By Vanesa Brashier, editor@bluebonnetnews.com
St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Cleveland celebrated the groundbreaking of a new church building on Sunday at its new site at 904 Kirbywood Drive. The 13,000-square-foot building is Phase 1 in a multi-phase master plan on the Church’s 197-acre property, which was once Kirbywood Golf Course.
The building, slated to be completed early next year, will serve as a sanctuary until a new sanctuary is built in Phase 2. At that time, the building will be converted into a parish hall.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, one of the fastest-growing parishes in the Diocese of Beaumont, is bursting at the seams as the population in Cleveland continues to boom.
Bishop Curtis Guillory with the Diocese of Beaumont blessed the site and the 100 or so parishioners who gathered for the groundbreaking, which was also attended by Cleveland City Manager Kelly McDonald, Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn McWaters, Councilwoman Marilyn Clay, Councilman Fred Terrell and EDC Director Robert Reynolds. Father Vincent Alexius, who leads St. Mary’s, helped Guillory officiate the ceremony.
“My brothers and sisters, this afternoon we celebrate a right in which we ask God’s blessing on this site where a church will be built. We ask God to bless us, His People, and all who will be working on this site,” Guillory said.
Guillory reminded church members that the project is a collaborative effort between them and the Diocese of Beaumont, and will require sacrifices of people’s time, efforts and donations to the church.
“Let us continue to work hard, pray hard and give hard to make this a place of worship, place of remembrance and a place of thanksgiving to our Almighty God,” he said.
The building was designed by TurnerDuran Architects of Houston and will be built by Paradigm Construction of The Woodlands. With the land-clearing complete, the next step is earthwork, which will be followed by foundation and concrete work. The project includes a large paved parking lot on the south side of the church.
A new access road from the property to FM 787 should be completed around the time the same time as the church.
Dirt is officially turned at the groundbreaking for St. Mary’s Catholic Church’s new building at 904 Kirbywood Drive in Cleveland. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Sunday afternoon. 
Bishop Curtis Guillory walks through and blesses the parishioners and site of the future St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 904 Kirbywood Drive in Cleveland. 
Parishioners gathered Sunday for the groundbreaking for the new St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 904 Kirbywood Drive in Cleveland. 
St. Mary’s Catholic Church will open this new building next year that will serve as a sanctuary. The Cleveland parish is one of the fastest-growing parishes in the Diocese of Beaumont. In 2016, the Diocese purchased a 197-acre tract off of Kirbywood Drive that once was the site of Kirbywood Golf Course. After the purchase, officials with the Beaumont Diocese said that only 70 acres of the tract would be needed for the church; the rest were expected to be sold to developers. 
A band performed Spanish hymns at the groundbreaking for St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Cleveland on Sunday.