By Sue Denny • Posted July 14, 2026

Every Monday morning, volunteers from St. Maria Goretti Parish in Hatfield, Montgomery County prepare 700 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the basement of a 70-year-old former convent.

Since the parish began its “Bread Drop” ministry in October 2025, the number of sandwiches has doubled as donations of bread, peanut butter, and jelly have increased. Bagged lunches are distributed through Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Souderton to homeless shelters in the five-county region of Philadelphia.

The chairman of St. Maria Goretti’s Capital Campaign Committee likes to imagine what volunteers will be able to do from a modern, commercial kitchen in a new parish center for which the parish is raising funds.

“I am truly amazed at the ability of our parishioners to have vibrant ministries with the quality of the facilities we have now,” said Kim Staudt, who chairs both the steering and building committees. The parish has 50 ministries.

When the state-of-the-art project is completed, “the possibilities are endless,” Staudt said.

The planned two-story 15,500-square-foot structure will provide modern spaces for worship, social activities, and service.

“I would like the new parish center to become the heart of the parish community (besides the church), a welcoming space where people of all ages can grow in faith, build friendships, serve others, and encounter Christ,” said Father John C. Nguyen, known as Father Chung,  who just marked 10 years as pastor.

At least 75 percent of the $7.5 million project cost is required before construction can begin. As of early June, about 450 families have pledged $3.7 million toward the capital campaign launched in 2025. Less than $2 million is needed before breaking ground.

Work on the center will take approximately 14 months, beginning with the razing of the former convent.

“The only thing holding us up is money,” Staudt said. A retired partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, he is also chairman of the parish Finance Council. He and his wife, Maureen, have been members of the parish for more than 30 years.

The new parish center is scheduled to open before the end of 2028, in time for the parish’s 75th anniversary celebration.

The former convent has served as the parish center since the departure of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The 14-acre property also includes the church, rectory, and former parish school that was converted to an education center after the school closed in 2012.

The replacement parish center will house flexible meeting space and a social hall with a commercial kitchen and, like the education center’s Drexel Hall, banquet seating for 250. A conference room and office space for the pastor and parish staff will be located on the second floor.

The entrance will be about 30 feet from the church, and a covered walkway will connect the two buildings. The proximity was intentional because of the various activities scheduled on Sundays, including a monthly social following Mass.

Meetings and other events are also currently held in the outdated education center, the renovation of which was deemed not financially feasible.

The 1960-era concrete block building has numerous shortcomings, Staudt said, including no air conditioning, poor acoustics, Lack of handicap accessibility,  And inadequate plumbing and electrical systems.

“If we plug in two coffee makers at the same time, the circuit breaker is tripped,” Staudt said. “We need to bring in portable generators to run basic equipment to hold a banquet.” Food must be prepared off site.

The parish has recently ramped up fundraising efforts with a letter to parishioners from the pastor, who wrote: “My hope is that this project becomes something most of our parish family takes part in,” adding that 75 to 85 percent participation by parishioners “would be a beautiful sign of unity and shared mission.”

The growing parish, with a vibrant Vietnamese community, has more than 3,000 registered families, of which about half are active.

Proceeds from upcoming activities will support the capital campaign:

• Bingo nights are held in Drexel Hall monthly, excluding July due to the summer heat. The next Bingo Night is Aug. 27; doors open at 5 p.m., and play begins at 6:30 p.m.
• The annual Gorettifest on Sept. 11 will feature food trucks, beer garden, music, children’s games and activities.

Learn more about the capital campaign at StMariaGoretti.net.

Meanwhile, 20 or so dedicated volunteers will continue their weekly efforts to help feed the Philadelphia metro area’s needy, said parish “Bread Drop” organizer Ida D’Emilia-Perrault. She’s looking forward to the addition of a much-needed elevator for parishioners who may lack mobility.

“If we have a better facility, we’ll get more volunteers — that’s a given. Of course, the program will grow. And, more room will make our work easier,” she said. “If that’s in God’s plan, that’s what it will be.”