Here We Go!!!

STA Breaks Ground on New Academic Building

 That was the common refrain heard on Wednesday among students, faculty, parents, alumni, and community members who make up the family of Saint Thomas Aquinas Regional Catholic High School.  The STA family gathered on Wednesday, April 30 to break ground and bless the site of its new academic building.  Bishop Robert W. Muench, Superintendent Melanie Verges, STA Chaplain Father Randy Cuevas, and the priests and deacons of our area joined the students in prayers of thanksgiving for the start of this long-awaited project.  

As he sprinkled the site with holy water and blessed it, Bishop Muench drew cheers from the student body by claiming that since the site is now blessed that only A's will come from it. He congratulated the Class of 2014 because they will never take a class in this building, yet they led the student body in the charge for fundraising and never let up.  The student body alone donated more than $12000 toward the building Campaign by paying to wear spirit dress rather than their uniforms during several weeks in the fall. 

When complete, the building will house eight classrooms, two science labs, and some administrative offices.  Additionally there will be a new access road on the northwest side of the campus that leads to Patti Road. 

"We cannot thank this community enough," said Principal Jose Becerra. "They believed in STA and we never stopped until we won.  Bishop Muench told our students three years ago that this building would mean so much more if we earned it ourselves, and he was right.  We worked for it and we did it."

Pictured from left are contractors Frank Arthur and Frankie Anzalone; architech Andrew Gasaway; STA Chaplain Father Randy Cuevas; Bishop Robert Muench; Superintendent Melanie Verges; Campaign Honorary Chairpersons Lillian Maurin, Ruth Naquin, and Ray Naquin, and STA Principal Jose Becerra.  The Bishop is holding a shovel that was used on October 2, 1985 in the original groundbreaking ceremony for STA.