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CAMPAIGN UPDATE


Our school motto is Domini Sumus, We are the Lord’s. When I explain our culture to others, I always start here because our motto is where our family atmosphere comes from. Behind our school motto is the Bible verse from Romans 14:8, which says that we “belong to the Lord.” To belong is to be a part of something. We are all a part of this Catholic community, and I am honored to be a steward of this great school.


The Ring the Bells Capital Campaign is a great example of our family coming together to make our school better. It has been a tale of incredible generosity and commitment in the midst of trying circumstances. When the pandemic forced us to pause the campaign for nearly a year, we came roaring back, reaching our initial goal of $12M this summer. Also this summer, we were faced with skyrocketing construction costs well beyond our original plans, and yet once again, we find ourselves blessed with incredible generosity that will help see us through to our new goal. 


Earlier this month, the Archdiocese approved St. Pius X to increase the Ring the Bells final campaign goal to $14.8M, which allows us to meet the basic objectives of our campaign while also addressing our students’ needs. We have limited any modifications to the original plans to the Seaver Family Sports Complex, whose projected budget increased significantly due to several factors, including site work. Since we cannot properly build the locker room and batting cages at this time, we are scaling back to build the essentials: field and security lights, restrooms, a concession stand, and a press box. The baseball and softball teams will begin using the Mark Kelly gym locker rooms, located closest to Spellman Field, and we are budgeting for improvements to the outdoor batting area at Seaver. By doing so, we still meet the needs of our students and our Seaver Complex guests.


And as God has seen fit to do throughout this campaign, the news of our increased campaign goal comes with the exciting announcement of the campaign’s second $1M grant! Given by an anonymous foundation and officially awarded this month, this grant will fully fund the safety and security portions of the campaign, bringing the total raised to date to just over $13M. This extraordinary act of generosity is fueling our push to raise the remaining $1.8M needed to complete this effort.


It’s incredible what we’ve accomplished amid numerous challenges, and I am heartened by the outpouring of support from our community. If you are one of the 500+ donors who have already made commitments to this campaign, I thank you. If you have been waiting for the right time to provide your support, now is the perfect time to join me in building a better and safer St. Pius X. 


Domini Sumus,


Aaron Parr

Interim President

$1M SAFETY AND SECURITY GRANT AWARDED 

The Ring the Bells Capital Campaign received a significant boost earlier this month, to the tune of one million dollars! Recognizing the challenges St. Pius X faced with properly securing its 65-year-old campus, an anonymous foundation has awarded a $1M grant for safety and security improvements as part of the campaign. Locked front gates, new rear secured gates, and a new front entrance and lobby will direct visitors to one designated area to prevent unauthorized individuals from entering the heart of campus. In addition, the attendance desk will be relocated to the front of the school to improve safety and logistics for student-parent communication. Also in this area, a new conference room will provide a place for the enrollment team to meet with prospective families or for parents and students to meet with faculty. And finally, increased lighting at Seaver Family Sports Complex, installed in January, allows for navigation to parking areas beyond daylight hours and safe athletic play. St. Pius X is grateful for the investment made by this foundation to ensure our students, faculty, staff, and guests remain safe and secure throughout their time at St. Pius X.


Click here to learn more and to support the Ring the Bells Capital Campaign.

MEEETING OUR FAITH NEEDS

In August, Archbishop Hartmayer wrote a letter to our school community regarding the lack of a campus chaplain and outlining his plan for priest coverage at St. Pius X. He shared that the following seven priests will be visiting campus to offer Masses, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, retreats, and talks:


  1. Father Avery Daniel, a Class of 2011 St. Pius X alumnus
  2. Father Rey Pineda, former St. Pius X chaplain and Archdiocesan Director of Vocations
  3. Father Gerardo Gonzalez-Ceballos, Master of Liturgical Ceremonies for the Archdiocese and Priest Assistant to the Archbishop
  4. Father Robbie Cotta, Parochial Vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church 
  5. Father Ben Thompson, Parochial Vicar at St. Benedict Catholic Church
  6. Father Joe Wagner, Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral of Christ the King
  7. Father Paul Nacey, Parochial Vicar at St. Jude Catholic Church 


If you missed Archbishop Hartmayer's letter, you can read it here.

Many thanks also to Monsignor Frank McNamee, Fr. Michael Silloway, Fr. Daniel Ketter, and Fr. Brendan McAleer for celebrating Mass with our community this school year. We are proud to share the wonderful spirit of St. Pius X with them!

HOMECOMING MASS AND BRUNCH

Please join us for the Alumni Homecoming Mass and brunch on Sunday, October 23. This is a wonderful way for the St. Pius X community to celebrate our Catholic faith. We are blessed to have Monsignor Richard Lopez celebrating the Mass. Please RSVP here

2022 ANNUAL FUN(d) PARTY

Join us tomorrow, September 23 from 7:00-10:00 p.m. for the Annual FUN(d) Party when Maloof Stadium is transformed into an outdoor concert venue. Simply make an Annual Fund gift or pledge, no matter the size, and then enjoy the evening at St. Pius X. Current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, and friends are all welcome! 


Bring your own picnic dinner and drinks and dress up your table “Chastain-style,” or make it a simple evening by packing a cooler and just sitting back to listen to the live music. Tables, chairs, and bottled water are provided. This is an adults-only event. This party is our way of saying thank you for your generosity! Please RSVP here.

RING THE BELLS PROGRESS

Our new library furniture has started to arrive, and our students are already enjoying the flexible, comfortable seating options. The new front entrance steel framing is in place and work continues on pace to be completed in time for our November 6 Open House. Many thanks to our Ring the Bells donors for making these renovations possible!

GEORGIA BULLETIN FEATURES ST. PIUS X

The Georgia Bulletin, the newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, has recently featured St. Pius X in several articles. Click the links below to read.

Interim President, Aaron Parr
Flannery O'Connor Library Renovation
Campus Ministry Team
Softball Pink Out Game

CAMPUS HAPPENINGS

RED CROSS RECOGNITION

At our all-school assembly on September 16, the Red Cross recognized our school and math teacher Katie Stilson for contributions made through our annual blood drives. Retired Athletic Director Mark Kelly spoke to the students about the importance of giving blood, inspiring students to donate at our September 22 blood drive.

SPORTS UPDATES


Our Golden Lion athletes are starting the year strong! Check out our weekly sports release here for the latest updates.

A FANTASTIC START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR!

The beginning of the school year has been full of energy, excitement, and fun events! Our new freshmen class arrived at orientation with an enthusiastic greeting from our Lion Leaders, our seniors reported to the first day of school in full regalia (cars included!), and Camp Golden Lion received rave reviews from students and parents alike. During August, the Class of 2026 enjoyed fun treats from Pius alumni, the Jungle cheered our Varsity Football Team on to a big first home game win, and our new freshmen parents enjoyed getting to know each other at the Freshmen Parent Party.


This month our freshmen traveled to Kennesaw Mountain for their pilgrimage, students and parents attended our on-campus college fair, the 9th and 10th-grade students enjoyed the Freshman/Sophomore Social, and the annual Blood Drive provided much-needed blood supplies for the Red Cross.


The energy on campus -- from our faculty and staff to students and parents -- has exceeded our expectations! Thanks to all of you for making this such a warm, fun-loving community.

BETWEEN THE LIONS MAGAZINE


You can read the Summer/Fall 2022 issue of Between the Lions here.

DID YOU KNOW?


J.T. Gilbert, a St. Pius X Theology teacher and coach of 22 years, returned to his alma mater as the Dean of Students at Aquinas High School and Aquinas Middle School in Lacrosse, WI. We thank Mr. Gilbert for his dedication and service to St. Pius X and are grateful for his family's recent gift to the school.


Among his late mother's belongings was a Pope Pius X relic. This treasured item will soon be on display in the glass cases near the front office. Be sure to take a look next time you visit our campus. 

ST. PIUS X CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL www.spx.org

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