CRANBERRY TWP — Seven years after opening its new parish center, St. Kilian’s parish is ready to embark on its next project: a new church.

The parish is in the design phase for a $10 million building and hopes to break ground this year.

Following a recent fundraising drive, the parish was able to raise enough money to pay off the debt from building its parish center.

Currently, it has almost reached its goal for the new church, said parish business manager Chuck Goetz.

“We have enough pledges to get started with the design process. We’re dangerously close to the $10 million mark,” Goetz said.

In 2013 and 2014, each parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh participated in “The Church Alive” fundraising campaign. St. Kilian parish designated the debt of the parish center and the new church as its project to be funded. It raised $22.3 million, $20.4 million of which went to the parish for its parish center debt and the new church.

The parish center, which houses the parish school and offices and is used for the parish’s religious education program, cost about $19 million and was completed in 2008.

The first phase of the project also involved development of the property including building a new road, St. Kilian Drive, and doing landscaping.

Construction of the new church, a new parking lot and other costs are estimated to total $10 million. It is planned for the remaining space of the 33 acres on Franklin Road.

The plan for the property was approved by the township in 2006. The plan specified the parish center as the first phase and the church as the second phase.

Goetz said that pending the permitting process with the township, the parish hopes to break ground in late spring or early summer. The construction process is expected to take 18 months, meaning the church would be ready to use in late 2016.

Ron Henshaw, Cranberry’s director of community development, said he has had informal talks with parish officials, though they have yet to submit plans to the planning commission and the township supervisors.

“We’re happy for them to be moving forward with the project,” he said.

The parish was established in 1917 and for much of its history held masses at its church in Mars, though it eventually outgrew that building, which is still used.

After the parish center was opened, masses were held there in the gymnasium, where volunteers would set up about 800 folding chairs every weekend.

“The staff and volunteers of the parish were amazing to do that every week for the past seven years,” Goetz said.

After Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School was finished in 2014 in the township, masses moved to the school’s auditorium, which can hold 920 people.

The church also has used the auditorium at Mars High School on some occasions, such as Christmas.

The new church’s sanctuary will hold about 1,200 people, Goetz said.

It also will have a fellowship hall and meeting rooms.

The parish has a membership of about 3,800 households and 10,100 people. Each weekend it holds seven masses which all have an attendance of at least 200 people each, Goetz said.

St. Killian serves an area that includes Adams and Cranberry townships. Cranberry is also served by the St. Ferdinand parish, with Route 19 forming an east-west border between them.

The parish school has about 635 students in grades kindergarten through eight. The parish center also has a religious education program with more than 1,000 students.