ORLANDO | Bishop John Noonan blessed and dedicated the long-awaited Moore Center for Excellence, May 26 on the Bishop Moore Catholic High School campus. “We bless and dedicate this building to the education and spiritual development of our youth,” Bishop Noonan said. “To the pursuit of excellence in mind, body, athletics and music… To spiritual development through faith, sharing, and service.” He prayed, “Make it a center for students and teachers, imbued with the word of truth, who have searched for the wisdom that guides Christian life, strive wholeheartedly to stand by Christ as their teacher.”

After the Hornets football team won the state championship in 2015, community members asked what they could do to assist in maintaining a high level of training. Head football coach, Matt Hedrick, asked for a weight room and a locker room. The project soon evolved to meet Bishop Moore’s broader needs.

Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Henry Fortier, noted “school administration developed an exciting academic program based at the Moore Center,” offering numerous STEM courses emphasizing academic excellence and Catholic values beginning fall 2021. Among them are Honors Forensics, Care and Prevention for Athletes, Aerospace Principles and Technology – dual enrollment programs with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Engineering Design and Robotics. The multi-purpose facility also provides space and opportunity for spiritual formation and development.

Moore Center project designer, Eugene Damasco, said the school’s mission was at the forefront of the project. “You start to see the elements that reinforce the Catholic identity and faith in the details like the crosses in the brick, a scripture verse that inspires students in their daily walk,” he said.

Designed to “bring alumni back to campus, back to their home,” President Thomas Doyle noted, the building has event space and a reception hall with two balconies overlooking sports fields. There is also a catering kitchen, fitness room, an athletic director office suite, and a tunnel so student athletes can run onto the field. There’s also a gift store where fans can pick up their favorite Hornets merchandise.

“The Moore Center will provide unlimited opportunities for our students,” Principal, Dr. Erika Wikstrom, said. “Education is all about change. It is all about ensuring our students are prepared for the 21st century and the Moore Center for Excellence is going to provide that opportunity.”