The Chapel will seat 140 people.

In recent weeks, the Chapel at the new high school has sprung forth from the ground. It is a breathtaking sight. Upon completion, the Chapel will hold the stained glass windows from the former Tau Center at the College of St. Teresa. These windows, gifted to us by the Sisters of St. Francis, will provide a striking backdrop to the altar in the Chapel, and will be the visible presence of Franciscan spirituality that the Rochester Catholic Schools embraces.

View from inside the chapel, looking up

 Father Will Thompson will be leading a weekly prayer service for the safety of all construction workers on the project. We invite you to join in on Wednesdays at 3:15 p.m. – meet near the Weis Builders construction trailer on the site.

Joe Powers with Nick "05, Joe Jr. '04 and Melissa '02

That’s how Lourdes Building Our Future campaign chair, Joe Powers feels about his experience going to St. Francis of Assisi School, his decision to send his three children through Rochester Catholic Schools and having them all graduate from Lourdes High School.

When Joe talks about what he likes about the RCS community, he jumps right to the point. “The opportunity to form relationships and become part of a larger community is such a strong part of the Lourdes experience. Being in a faith-filled family and surrounded by an environment that inspires virtues of fairness, honesty, compassion, integrity and generosity has made a significant impact in my life and the lives of my kids.” 

Living a life of Stewardship, nurturing the virtue of generosity

Learning the virtue of generosity, in particular, has deeply touched and inspired the Powers family.  It has become such a core belief for Joe and his family that  becoming involved and giving back is a natural response. 

Born and raised in Rochester, Joe and his family have been proudly serving southeast Minnesota for more than 25 years building strong relationships with customers based on respect, honesty, trust and integrity. The Powers’ company, Canadian Honker Enterprises includes the Canadian Honker Restaurant, Canadian Honker Catering, Rochester International Event Center and the newly acquired facility, the Ramada Conference Center.

Living out the biblical principals of stewardship, Joe has fully embraced giving of his time, talent and treasure. In addition to providing leadership to Lourdes Building Our Future, he is also a major donor to the campaign.  Canadian Honker Enterprises helped to establish the Community Food Relief (CFR) organization and regularly provides meals for the Salvation Army and Rochester Boys and Girls Club. Joe currently serves on several area community boards including the Rochester Area Foundation, Poverello Foundation, Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Steering Committee for Destination Medical Center. In addition, he strongly supports military families and Veteran organizations.

“Our family has been tremendously blessed by the support of this community,” said Joe. “When we are blessed with gifts, we are called to share those gifts with others. As an organization and as a family we have an important responsibility to make a difference and be active in our community.”

It’s clear that it is a special time in RCS history, and we need everyone do their part and prayerfully consider their generosity and involvement. Joe sums it up this way. “In the end we cannot take with us what we have, but we can leave behind what we have given.”

Construction of the Academic wing

With the exceptionally mild winter that we have had in southeastern Minnesota, construction on the new Lourdes High School has proceeded at a brisk pace. 

During January, walls defining the corridors from the Academic wing to the Cafeteria and Fine Arts wing were placed. The orchestra pit was built, and music and art rooms are defined. The  walls of the storage, locker, offices, and mechanical spaces have been completed and precast floor plank is being placed for the weight and fitness rooms above. Structural steel framing has been installed for the second level of the Academic/Administration wing. Metal floor deck has been placed and is ready for concrete topping. 

Structural steel and interior walls are  continuing in the Cafeteria/Commons area; the exterior receiving dock walls are poured and interior mechanical room walls are nearing completion. The entries for Athletic and Fine Arts wings have been cast in concrete.

View from inside the gym

Academic wing walls are constructed to the second floor levels and interior structural steel columns and joists have been erected to provide support for second floor concrete deck and precast planks. Structural steel has been extended to roof level in the science department, with joists and steel roof deck now in place.

The Cafeteria/Commons and Kitchen are now clearly defined and being prepped for installation of roof steel and decking. The Gymnasium precast wall panels are in place, as is much of the framing for the locker rooms, mechanical rooms, and storage spaces. Structure is being prepared for the main level precast planks which will house weight and fitness rooms.  Natural gas has been brought to the building and meters and pressure  regulating valves have been installed. Similarly, the electrical service has been brought to the building with the transformer set in place.

Father Will Thompson will be leading a weekly prayer service for the safety of all construction workers on the project.  We invite you to join in on Wednesdays at 3:15—meet near the Weis Builders construction trailer on the site.

Exterior walls of the Commons are set in place

With the exceptionally mild winter that we are experiencing in southeastern Minnesota, construction on the new Lourdes High School has proceeded at a brisk pace.  Here is the latest news on the status of the project.

The Cafeteria/Commons/Kitchen, Receiving, and main Mechanical Rooms (which lie between the Academic Wing and Athletic Wings) are now “coming out of the ground” with poured walls and setting of precast exterior wall panels.

The Fine Arts Wing now has clearly-defined rooms for music and arts with bearing and acoustical CMU walls to roof structural level. The Auditorium, stage, and orchestra pit are now clearly defined and work is proceeding with interior corridor CMU walls.

Interior corridor, first floor

Academic Wing CMU walls are constructed to the second floor levels and interior structural steel columns and joists have been erected to provide support for second floor concrete deck and precast planks. Structural steel has been extended to roof level in Science, with joists and steel roof deck now in place. Underground electrical and piping has been roughed in to the mechanical and electrical equipment spaces and will be ready as the building is enclosed to begin above floor work. The Athletic Wing has been defined by foundation and mid-height structural concrete walls.

Work will begin soon on the west side of the Gym where locker rooms will be constructed, and as soon as the mechanical and electrical rooms are enclosed, permanent power can be distributed.

Building Committee members select colors and interior finishes.

Earlier this month, members of the LBOF Building Committee met with the design team at ATS&R to select colors and interior finishes.

“The Kwik Trip family feels it is important to make a difference in someone’s life and this gift is an example of that mission,” said John McHugh, director of corporate communications for Kwik Trip Inc. “We are pleased to support the Lourdes Building Our Future campaign.”

Kwik Trip began in Eau Claire, Wis., in 1965. Since that time, Kwik Trip has grown to more than 400 stores with 10,000 employees in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. The family owned and operated business provides gasoline and has its own commissary, bakery, and dairy as well as maintains its own distribution center and fleet.
 
“We hope to make a difference through our community involvement and sustainable company initiatives,” said McHugh.

“We are tremendously grateful to Kwik Trip for their generous gift to the campaign,” said Rochester Catholic Schools Director of Schools Michael Brennan.  “Their contribution to this project is truly an investment in the future of Rochester.”
 
Construction on the new Lourdes High School is moving along at a strong pace.  Nearly all foundations are in place for the major wings of the facility.  Perimeter and interior bearing walls are to second floor level in some wings and spaces will be enclosed soon which will allow interior work to move ahead without winter weather impact.

With construction well under way for the new Lourdes High School, there is still time and need for additions dollars. The Lourdes Building Our Future campaign stands at $13.2M in gifts and pledges and is still raising necessary funds to complete the $15M goal.  Any individual or organization can make a gift to the Lourdes Building Our Future campaign at any time and in many ways.  Gifts can be planned to reflect the individual donor’s interests and to accommodate his or her tax interest. RCS Advancement staff is available to assist you with these options. Contact Terri Burkel, Lourdes Building Our Future campaign manager at (507) 424-1817, tburkel@rochestercatholic.k12.mn.us for more information.

LHS Senior Jacob Nordman

To talk with him is to know: Jacob Nordman is a renaissance man at age 17.  Judging by the number of musical things he does—a role in the spring musical, trumpet player in bands, accompanist of the jazz vocal ensemble, and vocalist in the liturgical choir– you’d think his college plan would be to study music.  “But I’ll probably pursue an engineering degree, since I like science and math, and have a logical mind,” he says.  “Music will be more of a hobby.”

A student of honors pre-calculus and math, and taking advanced placement courses in history and biology, it’s obvious that Jacob has options.  He’s also involved with the Lego Robotics Club, which is sponsored by IBM, in which students build and program robots.  During last year’s competition, the students had to build a robot that could find and remove scattered ping-pong balls from a little room built of two-by-fours.

Academics and extracurricular activities aren’t the only things that excite Jacob about Lourdes.  “The coolest thing is that it’s faith-centered.  It’s not just that I go to mass on Sunday, it’s how I live my life.”  He finds that having a shared faith and mutual respect creates a community experience like no other.  Anticipating graduation next spring, he can’t imagine being better prepared for the future.

Congratulations to the Lourdes High School Marching Band on a great season.  The LHS Marching Band took their 2011 show to four area marching band competitions with the following results:

Sioux Falls Festival of Bands: 

1^st Place in Class AA

4^th place overall of 22 bands in competition

Waseca Classic Competition: 

1^st Place in Class AA competition

Outstanding Hornline, Outstanding Drum Majors, Outstanding Color Guard

Eastview Competition: 

2nd Place in Class AA

Outstanding Wind Section and Outstanding Soloists

Rosemount Competition:

1st Place in Class AA

Outstanding Hornline, Outstanding Drumline, Outstanding Soloists, Outstanding Drum Majors

The Lourdes High School Marching Band’s 2011 show, “Lunar Phases” featured music that celebrates the moon.  From the illumination of the Full Moon to the Waning Crescent, the LHS Marching Band performs music from Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven, Moondance by Van Morrison, Clair De Lune by Debussy, and Fly Me to the Moon by Howard.  The music was arranged by Jeremy Hegg and Lee Krueger.  The Marching Band is directed by Michael Mangan.

The Lourdes High School Marching Band  concluded their 13^th season of competitive marching with an Indoor Marching Band Concert on October 28 in Alumni Hall at Lourdes High School.

The Lourdes Marching Band prides itself on teamwork, commitment, student leadership, and individual responsibility.  Members of the Lourdes Marching Band also perform with the Concert Band and Pep Band.  The music department includes Concert Choir, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Band, Winter Drumline, Jazz improvisation classes, and a Music Mentorship program.  The Music Department thanks our students, parents, volunteers, music boosters and administration for their strong support.

Current and future LHS students break ground

Not only did hundreds of Lourdes students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and leaders gather in 40 degree temperatures to celebrate, Bishop Quinn even ran a backhoe! Now that’s not something you see every day!

Bishop John M. Quinn

Mr. Jack Remick’s remarks resonated with all when he recalled his involvement with an LHS committee working to pay the loans from the 1986 addition to LHS. “Things were a little bleak then. Our school population was below 350 and many were wondering if we had a future. Dick Bins made a comment I still remember. He said that we needed to be successful on ‘our watch.’ Since then RCS has built a new grade school, had renovations at the other three grade schools, is building a new high school and has more than 1,800 students attending.” Mr. Remick charged Joe Powers, chair of the Lourdes Building Our Future campaign, and his generation to build an endowment that will allow us to keep improving the schools and make them available to all those who want and deserve this education. Jack encouraged Joe to pass on the message, “All’s well at the end of this watch,” 20 years from now. 

Mr. Tom Donlon, Principal of Lourdes High School, challenged faculty and students at Lourdes High School, to carry on the legacy. “We are responsible for taking the spirit of Lourdes High School which is embodied in each of us and carry it forward into our new building,” said Mr. Donlon. ” We have come to a turning point in our pilgrimage. We celebrate the past, the present, and the future of Catholic education which have come together here today. We, whether current student or distinguished alum, are part of Lourdes High School and our long and distinguished history…and that spirit we will carry forward! We are so blessed by God to be able to carry on this work. We are the beneficiaries walking into a new chapter in our pilgrimage, our journey of Catholic education. “ 

Click here to view photos of this historical event.   

Construction activity and site preparation for the new Lourdes High School began in August when Bishop John M. Quinn granted permission to begin placing footings for the building.  It is anticipated 18-24 months of construction, and the opening of the new Lourdes High School will be at the start of the 2013-2014 school year. 

“This is an exciting time for Rochester Catholic Schools,” said Director of Schools Michael Brennan.  “We look forward to a bright future with the opening of the new Lourdes High School.

Despite the challenging economic environment, over $13 million dollars has been raised by over 1,500 donors and volunteers.  An alumni and friends portion of the campaign has recently been launched seeking broad participation and engagement.

“October 18 will be a glorious day for Rochester Catholic Schools,” said RCS Board of Trustee, Monsignor Gerald Mahon. “This spirit-filled initiative will become reality in the fall of 2013 when the doors of the new school will open for our students.”

Check in on construction by clicking on the “view webcam” link on our homepage.

Construction activity and site preparation for the new Lourdes High School began in August when Bishop John M. Quinn granted permission to begin placing footings for the building.  With tonight’s announcement of a groundbreaking date, it is anticipated 18-24 months of construction, and the opening of the new Lourdes High School will be at the start of the 2013-2014 school year.

Despite the challenging economic environment, over 90% of RCS Staff and Faculty have committed to the Lourdes Building Our Future campaign and a growing 70% of our current RCS families have committed to the campaign. In conjunction with Homecoming, an alumni and friends portion of the campaign has also been launched seeking broad participation and engagement.

“We are deeply grateful to the benefactors, donors and volunteers who have made tonight’s announcement possible,” said RCS Board of Trustee, Monsignor Gerald Mahon. “We continue to seek gifts that will sustain and support the Rochester Catholic Schools system mission and vision for our children’s future. We remain deeply focused on ensuring Rochester Catholic Schools are accessible and affordable for all.”

The Rochester Catholic Schools system is a Christ-centered learning community that forms students, who love, learn and live their faith in service to others. 1,790 students in grades Preschool through 12 attend the four Rochester Catholic Schools and Lourdes High School.