Bishop Peter breaks ground for new chancery building; construction begins this fall.
Bishop Peter F. Christensen, ten-year-old Joseph Ziegler, Jared Schmidt, senior architect with Lombard Conrad Architects (and seven others not pictured) break ground at the Sept. 22 ceremony celebrating the start of the construction phase of the new Chancery office building. (Courtesy Photos/Colton Machado)
By Emily Woodham
Staff Writer
BOISE–The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise was packed on Sept. 22 as hundreds gathered for the Mass and groundbreaking for the new chancery building. Although many were recognized and thanked for their contributions during the chancery’s planning stages, 10-year-old Joseph Ziegler was the guest of honor.
Bishop Peter and Father Germán Osorio, rector at the Cathedral, present Joseph Ziegler with an icon of Our Lady of Tenderness during the 10 a.m. Mass before the ground-breaking ceremony. (ICR photo/Emily Woodham)
“I realize more and more that sometimes we need affirmation in our life,” Bishop Peter Christensen said in his homily. “Sometimes we need direction. Sometimes we need answers. And the ways in which we get encouragement, answers, and direction, oftentimes happens in very unexpected and unplanned ways.”
Bishop Peter cited examples from his seminary years in which people unexpectedly gave him affirmation or direction. When he visited an elderly, dying nun and prayed over her, she was so still that he was convinced she had already passed. As he was leaving her room, he heard a strong woman’s voice saying, “The Lord has called you. The Lord has a plan for you. He will direct you in life. Trust Him in every way.”
When he turned around, he was shocked to see it was the frail nun speaking, sitting up in bed with her arm outstretched and pointing at him.
Another moment came when he was discerning whether to leave the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to study for the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Seattle. One thing after another went wrong as he visited family in Washington to discern where to serve as a priest. He got food poisoning, and the worst snowstorm in decades hit the state. After being sick for three days in his hotel, he went for a walk on the empty streets. Then suddenly, a homeless woman yelled at him: “Go home. Why did you come here?”
Bishop Peter knew the woman’s direction to “Go home” was a clear affirmation that he belonged in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Children inspect the architectural rendering of the new Chancery during the groundbreaking ceremony on September 22. (Courtesy photo/Colton Machado)
An unexpected answer regarding the building of our new chancery, Bishop Peter explained, came from the courage of Joseph Ziegler, a fourth grader at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Boise. In late spring, the Diocese made a presentation to the Boise City Council to build the new chancery building, but the council rejected it. The Diocese appealed in April, but it was denied again. On Aug. 20, the Diocese made its final appeal. If the appeal failed to gain votes in favor of the building, the Diocese would have to cease efforts to build on Diocesan land near the Cathedral.
Drone footage showing the site of the new chancery in relation to St. John’s Cathedral. (Courtesy photo/Robert Dobson)
About 100 people attended the City Council meeting on Aug. 24. Eighteen testified in favor of the new chancery, and four spoke against it. About two-thirds of the way through the speakers, Ziegler raised his hand to speak. After stating his name and age, the ten-year-old told the council that he supported the Diocese’s efforts to build the new chancery.
“I would say that was the pivotal point of this whole decision,” Bishop Peter continued. “It was a miraculous moment in my mind of the unexpected giving a voice to change the course for us. We are so grateful.”
Bishop Peter invited Ziegler to the altar steps to present him with an icon of Our Lady of Tenderness in gratitude for his bold and clear stance at the meeting. The icon was written by the Bishop.
After the Mass, the congregation led by Bishop Peter and the clergy processed to the building site. A celebration with refreshments followed the liturgy dedicating and blessing the property. Bishop Peter, Charles Lawrence, Christian Welp, Dr. Michael and Kirsten Coughlin, Julie Oliver, Joseph Ziegler, Alexis Townsend, Jared Schmidt, Joe Jackson, Cory Wiltshire, and Ken Fisher were chosen for the shovel line at the groundbreaking.
In his remarks Bishop Peter quoted from Isaiah 60:22, which he posted on the door to his garage at home: “When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen.” Two large banners with the Isaian quote were hung at the construction site.
“This is the best time,” Bishop Peter said. Despite the disappointing setbacks at the City Council meetings, the timing is in God’s hands. “A time I would not have chosen, nor would you, but it’s the right time for all kinds of reasons. We move forward, and only do so, with the strength of our Lord. This is the right time.”
Top left: Altar servers process through the celebratory balloon arch onto the site of the new Chancery building. (ICR Photo/Deacon Scott Pearhill) Top right: The assembly gathers for the groundbreaking liturgy. St. John’s Cathedral can be seen in the background. (Courtesy photo/Colton Machado) Bottom right: The congregation at the 10 a.m. Mass processes to the nearby construction site. (Courtesy photo/Colton Machado) Bottom Left: Bishop Peter with the Brown and Dyson families following the groundbreaking ceremony. (Courtesy photo/Colton Machado) Bottom Middle: After the ceremony, three boys continued the groundbreaking. (Courtesy photo/Colton Machado)
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