A group of Catholic faithful in the Pooler area, the Pooler Catholic Community, has been raising money to build a facility in the Pooler area.

Corpus Christi Catholic Mission now plans to kick off the eight-month construction process with a ground blessing and a groundbreaking. The ceremony, led by Bishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM, Conv. of the Diocese of Savannah, will be held at the construction site located at 1745 Benton Blvd. off Pooler Parkway on Sunday, April 22 at 2 p.m.

The ceremony, which consists of prayers, scripture readings, hymns and the Blessing of the Water, is based on the Catholic Rite of the Blessing of a New Church Building Site.

The $4.2 million project is expected to be complete by early December 2018. The new 17,000-square-foot parish multipurpose building will be used for worship, pastoral offices and religious education until a sanctuary is built at an unspecified time in the future.

Felder & Associates was selected as the lead architect and R. W. Allen was chosen as a commercial general contractor for the project.

The Pooler Catholic Community, led by the Rev. Thomas J. Murphy, was founded on May 2, 2015, and the first Mass was held in a rented space at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church. Corpus Christi is a mission of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Port Wentworth where Father Murphy is the pastor.