Bishop Solis blesses new addition at St. Olaf School

IC Photo/Linda Petersen

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Bishop Oscar A. Solis welcomes the St. Olaf Catholic School community as well as members of the Bountiful community to the dedication of the new St. Olaf Catholic School addition. Seated at left are Father Andrzej Skrzypiec, pastor, and Deacon Scott Dodge.

BOUNTIFUL — March 18 was a joyous day for the St. Olaf Catholic School community as they joined Bishop Oscar A. Solis in celebrating the dedication of a new 16,000 square-foot addition.

“Welcome to this historic moment in this community of St. Olaf Church here in Bountiful,” Bishop Solis said as he greeted those in attendance. “Every time something new comes in order to give benefit to the people living in this place, it is a tremendous blessing.”

He acknowledged the presence of notable members of the wider community, including Bountiful Mayor Kendalyn Harris, City Manager Gary Hill and local leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“As we gather today to bless the new addition to St. Olaf Catholic Elementary School, we recognize the heart of this school is the gateway to the mental, moral and the spiritual development of the youth of this parish community,” the bishop said. “Today we celebrate a blessed triumph … [for] the school, the parish, the parents, the pastors, the teachers and other members of this faith community of St. Olaf.”

The airy, window-filled new extension is designed in the form of a cross, with one end facing the main school, a second facing St. Olaf Catholic Church and the third the parish rectory.

“It will be the center of our campus and our community,” Principal Simon McFall said of the addition.

The new building features four classrooms, each with a capacity of 30 students, offices and new restrooms for students and faculty. The great room just a short distance from the main doors is used for daily prayer, as a lunch room and for school and parish functions. Outside, an east-facing courtyard can be used as an amphitheater for musical performances. An indoor alcove designed as a quiet space for students features an upper window that showcases the church’s steeple.

At the head of the great room is a large circular window. Peter Ruplinger, a local artist, has donated a custom stained-glass window that will feature an image of St. Olaf looking down on his namesake school. It is expected to be installed shortly, McFall said.

The school has waited a long time for the blessing of the new addition, McFall said. The capital campaign for the extension was launched 16 years ago.

“I am humbled to stand before you today as the person who gets to be here when we finally get to achieve the dreams of 2008,” he told those in attendance. “It is truly my honor to stand on the shoulders of the many giants who came before me. We come together not just to celebrate the physical expansion of our school but the growth of the community and the fulfillment of a dream that began over two decades ago.”

McFall expressed appreciation for all those who had contributed in any way “to bring this vision to life,” including members of the capital campaign and construction committees; former pastor Father Rene Rodillas, who died unexpectedly in 2020; and Father Andrzej Skrzypiec, the parish’s current pastor.

In addition to fundraising by the school community, the new extension was made possible by a donation from the ALSAM Foundation.