More space has truly been a blessing for the St. Thomas Aquinas Church and School, which added a new gymnasium and parish center at the start of the school year.
“It’s definitely brought the [church] community together,” says Cindy O’Rourke, the spokeswoman for the school’s Parent Association. “The children are in heaven.”
Principal Carole Stabile agrees. Since the facilities were blessed in September, she says, drama students no longer compete against athletes for use of the old half-sized gymnasium, which also contains a stage.
Preschoolers avoid inclement weather by leaving the carpool under a porte-cochere, and organizations such as the Academic Pentathlon team find scheduling rooms much easier. In the past, church groups and students often scrambled for space after school hours.
Now the adults meet in the parish center, leaving classrooms open for students groups.
The additions do more than simply provide much-needed space. They harmonize with the existing buildings to create an attractive campus for the church and school. And although new, they have what both Stabile and O’Rourke considers a distinct advantage: they don’t look it. From the marbleized floors to the archways, ironwork, fixtures and doors, the designs echo those of the older structures. A casual visitor would not guess that the buildings were conceived and built separately, they say.
Approximately four years in the making, the additions reflect the growth of both the parish and the school.
“Lakewood is an interesting area, a safe area for children,” Stabile explains. As families move into the neighborhood, word-of-mouth leads them to the school. And it isn’t only parishioners who seek admission for their children. The school is popular with non-Catholics who favor a Catholic school education.
“We keep moving ahead and updating,” says Stabile. Construction has begun on a children’s garden, where students will be able to pray and meditate and the community at large will be reminded that serenity can be found in a hectic world. A portion of the garden will be visible from busy Abrams Road, “a little peaceful nook as you’re driving by,” says Stabile.
And before the garden is completed, the school plans two major events. First, St. Thomas Aquinas will host open houses on Feb. 2 and 3 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. as part of Catholic Schools Week. Families of currently enrolled students and parishioners of the church are invited to attend a special open house on Jan. 31, following the 10 a.m. mass.
Second, the Parent Association will host its annual auction, dance and dinner from 6 p.m. to midnight on Feb. 20. The black-tie optional evening at Union Station will feature the theme “Journey to Rome.” The $45 tickets may be purchased by calling 214-327-1324 or 343-1180.
