FOR YEARS, ST. JOHN the Baptist School in Costa Mesa held competitive sports competitions such as volleyball and basketball, along with P.E. classes outdoors, always at the mercy of weather. Rain and extreme heat would force those activities to be shortened or completely canceled. But that won’t be the case anymore.
FR. PASCAL NGUYEN, O.PRAEM., SPRINKLES HOLY WATER ALONG THE PERIMETER DURING THE GYM BLESSING. PHOTO BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
On Aug. 29, the parish and school community gathered for the official blessing and dedication ceremony for St. John the Baptist’s new gymnasium, marking the completion of a project that was a dream for decades.
“It’s been many years in the making, and we are here to celebrate, truly to celebrate, the fruits of what happens when a community that loves each other as much as we do, when we work together without ceasing,” said Fr. Louis Hagar, O.Praem., a Norbertine priest from St. Michael’s Abbey, which staffs and administers St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. “It’s a very beautiful thing because all good things are given to us for those who ceaselessly or who persevere in their prayers and in their efforts.”
The Right Reverend John Caronan, O.Praem., abbot of St. Michael’s Abbey, performed the blessing and cut the ribbon, granting entry to the gym to all in attendance.
Abbot Caronan and Fr. Pascal Bao Nguyen, O.Praem., St. John the Baptist pastor, then blessed the inside of the new gym.
“This building is the result of the work of many hands,” said Paula Viles, principal of St. John the Baptist School. “But it is also the result of God’s providence and the faithfulness of a community that continued to believe this dream could become a reality. Today is a day for tremendous gratitude.”
The idea to construct a gym first surfaced in the early 1980s, shortly after Viles arrived at the school. Families talked about how much a gym would help the growing campus, but the project never moved beyond a vision. Meanwhile, the school continued to host sports outdoors, stage plays in improvised spaces and hold major events wherever room could be found.
“We would always joke around that we were the ‘blacktop kids’ whenever we would play other Catholic schools, because most of the other Catholic schools had a gym,” said Phillip DiPietro, father of two boys who attend St. John the Baptist and himself a former student at the school. “Some were smaller, some were comparable, some were bigger, but they all had gyms.”
DiPietro recalled the time when assemblies took place in a nearby hall, “which is a very old hall.” Christmas performances had to be held over two nights for lack of space, he said. “So, now I think, depending on how they do it, they’ll probably be able to fit everybody in here,” DiPietro said.
In the early 2000s, longtime parishioner and donor Judith Kelly, mother of six former St. John the Baptist students, began organizing support and fundraising efforts. Endearingly called “Grandma Kelly,” her efforts paid off, and when the school held its groundbreaking ceremony in March 2025, Kelly was handed the first shovel in recognition of her years of work.
“It’s overwhelming,” said Kelly, describing the joy she felt along with the celebration. “I have three boys and three girls, and they all played sports here.”
A bronze plaque recognizing Kelly’s dedication and generosity hangs on the wall in the lobby of the gymnasium.
“This day, this afternoon, the dedication, the blessing of this gym building is very, very important for us because it has been a great source of many years of great encouragement and support to make this happen,” Fr. Hagar said. “So, we thank you for all of that.”