The ribbon is cut for officially opening the new Hilton Learning Center and the McCarthy Gymnasium at St. Paul the Apostle School in Los Angeles. Pictured are Richard Billups, principal of St. Paul the Apostle School (far left); Rick Caruso of the Caruso Family Foundation; Sister Stella Maria Enright, DMJ, former principal; Kathleen McCarthy-Kostlan of the Thomas & Dorthy Leavey Foundation; Steven Hilton of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; Auxiliary Bishop Edward Clark of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; and Father Eric Andrews, CSP, president of the Paulist Fathers. (Courtesy St. Paul the Apostle School)

The outside of the newly dedicated Hilton Learning Center at St. Paul the Apostle School in Los Angeles.

New backpacks, pencils and notebooks are the norm for students heading back to school. The 540 students at St. Paul the Apostle School in Los Angeles are having an exciting back-to-school exuberance.

“They are jumping with joy,” said Richard Billups, principal. And they have every reason to be.

Bishop Edward W. Clark, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, celebrated the September 7th Mass and led the dedication of the new Hilton Learning Center and the McCarthy Gymnasium at St. Paul the Apostle School. Paulist President, Father Eric Andrews was on hand to concelebrate.

This celebration was “a wonderful culmination of six-and-a-half years of a labor of love,” said Father John Ardis, CSP, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle.

The need for the new facilities was so great, Father Ardis said, that many parishioners, school families, alumni and friends of SPA contributed to this $21 million project, spearheaded by generous contributions from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation and the Caruso Family Foundation, according to Father Ardis.

In addition, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles mandated a new policy which requires an additional $4 million to be placed in a restricted endowment to ensure that all of the capital improvements will be covered for the next 40 years.

Hundreds gather at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Los Angeles for the Mass that celebrated the dedication of the new learning center and gymnasium at the parish school Sept. 7.

“This endowment will assure that those pastors following me for years to come will not have to be concerned with major maintenance projects on these two buildings,” Father Ardis explained. “At this point we have $23.6 million committed in gifts and pledges. We will strive to conclude this $25 million campaign within a year so that the parish can address many additional projects that are under consideration. The construction of the new 35,000 square foot learning center and 7,150 square foot gymnasium began approximately fifteen months ago, replacing the outdated and undersized middle school building.

These state-of-the-art facilities include three additional classrooms featuring the latest interactive educational technology as well as a learning resource and media center. Each full-time educator now has his or her own classroom.

Father Jimmy Hsu, CSP, visits the media center in the new buildings at St. Paul the Apostle School in Los Angeles.

“The size of the classrooms are larger,” Father Ardis noted. “The size of the previous classrooms were inadequate for junior high students.”

The new gym now replaces the students’ lunch pavilion on the parking lot.

“[The students] can’t wait to get in there,” said Mr. Billups, stating that the gym floor needed additional time to settle at the time of the dedication. The gym will allow students to play sports and engage in recreational activities on campus all year round. Additionally, it will be the center of many community and parish events in the evening, on weekends and when school is not in session. The gym is also a neighborhood emergency shelter if a disaster should strike.

“These facilities will serve the community for many years to come,” said Father Ardis.

Father John Ardis, CSP, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church (left); associate pastor Father Joe Scott, CSP; associate pastor Father Jimmy Hsu; Bishop Edward Clark of Los Angeles; and Deacon Danny Amos gather for a photo op after the blessing of the new buildings at St. Paul the Apostle School in Los Angeles.

These new buildings are unique, especially to Catholic grade schools that usually don’t have the space or funds for such projects, according to Mr. Billups. “I am blown away by these facilities, it is absolutely amazing,” he said.

The Paulist Fathers and the Daughters of Mary and Joseph established St. Paul the Apostle School in 1935. It is now the only Catholic elementary school on the west side of Los Angeles, and one of only four schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to offer two classes of every grade.

Sister Stella Maria Enright, former St. Paul’s principal who has worked at the school for 47 years, believes the power of daily prayers by the St. Paul students played a very real role in bringing this vision to life.

Father John Ardis, CSP, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church, stands by the meeting space that bears his name in the new learning center at the parish school.