By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic

VAN ALSTYNE — A recent expansion project of Holy Family Catholic Church added an additional 200 seats to its sanctuary. Every one of those seats was needed Sept. 1 as parishioners packed the church for a Mass to bless the altar and commemorate the completion of the project.

“Blessing of the altar draws greater attention to this wonderful gift that the Lord has given us and is giving to this community here at Holy Family,” said Auxiliary Bishop Greg Kelly, who was joined by Father Jet Garcia, Father Desmond Ndikum, and Father Felipe Vives in celebrating the Mass. “This is a wonderful, joyful, and blessed day for this community.”

As a quasi-parish in the Diocese of Dallas, Holy Family’s activities fall under the supervision of Father Garcia, who is pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish in McKinney. During the Mass, Father Garcia congratulated the Holy Family community for its commitment and dedication in making the project a reality.

“This is a testament of the faith, dedication, and hard work of so many incredible individuals,” Father Garcia said, extending his gratitude to the committees and volunteers who helped guide the project as well as the donors and parishioners who helped fund it. “Thank you for your support, both big and small. Your selflessness is a true reflection of the love and unity in our parish.”

Bob Kroeger, who serves as president of Holy Family’s finance council, has been a member of the Van Alstyne church since 1998. He worked closely with Gary Yesavage, president of Holy Family’s pastoral council, and Father Garcia to keep the project on track. He said the booming population in Collin and Grayson counties necessitated plans for parish growth.

“Holy Family is the only Catholic church north of Frisco and McKinney and south of Sherman,” Kroeger said. “Growth in the surrounding areas, Anna, Melissa, Celina, and the technology driven growth in Sherman is bringing more Catholics to the area.”

Kroeger said the project initially started in response to a need for more space for faith formation classes.

“Over time we realized that we needed both classroom space as well as additional sanctuary space,” he said. “During the summer of 2023, at times, there were people standing in the hallways and 50 to 100 people standing in front of church simply listening to the Mass.”

The project increased the footprint of the Holy Family building by 4,050 square feet. This addition included an increase in seating in the sanctuary from 350 to 550 as well as construction of an enlarged altar area and two large classrooms that can be subdivided into four smaller rooms, if needed. It also included the addition of new pews, chairs, and altar furnishings. Additionally, a new tabernacle, candle holders, processional cross, monstrance, and holy water fonts were added. A new set of stations of the cross was also donated.

The community broke ground for the expansion in Fall 2023. Work completed in April 2024. The cost of the project was $1.46 million and has been fully funded.

“During this time, we worked with our contractor and were able to have only one weekend when the church was not usable,” Kroeger said.

Since completion of the project, Kroeger said average Sunday attendance at Holy Family has increased by 15 to 20 percent.

“Parishioners are pleased with the addition, and new ministries are forming and utilizing the facility,” he said.

As parishioners streamed out of Holy Family following the Mass Sept. 1, Yesavage couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s great to see this all come together,” he said. “Now we have a place for everybody. We can enjoy the celebration of Mass with more reverence.”

Cutline for featured image:  Father Jet Garcia, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in McKinney and Holy Family Catholic Church in Van Alstyne, holds his hands in prayer during the celebration of Mass on Sept. 1 to bless the altar and commemorate the completion of an expansion project in Van Alstyne.