Bishop John J. Leibrecht blessed the ground at the site of the new Notre Dame High School just west of Cape Girardeau Sunday, and asked God for help in the second half of the local effort to raise the $5 million it will take to construct the school.

Volunteers have already collected contributions of more than $2.7 million in a little more than two months.

Steve Dirnberger, co-chair of the capital fund drive, told the more than 100 people gathered at the top of a hill off Route K that his team of 40 volunteers had collected promises for $2,706,000 since July.

Officials aren't sure when groundbreaking for the new school can start. Most of the pledges so far will be spread out over one to three years, said Dirnberger. Half of the contributions must be in hand before construction begins.

"We feel like we're being blessed with this. It's going to be with the effort of a large number of people," Dirnberger said. "But once they come in you'll see us back out here with the shovels."

Leibrecht, who is the bishop for the Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocese, said the old Notre Dame High School has served Cape Girardeau for most of the 1900s. The construction of the new school is the first step toward the next century of the Catholic education program in the area.

"The significance of this day is one of gratitude for what's happened in the 1900s with Notre Dame and hope that in the 2000s, Notre Dame will not only continue its history but serve many more families into the far future," he said. "We're looking ahead and we're just going to need the room and everything up-to-date for the future."

Enrollment in Catholic schools is on the rise, Leibrecht said. This year marks the largest number of freshmen ever at Notre Dame and the bishop said he does not see that trend declining any time soon.

"Parents are letting us know they want their children in the Catholic schools," Leibrecht said. "They like what the Catholic schools are doing academically. They like what they're doing about values, about life. They like the discipline. They like the safety."

Dirnberger said the interest in Catholic education has shown in the fund-raising effort.

He said the fund raising was preceded by 1 1/2 years of planning. Committee members looked at what was needed, what was wanted and how much money it would cost.

Dirnberger said his team contacted about 300 people in this initial private gift phase of the project. Their next step is to take it to the public and solicit funds from as many people as possible.

"We wanted to be half over before we started the general phase and that's where we are," he said. "This fall we'll vigorously start the public phase of our campaign and that's where we'll go and solicit from our alumni, parents, parishes and so forth."

This campaign ends in December, Dirnberger said, but the school will continue to solicit funds for programs, operating costs and endowment drives.