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Page 2 of 4 In early 1968, the parishioners urged the Archdiocese to purchase the lot (two acres plus a small frame house) immediately east of the rectory. They believed the original plot was too small to accommodate the rapid growth of the parish. The Archdiocese declined to increase the amount of the parish debt, so a small group of parishioners organized a non-profit corporation, The Auxilium Foundation. This foundation conducted a fund drive and purchased the lot. Later that fund was donated to the Archdiocese. Following Father Paul Kalleta's untimely death on Christmas night of 1974, Father Joseph A. O'Brien was made pastor in the spring of 1975. Under his direction the Incarnate Word parish school was opened in the fall with an enrollment of 146 students. The first principal, Mr. Stephen Fink, and all the teachers were members of the laity, although religious instruction was under the direction of Incarnate Word Sisters. The parish school board was founded in 1977, with Thomas Gunn as its first president. Its primary purpose was to provide guidance and a philosophy for the operation of the school. The Incarnate Word school curriculum follows the recommended guidelines of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the State of Missouri. The focus is on a sound religious formation program with a strong emphasis on fundamentals. It provides well-balanced education to meet the intellectual, spiritual, physical and social needs of each student. The parish continued to expand and enrollment in the school increased to the point that temporary classrooms were constructed in the original church hall.
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