This past month we opened our new Delaplaine Rocca Team Center. This new addition to the school has a vastly improved fitness facility for our student-athletes and the general campus community. The team center also has boys’ and girls’ locker rooms to accommodate our teams and visiting teams during competitions. In the spring we will have a special dedication ceremony and honor the generosity of Mr. George Delaplaine and Mr. & Mrs. Leo Rocca.

We are also very busy planning two special construction projects which will allow us to better serve our students. We are planning to add an extension on the school which will provide an expanded cafeteria, a multi-purpose room, four new classrooms and a chapel.  Frederick County is now reviewing the plans and I hope that we have the permits we need by the end of April. The new addition will allow us to serve 320 students.

We are also moving forward with our plans to build a stadium for our football, soccer and lacrosse programs. We will have an artificial turf field with lights for evening competitions and practices. The stadium will provide seating for 800 Viking fans. If all goes well we should begin construction this summer.

Of special note, we will be converting the current music room into a chapel for daily Mass. We will name the chapel after Mother Theresa, now St. Theresa of Calcutta.  Archbishop Lori has given us a generous donation to help with the construction of the chapel. He has also given us a first-degree relic of St. Theresa as well as a painting of her. Both will be displayed in the chapel.

As we begin Lent, I hope this is a period of reflection as we contemplate the mysteries of faith and the beauty and complexity of our world. During Lent, we are encouraging our students, faculty and staff to commit to doing 40 acts of kindness that require their sacrifice and commitment. I hope this is a special time for everyone in the Saint John’s Catholic Prep community.