Members of Notre Dame Church in Bethlehem gathered to celebrate the opening of a new parish center Oct. 24.

Co-chairs and parishioners Rosemary and Paul Zambo were involved in the project, Rosemary as former secretary of the parish school and Paul as director of the capital campaign.

The campaign began in April 2013 and lasted six months, Paul said. The building project itself took 14 months through the snow and cold of last winter. The final project involved putting in a full basement attached to the parish school, with gym, stage, kitchen, classrooms and parish meeting space. The gym bleachers can seat 410, accommodating the entire student body. Art and music classroom are also on the lower level. With double the space of the previous parish center, the school can also now offer extended care.

“It was a unique opportunity,” Paul said. The Zambos joined their fellow co-chairs Daphne and Jim Uliana as well as honorary co-chairs Bill and Cindy Dietrich of Bollinger Electric, the electrical contractors for the project.

The parish center is the dream come true for pastor Msgr. Thomas Baddick. During the dedication ceremony, he spoke on how the project was done. Paul spoke on Completing the Dream and Kathy Kaziarz, principal of Notre Dame School, spoke on the importance of the new parish center to the school.

Bishop John O. Barres, Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, blessed the new parish center.

Later, after Notre Dame School student Adam Boyer took the ceremonial first basketball shot in the gym, Bishop Barres joined in for the rebound.