Pope John XXIII

Catholic School Community

School Building Plan

New PJXXIII Gymnasium/Community Center Building

We are happy to announce that we will begin construction on the new Pope John XXIII Gymnasium/Community Center building in May, 2010. Planning has been under way for several years and we have finished the architectural plans. The building construction will take approximately nine months, with major construction occurring in the summer.

PJ Gym from NEThis new building will be located where the current blacktop playground is today, preserving the entire field for outdoor sports and activities. The building will feature a full-size basketball court and can be used for a variety of other sports and other activities. The main floor will have fold-out bleachers on one side. It can also be used as two smaller basketball courts for P.E. activities.

The building includes a full-sized theater-quality stage at the north end for drama activities, concerts and other major events (graduation, Holy Day overflow Masses, etc.). The main floor will seat approximately 400 people with round tables and over 700 people with chairs and arranged in rows.

The gymnasium/community center building will also include Physical Education offices, equipment and theater storage rooms, locker rooms, table/chair storage, and a lobby at the front entrance. A great deal of consideration and planning has gone into the design of this facility to best support multiple purposes for the shool and St. Bernadette parish.

View the Gymnasium Building Floor Plan and see 3-D Sketches of the Building.

Frequently Asked Questions

Parish and School Master Building Plan

Since our school officially became part of the St. Bernadette Parish last year, we have created a unified Master Building Plan plan for the expansion of both Pope John XXIII school and St. Bernadette Parish facilities.  All of this plan is expected to be completed in the next eight years. The Master Plan includes the following phases:

Phase 1

  • Revised Master Site Plan
  • Gymnasium/Community Center
  • Entry onto Kings Avenue

Phase 2

  • Design and construction of church
  • Relocation of church building pad
  • Expansion of Parish office
  • Reconfiguration of parking

Phase 3

  • Second levels on school administrative and multipurpose buildings

Phase 4

  • Renovation of Parish Hall

To develop this plan, Fr. Pete has brought together representatives from the parish and school administrations, the building committee, parish finance council and school finance committee, parish council and school advisory board and the parish community. The Buildings and Property department for the Diocese of Phoenix also provides guidance and technical assistance.

Gymnasium Building Capital Campaign

This building will cost approximately $2.1 million. The building fund for the school gymnasium/community center currently has $1.3 million in unrestricted funds, donor-restricted funds and pledges. We need approximately $800,000 in additional funds to break ground and begin construction. No debt will be used to fund this major addition to our school.

We will be starting a formal Capital Development Campaign to raise the remaining funds to for the construction of the gymnasium/community center building. For more information about this program, please contact Rachel Collins, Development Director, at 480-905-0939.