MILESTONE FOR NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL

This weekend is a special time in the life of the extended family of Notre Dame High School. Having raised or secured firm, multiyear pledges of more than $6 million, a truly remarkable commitment for this community, the new school took shape over the last year. This is the largest building project in the history of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church.

Students began classes in the new building last month. And today the bishop arrives. We welcome Bishop John Leibrecht to town.

Bishop Leibrecht is here to lead a service of consecration of the new building that begins this afternoon at 2 o'clock. Appropriate remarks will be made by dignitaries who played key roles in building the new school.

Special recognition must go to a few key leaders who made it happen. These include, but aren't limited to, Notre Dame's principal, Sister Mary Ann Fischer, and fund appeal leaders Steve Dirnberger and Hillary Schmittzehe, together with the James and Wanda Drury family, who donated the 40-acre tract. The building absolutely wouldn't have been completed in the tight time frame that permitted school to open this fall without the leadership of developer Bob Drury and construction chief Martin Jansen of Columbia Construction. Jansen's on-site superintendent was Donnie Bond, who did a superb job bringing it to completion on time.

This is a proud day for all. We wish the entire Notre Dame family well and congratulate them all on this memorable milestone in the life of their school and our community.