Mortgage goes up in smoke, and St. Helen’s parishioners couldn’t be happier

HUGOTON -- At the Feb. 6 Sunday Mass, St. Helen’s pastor Father Francis Khoi Nguyen and St. Helen’s parishioners celebrated the traditional "Burning of the Mortgage" to decisively signify the total payment of the parish debt for the Husmann Learning Center.

On Feb. 1,1990, during a meeting of the Building Committee of St Helen’s Parish, the members decided on a new building project, the "St. Helen’s Learning Center." Committee members included Monsignor George Husmann, Bill Dale, Leroy Collins, Clayton Gerrond, John Peterson, Gary Rowden, Annette Sosa, Jack Rowden, and Dennis De Witt.

After visiting several CCD facilities in the area, the committee decided that the basic building plan should consist of six classrooms, one meeting room, one room for viewing videos and films, one kitchenette, and restroom facilities. Due to the number of classrooms needed, members decided to eliminate the possibility of remodeling the present parish hall and erect a free-standing building.

The site for the new complex would be south of the church with parking in between it and the church. Various blueprints with different floor plans were submitted by committee members. The present existing floor plan emerged from these drawings, with the help of local architects and contractors.

After meeting with and receiving approval of the building plans with the Diocesan Building Commission, Msgr. Husmann requested in a letter to Bishop Stanley Schlarman dated March 2, 1990, permission to seek bids for the complex. Msgr. Husmann noted that the projected cost of the building was estimated at $140,000, and he also requested both a loan from the diocese and a donation from the Ehrhard Estate.

Bishop Schlarman gave permission to begin to let bids on March 8. Two months later, on May 5, the building committee voted unanimously to hire Cox Construction of Liberal to build the Learning Center. On June 6, the Diocesan Finance Council notified the parish that it had unanimously recommended to the bishop that he approve the loan request and that the bishop had agreed to endorse a loan in the amount of $85,000 for the construction of the St. Helen’s parish religious education building. The project also received a $17,000 donation from the Ehrhard Estate.

Groundbreaking for the 120' x 55' brick veneer building took place in the early summer of 1990, and construction was completed in late spring of the following year.

On May 18,1991, Bishop Schlarman officially dedicated the St. Helens Learning Center. The total cost of construction was $169,875.99, and on July 1,1991, Msgr. Husmann and the St. Helens Finance Council members -- George Orosco, Tom Greenway, Theresa Heger, and Jack Rowden -- signed a mortgage issued by the Diocese of Dodge City in the amount of $68,000, with interest at the variable rate of five percent per year. Semi-annual installments of $3,400 were payable on June 1 and Dec. 1 of each year. The first payment was made on Nov. 19,1991.

In March 1995, following the death of Msgr. Husmann, the name of the center was changed to the "Husmann Learning Center" in honor and memory of the deceased pastor, and a portrait of the Monsignor was hung in the foyer of the Learning Center.