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Established in 1821 with just 20 families, St. Peter R.C. Church has since grown to include more than 1,270 families and over 200 children enrolled in its pre-K through eighth-grade school. In the past three years alone, the school has added 50 new students to its roster.
To accommodate this growth, "The Campaign for St. Peter" aims to raise $2,250,000 to address a number of needed repairs, renovations and improvements to both the school and church.
With construction slated to begin this summer, St. Peter's is planning to reconfigure the side entrance on Sixth Street and include an elevator to increase accessibility to the church and school. Parishioners and students with mobility issues will then have easier access to both floors of the school building and the main church level.
In addition, the current fire alarm system will be upgraded in the church and school, and the school's kitchen and bathrooms, which were constructed in 1958, will be renovated. The media center/library will also be relocated and more classroom space will be added to accommodate growing enrollment.
"We are blessed with a supportive, engaged and vibrant faith community," said St. Peter's pastor, the Rev. Monsignor David LiPuma. "This capital campaign is a very important initiative for St. Peter's and will help us address the future needs of the school and the parish community."
"The Campaign for St. Peter" is in conjunction with the "Upon This Rock" campaign currently underway within the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. All parishes in Western New York are raising funds for the campaign, which will invest in training for new priests, facilities and care for expectant mothers, tuition assistance for Catholic education, and health care for retired priests.
St. Peter's has already met its $757,250 diocesan obligation for the "Upon This Rock" campaign, and has raised nearly $1.3 million for "The Campaign for St. Peter." The parish is in the last phases of the capital campaign and hopes to raise the final amount before construction begins.