Large numbers of Catholics continued to move into the four-county area served by St. Michael's parish, and by the late 1970s it was evident that a new church was needed. Tom Miller, chairman of the building committee, led the pastoral council through many options before it settled on a plan designed by architect Tony Whales. After Miller's job took him to Brazil, John H. Foertschbeck became building chairman. Groundbreaking took place on August 8, 1982, with the Most Rev. P. Francis Murphy present, and Monsignor Robert A. Bozel serving as pastor. A capital campaign conducted by Kirby-Smith and Associates had a goal of $650,000. The church, with seating for 550 people, was dedicated on October 30, 1983. Its original bell from the historic church was electrified and installed in the new church. The oak sanctuary furniture, including the altar, lecterns, and chairs, was donated to the St. Michael's Solidarity of the Blesses Virgin Mary with money raised through fundraisers, and the group also presented a check for $10,000 to the priest at the groundbreaking. The altar crucifix, an image of the suffering Christ, was made by artist Jay Warren of Trenton, New Jersey, and the design for the eight-and-one-half-foot crucifix was chosen from more than 50 submissions from artists around the world, including one from Israel, with Jim Onaitis coordinating the artist search. Stations of the Cross were purchased in 1991 after a parish community selection process, the organ was purchased by Frank and Betty Ann Hevey, the grand piano was anonymously donated by a parishioner, and a burn-the-mortgage celebration took place on May 15, 1988.