Courtesy Thomas More Prep-Marian
In order to accommodate the completion of ongoing construction work in Al Billinger Fieldhouse, the 2014 TMP-Marian high school baccalaureate mass and commencement exercises will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 1805 Vine.
In November, the state fire marshal notified TMP the fieldhouse needed to increase the number and location of fire exits to maintain occupancy capacities necessary to host the public events that traditionally held there.
Construction began in early December, and the addition of a new, fire-rated hallway from the gym floor out the east side of the fieldhouse through the wrestling room has adequately addressed the need for increased egress capacity from the floor area. School officials were notified by local authorities that planned events could, once again, be held on the floor of the fieldhouse which now has an occupancy load of 500 persons with tables and chairs, and up to 680 persons with chairs alone.
“This will allow us to, once again, host Mother’s Day Mass and the Auction for Christian Education as scheduled as neither of these events require seating in the bleacher area,” said Advancement Director Jeff Brull.
It was hoped that all work would be completed in time to host several of the scheduled home basketball games in late February, but design changes and availability of necessary components pushed the schedule back. When it became apparent that commencement day may be affected, Principal Kathy Taylor addressed the seniors directly.
“Graduation is very important to me. It’s not something you do for 25 years and not feel a great deal of responsibility for,” she said. As former counselor for the school, Taylor was in charge of most aspects of the planning and execution of commencement for many years.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, one of the stewardship parishes that directly supports Catholic education in Hays, will host the 2014 baccalaureate mass and graduation ceremony for TMP-Marian on May 25.
After making many phone calls, Taylor determined the optimal location to hold baccalaureate mass and the graduation ceremony this year would be Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hays. IHM is a member of the Heartland Parishes that support Catholic education at Holy Family Elementary and TMP-Marian through stewardship and resource sharing. IHM Pastor Kevin Weber has been working with Taylor on the details. At a meeting with senior parents earlier this week, Taylor communicated the plan that had been formulated to that point and asked parents to contribute their thoughts on scheduling and other logistics that would make the day memorable for the graduates.
Graduation day will be held on Sunday, May 25 as initially planned, but event times will change slightly. The baccalaureate mass will be held at noon. The noon Spanish mass ordinarily held by IHM on Sundays will be pushed back to 6 p.m. The graduation ceremony will take place in IHM church at 2 p.m.
Graduation announcements are being reprinted through the generosity of several benefactors so neither the families, nor the school will incur any additional cost. The reprinted announcements will be available to the families of the seniors who ordered them within two weeks.
Seating capacity at IHM accommodates around 1,100 people without any additional chairs set up, so the space is well-equipped to handle the expected audience at both events. Added benefits include air conditioning, more comfortable seating, accessibility, and parking. While some expressed disappointment about the change in venue as a break from tradition, Taylor has received much support and looks forward to a day the seniors can recount with happy memories.
‘Fr. Kevin and Immaculate Heart have been very gracious to open their parish to host these events,” said Taylor. “We will do everything possible to bring the spirit and traditions of our graduation ceremony into Immaculate Heart for this amazing and resilient senior class.”