Over the past few weeks, many of you have asked me the same question:
“What still needs to be done before we can move into our new parish home?”
I thought I’d answer by taking you somewhere most people never get to go: Behind the construction fence.
When you drive past the Cathedral, you see the progress. What you don’t see are the countless hours spent meeting with contractors, reviewing bids, walking the job site, coordinating inspections, and making hundreds of decisions to keep construction moving forward.
And there is one thing I never want you to wonder:
What happens to my donation?
Your gift doesn’t disappear into a vague construction fund. Every dollar has a purpose. Every expense is carefully reviewed. Every contract is negotiated.
From the beginning, we have worked tirelessly to secure the highest-quality work at the best possible price. In today’s South Florida construction market—with rising material costs and shortages of skilled labor—that has not been easy.
But every dollar we save is another dollar that can go directly toward completing our Cathedral campus.
So today, I want to show you exactly what some of the remaining work costs.
CULTURAL CENTER–PARISH HALL
Masonry, trusses & framing for the addition — $208,135
Steel & granite roof to match the Cathedral — $94,700
HVAC system — $215,900
Electrical work & fixtures — $85,000
Plumbing, toilets & fixtures — $111,500
Fascia, eaves & soffit — $7,000
These aren’t wish-list items. They are just some of the real projects we are working to complete so we can open the doors of our permanent parish home.
And right now, every dollar you give toward these costs is doubled.
A group of generous benefactors has committed to match every gift, dollar for dollar, up to $500,000.
That means a $100 gift becomes $200.
A $1,000 gift becomes $2,000.
A $5,000 gift becomes $10,000.
One day, no one will think about the electrical wiring hidden behind the walls or the plumbing beneath the floors. No one will notice the air ducts that were installed last week—they’ll simply walk into the Hall and be cool and comfortable.
And the stage that one of our own parishioners, a master craftsman, carefully framed will simply feel strong and sturdy beneath the feet of our children as they dance their Slavic dances.
These are the things hidden behind the construction fence today. But soon, they will become part of everyday life in our parish home.
People will see a vibrant Orthodox Cathedral Complex filled with prayer, families, children, fellowship, and new people discovering the beauty of the Orthodox Faith and Slavic culture.
That is what we are building together.
And when that construction fence finally comes down, what we have worked and prayed for will become our permanent parish home.
Thank you for believing in this vision and for trusting us with your gifts. And thank you for helping us build something that, God willing, will serve generations to come.
P.S. If you have been thinking about making a gift toward our Cultural Center–Parish Hall, this is an especially important moment. Every gift made during our $500,000 Matching Gift Campaign is doubled—bringing us that much closer to being Home for Nativity. We cannot do it without you!
