NORTH MANCHESTER — St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, 1203 SR 114E, North Manchester, announced a groundbreaking ceremony for the new, 7,000 square-foot Parrish Hall addition at 10 a.m. Sunday, October 18, immediately following the 9 a.m. Mass.

Pastor Andrew Curry welcomes the North Manchester community to attend the momentous event. “This is a big deal because we are called by Jesus to be missionary disciples, to invite people to come here and meet Jesus and so we need a larger space to experience and celebrate our faith together,” Curry said.

The expansion is a direct result of the growth of St. Robert Bellarmine’s ministry, outreach and service to the community. The additional space is the next step in pursuing this mission. Designs were developed by Malcolm Associates, Claypool. Construction is expected to be completed next summer.

St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church began as a chapel in a Main Street storefront in 1958, offering its first Mass Aug. 3, 1958. The current church building as it stands was dedicated on April 25, 1965. St. Robert Bellarmine has more than 100 families from North Manchester and the surrounding areas. The church also offers a Spanish language Mass at 11:30 a.m. Sundays.