Questions & Answers for a Shared Feasibility Study

Preserving Our Legacy.
Strengthening Our Future.

For parishioners, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of St. Mary of False River and Catholic of Pointe Coupée.

St. Mary of False River Catholic Church 402 W Main St · New Roads, Louisiana 70760
Catholic of Pointe Coupée School 405 Louisiana St · New Roads, Louisiana 70760

Prepared in collaboration with The Institute for School and Parish Development

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A Letter to Our Family

Dear Parishioners, Parents, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, and Friends of St. Mary of False River and Catholic of Pointe Coupee:

We write to you together—pastor and principal—because the future of St. Mary and Catholic of Pointe Coupee is shared. What affects one affects the other, and how we move forward must reflect that unity.

Over the past months, many of you have participated in Input/Listening Sessions. We are deeply grateful for your honesty, your care, and your willingness to speak candidly. You offered specific concerns and heartfelt suggestions. What we heard was love! You expressed deep love for this parish, love for this school, and a desire to see both remain strong, faithful, and sustainable for generations to come.

We also heard something else that matters greatly: the memory of past experiences that caused hurt, frustration, and division. We want to say this clearly and without qualification—those experiences are real, and the feelings connected to them are valid. Ignoring them would not build trust.

Acknowledging these memories honestly is the first step toward healing. This is why your participation in this feasibility study will help ensure we learn from those experiences and move forward more thoughtfully with your valued wisdom and input.

This process is intentionally different. We are not beginning with requests for money. We are not presenting finished decisions. We are not asking for blind trust. Instead, we are committed to openness, transparency, and listening first. That means explaining the process clearly, sharing information before decisions are made, and creating space for questions—even difficult ones—without judgment or defensiveness.

This Q&A booklet is one expression of that commitment. It reflects the actual questions raised during the listening sessions. Some are practical. Some are financial. Some are rooted in past pain. All deserve respectful, straightforward answers.

We also want to be clear about our guiding principle: mission must always come before money. Catholic identity, parish life, students, teachers, and formation are the heart of why we exist. Any planning we do—whether related to facilities, finances, or long-term sustainability—must serve that mission, not overshadow it.

Trust cannot be demanded. It must be earned—slowly, consistently, and humbly. We understand that trust grows not from words alone, but from actions over time. Our hope is that this process, carried out with clarity and integrity, will begin to rebuild confidence where it may have been damaged and strengthen it where it already exists.

We invite you to read this Q&A booklet as we continue to seek your input as part of the feasibility study. This booklet isn't a conclusion to a process, but as part of an ongoing conversation as we continue to seek your input as part of this feasibility study. Your voice matters. Your questions matter. Your presence matters.

Thank you for walking this path with us.

With gratitude and hope,

Rev. Fr. Christopher J. Decker
Pastor, St. Mary of False River
Chaplain & Superintendent, Catholic of Pointe Coupée
Mr. Curry Foreman, M.Ed.
Principal
Catholic of Pointe Coupée

Background

A Faith Community at the Heart of Pointe Coupée

For nearly three centuries, Catholic faith has shaped life along False River. Generations before us built churches, schools, ministries, and sacred spaces so that families could worship, learn, and grow together. As St. Francis Chapel approaches its 300th anniversary in 2028, we find ourselves at an important moment — one that invites reflection, gratitude, and responsibility.

Through recent listening sessions and community conversations, parishioners, parents, alumni, and supporters have shared a clear message: We treasure what we have. We see what needs attention. And we desire to strengthen our parish and school for generations to come.

In response, St. Mary of False River and Catholic of Pointe Coupee have partnered with The Institute for School and Parish Development to conduct a feasibility study to determine whether a unified capital campaign is appropriate at this time. No decision has been made. We are listening first.

The study is exploring potential improvements and investments that will strengthen parish life, enhance student experience, preserve historic facilities, and ensure long-term sustainability for both the parish and the school. This could include repairs and renovations to present facilities in dire need, enhanced safety and security, technology upgrades, and exploration of potential new facilities to support future growth.

Based upon the Input/Listening sessions, the following components have emerged:

St. Francis Chapel

 

Approximate cost: $440,000

School Renovation & Repair of Existing Facilities

 

Approximate cost: $5.4 million

Conversion of Rectory

to prepare for religious community of sisters to serve parish and school.

Approximate cost: $668,000

Beautification of Church

to enhance worship

Approximate cost: $550,000

St. Joseph Center Renovation

to accomodate growing family, youth, & school activities

Approximate cost: $150,000

Multi-Use Facility

for the church and school, potentially through enlargment of the existing gymnasium.

Approximate cost: $3.1 million

Outdoor Pavilion

cooking and service for family & charitable events.

Approximate costs: $350,000

Please note that the costs are only estimates. These preliminary costs are based upon high-level discussions with industry professionals to help envision the scope of a potential project.

One Family, One Vision

Our Shared Mission

St. Mary of False River and Catholic of Pointe Coupee are not separate missions. Together, we:

A shared campaign reflects that unity. Parish and school rise together.

What We Heard in Our Listening Sessions

Seven Clear Priorities

Stained glass window at St. Mary of False River

Across multiple gatherings, seven clear priorities emerged. These are not abstract ideas , rather they are grounded in real needs and long-term stewardship.


1

Preserving St. Francis Chapel: Honoring 300 Years of Faith

As we approach 2028, parishioners expressed deep desire to stabilize and preserve St. Francis Chapel. The chapel represents:

  • The endurance of Catholic faith in Pointe Coupee
  • A sacred place of prayer
  • A historic landmark for the region

Preservation is not cosmetic — it is essential stewardship of a nearly 300-year legacy.

2

Completing Critical School Repairs and Renovations: Strengthening Catholic Education

Catholic of Pointe Coupee remains a stable, mission-driven school and a respected institution that is deeply valued throughout the Pointe Coupee community. In the past several years, the school has built encouraging momentum—strengthening engagement with families, making steady improvements across campus, and benefiting from the generous support of volunteers who have helped enhance and maintain school facilities. Throughout this time, the school has remained committed to careful and responsible stewardship of the resources entrusted to it. However:

  • Enrollment-based revenue which is directed toward supporting students, faculty, and daily operations does not allow for large-scale capital repairs.
  • Necessary maintenance has been addressed responsibly in recent years, but funding for larger capital repairs and long-term facility improvements has been limited.
  • Significant renovation needs remain.

Thoughtful facility improvements would:

  • Complete deferred repairs
  • Enhance safety and security
  • Enhance learning environments with necessary modernizations
  • Ensure that the campus continues to support students, families, and faculty for years to come
  • Support long-term sustainability by reducing ongoing maintenance costs

Strong Catholic schools require strong facilities.

3

Preparing the Rectory for a Religious Community: Deepening Spiritual Presence

A consistent theme in our conversations was the desire for deeper spiritual leadership and daily witness. Preparing the current rectory to house a religious community would:

  • Strengthen sacramental life
  • Support faith formation for students
  • Enrich parish ministries
  • Provide visible Catholic witness

This investment speaks to identity, not simply infrastructure.

4

Enhancing the Beauty of St. Mary Church: Elevating Worship

St. Mary Church is a spiritual and cultural landmark. Listening session participants expressed a desire to:

  • Preserve architectural integrity
  • Enhance sacred beauty
  • Strengthen the worship experience

More and more persons are rediscovering that sacred beauty draws hearts and minds toward God. Our worship space should reflect the reverence we profess.

5

Renovating St. Joseph Center: Supporting Families and Youth

Parish life is vibrant and growing. However, existing spaces limit:

  • Youth ministry expansion
  • Family gatherings
  • Hospitality and parish events

Renovation would allow ministries to flourish in spaces designed for engagement and community.

6

Multi-Use Facility for School and Parish Events

Catholic of Pointe Coupee takes great pride in the athletic and community events that bring our "Hornet Family" together. A structure, potentially an enlargement of our existing school gym, could provide:

  • Dedicated stage space for performing and dramatic arts
  • A more clearly defined worship setting for school liturgies and prayer services
  • Expanded kitchen, cold storage, and hospitality space for school and parish events; reducing the scheduling conflicts with the existing St. Mary's Parish Hall.
  • Greater flexibility to accommodate a wide range of student, parish, and community gatherings

Such a space would build upon a facility that is already central to daily campus life, strengthening its role as a shared asset for both Catholic of Pointe Coupee and the broader faith community.

7

Outdoor Cooking and Service Pavilion

Both St. Mary's and Catholic of Pointe Coupee recognize the essential value of outreach to the community. A covered service pavilion would provide:

  • A covered outdoor event space.
  • Possible supplemental kitchen facilities or close access to parish hall kitchen
  • Potential routing of internal campus traffic flow for "drive-through" service events like the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry and/or other fundraising events.

Expanded outreach means greater opportunities for evangelization and sharing life together on campus.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

The Opportunity Before Us

Every facility requires ongoing care and thoughtful investment over time. When maintenance and improvements are addressed proactively, communities are able to preserve their assets, control long-term costs, and ensure that buildings continue to serve their mission well.

Without careful planning and collective engagement, necessary improvements may simply be postponed—often increasing costs and limiting future opportunities to strengthen our facilities.

Today, both the parish and school are financially stable and continue to support their daily ministries and operations. However, the resources that sustain regular operations are not designed to fund significant capital improvements or major renovations.

School tuition supports the daily work of educating students, not large-scale facility repairs.

Parish offertory sustains ministries and parish life, but cannot reasonably absorb major capital projects on its own.

This feasibility study will determine:

  • What level of support exists
  • What projects should be prioritized
  • Whether work should be phased or completed simultaneously
  • What realistic financial goal is appropriate

Prudent stewardship requires thoughtful planning before action.

Context

Why Now?

This is a meaningful moment for reflection and planning. Several developments make this a natural time to consider new opportunities for the future of our parish and school:

The approaching 300th anniversary of the historic St. Francis Chapel
A growing desire to strengthen and more visibly express our Catholic identity though improved shared spaces
An opportunity to address facility needs that have accumulated over time
Increasing engagement from families and young people
A chance to bring the parish and school more fully together as one, stronger community

Taken together, these developments present a unique opportunity to build on our strengths, deepen our mission, and thoughtfully prepare for the next chapter of our community.

Your Questions Answered

Your Questions Answered

Before launching any campaign, we must determine whether sufficient financial support and leadership readiness exist. Listening precedes the invitation.

No. The completion of the feasibility study will help leadership determine next steps. No capital campaign will begin until planning, leadership structure, and financial clarity are fully established and indicate that a campaign is possible.

St. Mary of False River is financially sound but does not have sufficient reserves for all proposed projects. Catholic of Pointe Coupee is financially stable. The previous campaign did not reach its goal; all collected funds were properly accounted for and used responsibly for repairs of our existing facilities. New flooring and roofing for the T-buildings, HVAC upgrades, renovation to elementary and junior high restrooms, gutter replacements, security fencing, classroom whiteboards, and LED lighting are just a few of the projects completed.

The school maintains:

  • A sound endowment (the interest of which offsets operating expenses)
  • Savings that are stable but insufficient for major renovations

Any future campaign would complement — not strain — ongoing operations.

Possibly. Phasing allows:

  • Continued parish and school operations
  • Financial responsibility
  • Flexibility if approvals or funding require sequencing

The feasibility study will help determine the appropriate structure of the process.

No. Tuition supports staffing and operational costs. Capital improvements require separate funding.

Yes. Donors will receive clear guidance regarding gift designation options while ensuring overall campaign coordination.

Yes. Weekly offertory sustains ministry and operations. Campaign gifts support long-term capital improvements.

If a campaign proceeds:

  • Every parish household and school family would be invited to participate prayerfully.
  • No equal-gift expectation exists.
  • Pledges would be able to be made over multiple years.
  • One-time gifts, stock gifts, IRA distributions, employer matches, and legacy gifts would be welcome.
  • A gift of any size would be most welcome.
  • Regular updates would be provided via bulletin, principal's report and website.
  • Financial reporting would follow diocesan guidelines.
  • A volunteer leadership committee appointed by the pastor and the principal would oversee the effort.
  • Funds would be safeguarded and restricted for campaign purposes.

Trust is foundational.

If approved, it is our intention to form a volunteer leadership team representing parish and school communities to help guide the effort, supported by professional consultants and pastoral leadership. This would include a single point person who would work with the volunteer team and leadership. Success depends on committed parishioners, parents, and friends — not any one individual.

The Legacy Continues With All of Us.

An Opportunity to Reflect

The parish and school we cherish today did not appear by accident. They were built, sustained, and preserved by generations of faithful people who believed deeply in the value of Catholic faith, education, and community. With sacrifice and generosity, they created something that would endure far beyond their own time.

They did not build these places for themselves. They built them for us.

Now we have the opportunity to reflect on what we have received—and what we hope to pass on to those who will come after us.

If this feasibility study indicates readiness and broad support, a carefully structured campaign may follow that would allow our community to:

Preserve our sacred heritage

Strengthen Catholic education

Deepen the spiritual life of our parish

Prepare our parish and school to serve generations yet to come

Just as those before us built with faith and vision, we now have the opportunity to discern how we might continue that legacy.

Next Steps

We invite you to review this information carefully and prayerfully. In the coming weeks, a parish-wide survey will provide an opportunity for you to share:

Your voice isn't just a critical part of the process, it defines how we move forward from here.

The insights, questions, and perspectives you share will help guide the path forward and ensure that the future of our parish and school is shaped by the community itself.

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