MONROE—When the families of St. Anna’s Church move from their tiny church on East Spring Street in Monroe, they will take much love, many memories and a couple of crape myrtle trees with them.

Parishioners, friends and St. Anna’s pastor, Father Dan Toof, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new church building Sept. 7. The original groundbreaking had been set for Aug. 17, but was scrapped due to rainy weather.

The new date proved perfect timing with beautiful blue skies serving as the backdrop for the festivities held in the new location at southeast Criswell Road and Monroe-Jersey Road.

A more rural setting, the new site is 3.5 miles from the current downtown parish location.

“This year we’ll have been there 59 years,” said Father Toof. There are currently 230 children enrolled in religious education programs at St. Anna’s, and they are using adjacent houses and mobile units as additional space. “We are stretched to the limit,” he said.

Despite their cramped quarters, everyone pitches in to make things run smoothly. “It is what church seems to be all about,” said Father Toof. “We really love one another.”

Speaking from a podium flanked by the two crape myrtles, the pastor explained that the trees would be making the move out to the new church.

A shovel, construction helmet, and Crape Myrtle tree mark the groundbreaking of St. Anna Church, Monroe. Photo By Michael Alexander

One day, Father Toof noticed that a seedling had sprouted in a pot and he thought it was cute and let it grow. The plant was a crape myrtle and Father Toof describes it as the “volunteer plant that God had placed in the clay pot.”

Myrtles, as one friend reminded Father Toof, are mentioned in the Bible and are a “prophetic picture of God’s blessing.”

Church founders were represented at this new start. During the summer of 1954, Dot Briscoe, Catherine Melton and Mrs. J.T. Wellborn sold magazine subscriptions to help raise money for a site for the original chapel. In October of that year, the property was purchased and the deed was sent to Bishop Francis E. Hyland.

Catherine and Dan Melton, their daughter, and Briscoe’s daughter, Vickie Chancey, all attended the groundbreaking. Father Toof thanked the families for their “faithfulness, vision and hard work.”

Father Toof said that they expect to be in the new church by December 2014, in time to celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8—an important day in the life of St. Anna’s.

The new sanctuary and the chapel will have a shared tabernacle, as the chapel will be located directly behind the sanctuary. “I’m excited about that,” said Father Toof.

The new building will include a parish hall and 14 classrooms on a 13.4-acre site.

The enthusiasm of parishioners is evident as they pledged during various phases of a capital campaign to support construction costs.

“It’s been a long haul for our parish,” said Connie Odum, a longtime Monroe resident, originally from Minnesota.

“We’re so family-oriented,” said Odum in describing the various church happenings. “You want that living church.”

As part of his Eagle Scout project, one of Odum’s sons built an altar at the new site so that Mass could be celebrated there.

“It’s very exciting,” said Mary Lynne Reinagel, whose husband, Ed, is co-chair of the capital campaign. “It’s a wonderful problem to have,” she said about the church outgrowing its current space.

Both Ed Reinagel and co-chair Daniela Wieczorek spoke at the groundbreaking.

“What a wonderful group of folks we have to celebrate with us,” remarked Reinagel.

Wieczorek said the new church and its construction will allow “us to grow together in faith.”

During the groundbreaking, those attending prayed for the people of Syria and also sang “God Bless America.”

Dennis Kelly, senior project manager for Catholic Construction Services, was on hand for the ceremony. Catholic Construction is “the parish’s liaison” throughout the entire process.

Father Daniel Toof leads a contingent of parishioners on a tour around the perimeter of the future church grounds, which is located at the corner of Monroe-Jersey Road and Criswell Road in Monroe. The proposed completion date is by the end of 2014. Photo By Michael Alexander

“They have been working on this project for a long time so it was nice to see them making progress,” said Kelly.

The projected total cost of the entire project is $4 million. The current contract is for site work only and is $800,000. The remainder of the project depends on the success of the capital campaign, said Kelly.

The contractor for the project is Ron Cantrell of RCCI, a company that has handled several other Catholic church projects.

St. Anna’s weekend Masses included prayers for the success of the project.

Following the groundbreaking, in which invited guests used shovels to move a small row of dirt, Father Toof led the flock up the hill for a tour of the site.

As the church members prepare to leave their “humble and holy church” on Spring Street, there is something that others in the archdiocese can do to help.

“Your prayers will be appreciated,” said Father Toof.