Construction begins on new Holy Cross Church in West Fargo

The 40-year dream of a new church home for parishioners of Holy Cross Church in West Fargo became a reality when ground was broken on a new church building project for the parish.

The Most Reverend John Folda, Bishop of Fargo, West Fargo Mayor Bernie Dardis, and Reverend Phil Ackerman, Pastor of Holy Cross Church, were on hand on May 16 to turn the first shovel-fulls of dirt, signifying the start of the nearly $18 million project.

Holy Cross Church was established in 1983, and shared a building with Lutheran Church of the Cross in West Fargo until 2015. The construction of a new church is the second part of a two-phase plan to build a parish hall and church just off of Veterans Boulevard in West Fargo. Phase 1 was the construction of a parish hall, offices, and rectory, with the parish hall serving as a temporary church until the new church is built. The St. John Paul II school network built Trinity Elementary on the same site, which also opened in 2015.

The new Holy Cross church was designed to reflect the Romanesque-style of architecture made popular during the early centuries of the Catholic Church, with specific modernizations and updates. Romanesque-style churches feature massive quality, thick walls, round arches, sturdy piers, groin vaults, large bell towers, and symmetrical plans.

The sanctuary, nave, and narthex (gathering space) will be just over 18,000 square feet, with the choir loft/balcony adding an additional 5,700 square feet. New parish offices, meeting rooms, and restrooms will account for another nearly 5,000 square feet, for a total of almost 29,000 square feet. The church and its tower is expected to be a West Fargo landmark, easily visible from Interstate 94 and Veterans Boulevard.

“This is a historic moment for our parish,” said Father Phil Ackerman, pastor of Holy Cross Church. “We have been worshipping in temporary spaces for several years. We are so excited about moving forward as we build our new church! I am so grateful to all our past and present parish members who made this day a reality.”

Principal architects are Zerr Berg Architects of Fargo. Construction Managers for the project will be Mutchler Bartram Architects (MBA) of Fargo. Construction is set to begin the first week of June, with completion sometime in the fall of 2024 or early spring 2025, depending on weather and material availability.