SUGAR GROVE – The sounds of construction – hammering and sawing – filled the air Monday, and workers were walking in and out of the new home of St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church.

Preparations are under way, and although there were some important details remaining, the church is ready for opening day. Thanksgiving Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. Thursday at the church, which is at 8S055 Dugan Road in Sugar Grove.

On Monday, the altar was being installed, and volunteers were stocking the kitchen. There was a buzz in the air as church workers were hammering out details. The Rev. Bob Jones was moving from room to room in their massive new home, an $8 million project that will move the church from its temporary homes – a small office on Main Street in Sugar Grove where daily Mass has been celebrated, and John Shields Elementary School, which housed the church’s weekend Masses.