Letter from Fr. Enrique

July 26, 2005

Dear Holy Spirit Parishioners,

When I was invited to come to Pocatello by the Bishop, I was told that the Holy Spirit Parish was in the middle of a study to explore the possibility of building a new church. Since my arrival, I have observed the Pastoral Council, Building Task Force and Finance Council all considering both building new and remodeling. All of these parish leadership groups have considered many factors in their recommendations to build a new church, including the recommendations of an architectural firm specifically hired to investigate the possibilities of using our existing properties.

After careful consideration, the Pastoral Council has approved the motion that a new church in a different place, other than the current facilities, has to be explored. This exploration entails: a) Looking for property which the Diocese will purchase for us. We will not have to pay the Diocese for the land until we use what we need for our purposes. b) Conducting a feasibility study, which is a kind of referendum, to see if we can afford to build or not. c) Researching the possibility of building a new school next to the new church, which would be the ideal situation, or for the school to remain where it is now utilizing the St. Anthony church building for expansion. d) Building a new church that can seat around 850 people with the possibility to expand for overflow and future growth.

I feel we are placing our parish community at risk if we do not adequately prepare for the future. My own experience of bringing three parishes together and building one new church in Caldwell was very positive. As a result of bringing these communities together, the Mass attendance, contributions and ministry involvement has increased significantly. If we continue to delay moving ahead, we do a disservice both to our own local community and to the diocese by selfishly constraining the effective allocation of personnel across the diocese. Also there are many in our parish community who are growing impatient with the lack of progress in building one new church. By engaging in a re-analysis of all the options that have already been considered, we could cause further frustration.

I would like to invite all of you to take part in our discernment process. As you know, myself and the parish leadership have made the commitment that the St. Joseph church building will remain in our parish community. We also have made the commitment not to abandon anyone in our community. Even with the church located at one site, ministry to the people in the neighborhoods can and will continue. I would appreciate your help in building a church that will honor both our predecessors and our successors by creating a reverent liturgical space that all Holy Spirit parishioners can be proud of.

Fr. Enrique Terriquez