings began in July 2018. The new Holy Savior Catholic Academy opened in August for this school year. Billinger said the new school took in 35 more students this year than last year. 

“We feel so blessed,” he said.

The new church building allows seating for about 550 people. It also has a chapel, cafeteria and room for office space.

Billinger said the church will have more space for weddings and funerals. He added that in phase two, the parish hopes to build a health clinic and more administrative space. 

“We will just serve the community in many, many ways,” he said.

Suzette Sponsel is an intern in the KMUW News Lab.