Fresh off their MAIS state football championship last year, the St. Joseph Catholic School athletic department has big plans to be better than ever.
On Thursday, the school broke ground for construction of a new athletic complex including a major expansion of the gym. This project will add over 4,700 square feet to the rear of the existing gym and include new and expanded locker room for the boys and girls basketball, soccer, baseball and softball teams. The complex will feature separate training and recovery rooms for athletes and school trainers to minimize injury but enhance performance. A major new entryway for the public will be added which will include an expanded concessions area, additional bathrooms and ticket booth. The new entryway will also showcase past and current championships with a Hall of Champions featuring trophy cases for the Fighting Irish championship teams.
“One of the biggest things is now we will be able to host state tournaments, either North State or South State tournaments which should be a pretty big help bringing more sports fans into our community,” St. Joseph athletic director John Baker said.
Once all equipment, lockers and fixtures are installed the overall project represents nearly a $1,500,000 capital improvement to the school campus.
Fighting Irish coaching staff will enjoy new and larger offices plus much larger storage rooms for equipment and sports gear. The new athletic complex will allow St. Joseph Catholic School to host regional and state tournaments in a variety of sports, not just basketball, and bringing more sports fans to our community. Another addition will allow for storage of booths, games and equipment for the St. Joseph Parish Fair, which is the longest parish fair in the state of Mississippi.
The architect for the project is Joseph Orr from Jackson and the General Contractor is Harris Construction, LLD with many local subcontractors completing various phases including, civil engineering and HVAC. The first phase of construction has already commenced with a completion date of December 2023.
During the ceremony, St. Joseph Principal Craig Mandolini thanked all of those who helped make the project possible, including Father Sanchez who is the St. Joseph pastor; Parker Lipscomb who is the President of the St. Joseph Catholic School Finance Council; Ken Purvis who is head of the St. Joseph Catholic School Church Finance Council; John Baker, who is the athletic director; Joseph Orr, the architect; David Harris, the contractor; Ricky Deangelo who is the Development Director of St. Joseph Catholic School; Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons; Carl McGee, the president of the Washington County Board of Supervisors; Greenville City Councilman Bill Brozovich; and Phil Mansour who leads the St. Joseph Catholic Shcool Athletic Association.
The money for the project was donated by former parishioner Salvador Sarullo, who bequeathed a large portion of his estate to St. Joseph parish. Since Sarullo’s passing in 2018, St. Joseph parish has worked hard to preserve the legacy of Sarullo’s gift, while embarking on multiple projects to spread the Good News of the Gospel and support those in need in the Greenville community. The church is currently in an extensive remodel on improvements to the interior of the Victorian-Gothic style church including the complete re-plastering of interior walls, artwork and murals painted throughout the sanctuary, including the ceiling.
