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STEUBENVILLE -- Franciscan University of Steubenville on Wednesday celebrated the fruits of its capital fundraising campaign: The completion of a new academic hall and conference center that will begin use this fall.
Expressions of gratitude, a blessing and a ribbon cutting marked the opening of Franciscan's $59 million Christ the Teacher Academic Hall and multi-purpose Pope St. Paul VI Conference Center. Franciscan's first new academic hall on campus in more than 20 years, the 110,797-square-foot building will house the university's nursing, business and engineering and computing departments.
The building -- which features a tiered lecture hall, nursing skills labs, specialized engineering labs, a chapel, communal study areas, an exterior plaza and a cafe -- was financed by Franciscan's Rebuild My Church Capital Campaign, which launched with a $75 million goal in 2021, the university's 75th anniversary. Donors surpassed that goal in six months, resulting in two subsequent increases to the current goal of $110 million.
Bob Hickey, Franciscan's vice president of advancement, called building's opening a "momentous day" for the university, one that seemed "impossibly far away" back in 2021.
"But here we are," Hickey said, "poised to celebrate the ribbon cutting ceremony of Christ the Teacher Hall and Pope St. Paul VI Conference Center and to let these beautiful facilities begin to fulfill their purpose in our education mission.
"We could not have reached this milestone without the help of many Franciscan University family members, benefactors, alumni, board of trustees, friars, faculty, staff and our president, (the Rev. Dave Pivonka, TOR). Together you have made this day possible through your courage, faithful support and generosity for which I and my team are deeply, deeply grateful."
Mickey Pohl, the capital campaign's chairman, noted his original hesitancy to participate in the campaign when Pivonka first approached him, as the lawyer preparing for retirement. However, as Jesus and his band of 12 friends prove, "God picks the unlikely to do almost the impossible, but if you trust the Holy Spirit, ... good things just seem to happen, and it's happening in Steubenville, and this is just the latest milestone along the way."
The university has "only just begun" to flourish, Pohl said, recalling how previous fundraising goals have been exceeded.
"We don't want to be talking anymore about just surviving. ... We want to have a 200-year (timeline) where (Franciscan) will be recognized the world over as one of the brightest lights in the world of Catholic education," Pohl said, adding that individuals he's talked with abroad recognize the university.
Pohl thanked those who made the building project possible, including students, who he said set a great example and deeply impress visitors. He also thanked donors large and small, as well as his wife, for encouraging him to volunteer as the campaign chairman.
Christin Jungers, dean of the school of professional programs, recalled how academic space was a premium around 2019, when Pivonka, a university alumnus, became Franciscan's president. It was Pivonka, she said, who took action to improve students' campus experience.
Jungers thanked donors for their generosity that gave life to the building project, an undertaking that led to inconveniences on campus but ultimately strengthened the university community's trust in God.
Additionally, Jungers read statements from the nursing, business and engineering department chairs, who spoke about the new opportunities they believe the new academic hall will bring.
Pivonka noted Christ the Teacher itself is a "testimony of faith and reason," based on its double-winged design and the dual functions of the academic facilities and conference center.
The building's name, Pivonka said, comes from the Bible's most common title for Jesus and compliments the name of the university's primary worship space, Christ the King Chapel, which is currently being renovated through the capital campaign. The conference center is named after Pope Paul VI, who wrote several influential papal encyclicals and presided partly over the Second Vatican Council.
Pivonka said he's grateful for the donations that made the building possible and added that the capital campaign has once again exceeded its fundraising goal, with $110.4 million currently raised.
Before the ribbon was cut, Pivonka prayed over the building and sprinkled it with blessed water. Afterward, attendees were invited inside for tours.
Entering from the building's west doors, individuals are greeted by a large icon of Christ the Teacher, painted by university alumnaAmber Knorr. Displayed nearby is an interactive donor recognition board. In the hall itself is the main staircase, adjacent to which is a portrait of the Holy Spirit, also by Knorr.
Across the entire three-story building are 12 new classrooms, 14 labs for engineering and nursing, 37 faculty offices, two shared adjunct offices, several administrative support space, 34 admissions and enrollment management offices, several board rooms and numerous study spaces.
The first floor houses the business department, Center for Leadership and the Well Café. Also on the first floor is the Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel, which will be open to students, faculty and staff for prayer and occasional eucharistic adoration. The chapel will house a reliquary, containing the sacred relics of saints representing the building's three academic departments.
In addition to housing all of the university's admissions and enrollment services, Christ the Teacher's ground floor is home to the department of engineering and computing, as well as a full-service kitchen to serve the cafe and other catering needs.
The second floor houses the nursing department, which is equipped with a total of nine simulation beds spread among four labs.Students can practice using training mannequins that are designed to represent different genders or life stages and can manifest a variety of conditions.
The Pope St. Paul VI Conference Room can hold up to 500 people for presentations and 325 for banquets. The space can be separated into five smaller rooms and will be used for academic and religious conferences, music events and other affairs.
A few items remain to be unfinished, including a decorative quote from Pope St. Paul VI, which will go in the conference room, and an exterior fountain.
Construction on Christ the Teacher has been ongoing for more than 515 workdays, utilizing several hundred workers over that time. In total, more than 50 contractors and suppliers were involved in the project, and construction management was performed by Pittsburgh-based Rycon Construction.