While many parishioners suffered damage from these storms, Sunday, October 6th was a day of great joy and hope, even in the midst of difficult times as Bishop Parkes dedicated and blessed the Bailey Center, the new $ 8 million two-story building that now graces the campus of Christ the King.  First conceived by the parish’s Finance and Pastoral Councils five years ago, this 16,ooo square-foot two-story structure was built with the children and youth of the parish in mind. The Bailey Center replaces two 1950’s era buildings.  The first was the school’s aging cafeteria (which also had a small stage in it). Built in 1958, it had outlived its usefulness and had numerous issues that needed to be addressed.  The second was the youth center which originally was built as a bank but was acquired by the parish in 1996 and converted into a youth center.  It too had a number of issues, but mostly the parish’s vibrant youth ministry program had simply outgrown it.

The Bailey Center was named in honor of Kyle and Michelle Bailey who were the lead donors to the parish’s Celebrate Youth Campaign with a $ 1 million gift.  The first floor of the Bailey Center includes the new St. Thomas More Dinning Hall, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and a new nursery. Three murals, depicting the Garden of Eden, Noah’s Ark, and Jonah and the Whale, adorn the walls of the Nursery. They were painted by Amalia Pena, a graduate of Christ the King School and now a student at Catholic University of America.  Upstairs is the new Mangin Theater and Youth Center.  It features a large stage, dressing rooms, modern sound and lighting as well as flexible space and many areas for small group discussions.  The stunning building was designed by Peter Heptner of Holmes Hepner & Associates Architects and has an elevated walkway that connects to Christ the King School’s Shellman Hall. The project was built by Oman Construction, which led the beautiful expansion of the church five years ago.   Also included in this project was an expansion of the Don Bosco Courtyard and a beautification of the Our Lady of Fatima Garden.  The Donor Wall features three striking tile murals depicting Fr. Luis Cancer, a Dominican who was martyred on the shores of Tampa Bay in 1549 and a candidate for sainthood, St. John Bosco and St. Mary Mazzarello before an image of Mary Help of Christians, and a depiction of the 1959 Blessing of Christ the King School by Archbishop Thomas McDonough.  These murals pay tribute not only to the parish’s history, but its diocesan heritage and Salesian culture as well.  At the top of the wall, inscribed in Latin are the words “Veritas Evangelii et Caritas Christi” (which means the Truth of the Gospel and the Love of Christ).  With the Bailey Center now complete, the north parking lot (where the old youth center once stood) is being expanded to make room for additional (and much need) parking.

Christ the King, which is located on Dale Mabry Hwy in South Tampa, was founded in December 1941 and has grown significantly over the years and currently has over 3,500 families.  Christ the King School, now in its 75th year, is at enrollment capacity of 520 students.  There also are nearly 600 students in the parish’s Religious Education program.  Its Youth Ministry program regularly draws between 40 -100 teens weekly.

Reflecting on the completion of this major project, Fr. Len Plazewski, Pastor of Christ the King, says “It is our hope that this new facility will be a place of great joy and faith for many, many years to come.  Children will eat nutritional meals here daily, students will be able to showcase their musical and drama talents, our youth will gather to deepen and enrich their faith.  I am just so grateful to this wonderful faith community of Christ the King for their wonderful generosity in making our children and youth a priority!”

Nick Tanis, Christ the King Principal, mindful of the school’s Salesian charism said, “Saint John Bosco holds a special place in our history at CKS, particularly the idea that as Catholics we should serve the Lord joyfully. The Bailey Center provides us an opportunity to literally and figuratively serve the Lord by serving our youth through various ministries of our church and school.”

Christ the King’s Youth Minister Flavio Teimouri put it this way, “Every community needs a home to dwell in. I am excited to see the Bailey Center become a home in which our community of teens can rest and have fun, and through that, be led to their true home in the Body of Christ.”