COLUMBIA, S.C. — An addition is coming to one of Columbia's more historic churches to address continued growth and expansion.
Father Gary Linsky at the Basilica of Saint Peter Church says he's joyfully preparing to welcome a new construction to his church. This week, construction began on a new $8.2 million facility on their property.
He said the addition will be a "three story, roughly 17,000 square foot building adjacent to our school."
"We'll have more classroom space, a multimedia center, but what I'm very excited about is we will have a third floor dedicated for youth," he added. "For example, our confirmation class has over 48 kids in it," he adds, "[the funding] is all coming from our people; we already have roughly $6.2 million in the bank, we have a loan for the rest, and hopefully maybe, God willing we will be able to open it without debt."
The new construction is just another step in the church's centuries-old history. The parish was established in 1821, and in the early 1900s, it became a beacon for Irish Catholic workers who dug the Columbia Canal. Linksy said that since taking a hit because of the pandemic, Saint Peter's is now seeing growth, adding to the need for an addition.
"Our activities are burgeoning, meaning that we are overwhelming the capacity of the buildings that we currently have," he said.
He said he wishes the new construction will be a light and continue spreading the gospel.
"Where there is love, there is God, and we pray that this basilica, this edifice, is filled with people who desire the love of God," he said.
Since the actual basilica is in the historic registry, Linsky said the building will not be touched during construction and will remain as it stands. A rendering of the building is available in this video.