St. Mary’s Catholic School Parish Hall

Belen, NM

St. Mary’s Catholic School has been a ministry of Our Lady of Belen Parish since 1927, and many families’ roots run deep in the church and school.

As years passed and needs changed, the combined social hall/gym/cafeteria facility became outdated and difficult to maintain. The Parish decided that a new Parish Hall was needed. The goal of the project was to create a cafeteria and gymnasium for the school and a banquet hall for the parishioners. By locating all three functions within the same building, construction costs were reduced and the sense of shared community was enhanced.

Visitors access the three main assembly spaces through the shared foyer. The gym and the cafeteria open directly to secured playgrounds and a covered patio. The beauty of the facility is that three different events, such as physical education class, student lunch hour and a church social, can be held concurrently in the three different assembly spaces without acoustical, visual or scheduling disruptions.