Dallas Priest Secures Pope’s Blessing for New Church Project

URGENT UPDATE: Father Paolo Capra, a priest from Pleasant Grove, Dallas, has successfully obtained a blessing from Pope Leo XIV for a new church project aimed at serving his community. This significant event unfolded on Friday, July 14, 2023, at a cathedral in Istanbul, Turkey, during the Pope’s inaugural foreign visit.

Capra’s heartfelt request was simple yet profound: to bless a single brick that will symbolize the first step in constructing a new church for his parish, the St. Augustine Church. “This stone would like to be the first stone of the new church that we want to build,” Capra stated in an interview with Christopher Lamb, CNN’s Vatican correspondent.

Currently, the St. Augustine Church, located on St. Augustine Road, struggles to accommodate its growing congregation of over 500 members, primarily low-income immigrants from Mexico. With a vision to build a “larger, more beautiful” church, Capra and his parishioners have set an ambitious fundraising goal of $17 million for the first phase of the project.

Renderings of the proposed church illustrate a bright, white sanctuary adorned with a green roof and a prominent cross-topped tower. A glass entryway will feature an anchor-and-cross emblem above the main doors, creating a welcoming atmosphere for the congregation.

As the Pope approached Capra’s group, excitement filled the air. Holding the specially marked brick, which read “First stone,” “St. Augustine,” and “2026,” Capra expressed hope that the Holy Father would bless it. To the cheers of the crowd, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged the brick and blessed it by waving a cross over it, fulfilling Capra’s hopes.

“¡Viva el Papa! ¡Viva el Papa!”

This moment is not just about a blessing; it symbolizes hope and renewal for a community in need. The church’s current facilities are inadequate for its growing population, making this new project a crucial step toward serving its members more effectively.

Looking ahead, the next steps involve launching fundraising initiatives and engaging the community to share in this transformative effort. The parish hopes to break ground soon, with the dream of a new church becoming a reality by 2026.

Stay tuned for further updates as this inspiring story unfolds and the community rallies around this monumental project.