ENCORE — Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center opened, treasures buried outside

The Word of God is the very basis of what we do here. So if you ask me, that’s reason enough for us not to have a cornerstone in this new building, but instead to make this a part of the foundation.”

Bishop Emeritus John R. Gaydos, Aug. 2, 2005

Items in the Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center time capsule

A book titled Our Story: The First 25 Years of the Jefferson City Diocese, published in 1984 — a 2005 diocesan directory — a CD containing digital photos of the construction process — a current missal for the Mass in English — a commemorative medallion issued by the Vatican for the 150th anniversary of the promulgation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, with an image of Pope John Paul II on one side — a medallion depicting Pope John Paul II opening the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve 1999 for the great Jubilee 2000, with the inscription “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) — a hand-woven Peruvian tapestry from the diocese’s missions in Peru — a missal for the pre-1962 Mass in Latin that was in common use when the diocese was created in 1956 — medals and prayer cards — issues of The Catholic Missourian heralding the pontificates of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and the episcopacies of the diocese’s three bishops — the late Bishop Joseph M. Marling C.PP.S. (1956-69), Bishop Michael F. McAuliffe (1969-96), and Bishop Gaydos — a photo of the late Loretta Neuner, who served as diocesan secretary and then as notary for the diocesan tribunal from 1958 until her death in 2002 — and a chicken bone honoring the late Mr. Schwartze, who operated a chicken hatchery near Westphalia for 30 years.

Prayer cards included: the Immaculate Heart of Mary, patroness of the diocese — “The Memorare,” official prayer of the diocese’s golden jubilee celebration — St. Martin de Pores, patron saint of the diocese’s mission work in Peru — St. Alphonsus Ligouri, the late Mr. Schwartze’s patron saint — Pope Benedict XVI.

Medals included: a Miraculous Medal of Our Lady (including a tag with an explanation and prayers) — Our Lady of Peace — St. Thomas Aquinas, patron saint of Catholic education and the diocese’s former minor seminary — St. Benedict, patron saint chosen by the current Pope.

A plaque on the canister tells the story of the new building and includes a brief biography of Alphonse J. Schwartze.

The copper plaque placed over the airtight canister depicts the Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Jefferson City.

The Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center in Jefferson City was completed 20 years ago. The following report was published in the Aug. 5, 2005, edition of The Catholic Missourian:

Decades from now, worn from millions of footsteps and the abrasive elements of an unpredictable climate, the steps outside the sparking new Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center will be replaced, affording a generation yet unborn a unique look into today’s Church in central and northeastern Missouri.

At that time, workers will uncover an airtight metal container, filled with items representing the Jefferson City diocese’s first half-century of history, as well as two millennia of Christianity and additional epochs of God’s self-revelation.

Bishop John R. Gaydos helped bury the canister in concrete on July 26, while a hefty contingent of diocesan curia, staff and guests prayed and cheered.

“St. Paul tells us that we, the Church, are living stones, with Christ himself the cornerstone,” said Bishop Gaydos before blessing the copper plaque fitted over the buried treasures. “The Word of God is the very basis of what we do here. So if you ask me, that’s reason enough for us not to have a cornerstone in this new building, but instead to make this a part of the foundation.”

Upon that foundation stands the 23,000-square-foot Alphonse J. Schwartze Memorial Catholic Center, a fully accessible, technologically up-to-date, energy-efficient center of Catholic ministry on the grounds of the Cathedral of St. Joseph. The building is the hub from which the bishop and his staff carry out their diocesan functions. It replaces three separate buildings in the 600 block of Clark Avenue.

The three-level center, designed by Christner and Associates of St. Louis and conformed to the natural contours of the site, also contains a chapel and an extra-large conference room.

Joining the bishop in burying the spiritual time capsule were: Jim Wisch, president of WAVCO Construction Co. of Jefferson City, general contractor for the Schwartze Memorial; John Cotton, also of WAVCO Construction; and Emil Schwartz, chairman of the board of directors of the Alphonse J. Schwartze Community Foundation, which paid for the structure.

The ceremonies on the front steps capped-off a day of unpacking and celebrating for the people who work inside the new building. WAVCO Construction and the Schwartze Foundation provided a barbecue luncheon for the curia and staff.

“We feel very much like a people in exodus,” Bishop Gaydos prayed in his grace before the meal. “We recognize this promised moment that you are bringing to us, and the great hope for all who have worked so hard to bring this about: all who have applied their skills of architecture — building and engineering and in so many other ways, those who have provided us with the means to make this dream become a reality. Today, as we move in, we ask you to look upon us from above and bless this undertaking and bless all who come to this place, with peace and light and grace.”

Also present were Mr. Schwartz’s children and two nephews.

Although most of the moving into the building — including more than 1,500 boxes, as well as furniture and file cabinets — was completed by Aug. 2, unpacking throughout the center is ongoing.

Mr. Schwartz, brother of the late Alphonse Schwartze, announced in 2003 that the Schwartze Community Foundation would pay for the new center. He said the diocese’s unique need presented an ideal opportunity for the foundation to do something beautiful for God while honoring the legacy of a man who loved God and the Church very much.

A steel and glass copula, capped by a cross, over the entrance is brightly lit at night and can be seen from an impressive distance.

A ground-breaking ceremony was held the day of the Chrism Mass of 2004, with almost all of the diocese’s priests, curia and staff present.

Sister Ethel-Marie Biri of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, diocesan chancellor, emphasized that beginning anew in a specially designed building presents a tremendous opportunity to promote further collaboration among all diocesan employees and reemphasize a shared mission to advance the Kingdom of God on earth.

“In the course of all this restructuring, we’re committing ourselves not to offices or diocesan departments but to a new and clearer emphasis on ministry,” said Sr. Ethel-Marie. “That is what we are all about, and that is what this physical coming-together under one roof will help us to do.”