St. John Neumann’s Catholic parish of Lilburn, in Georgia’s Gwinnett County, dedicated its permanent church and parish facility, Sunday, December 16, at 11:30 a.m.

Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan was the principal celebrant for the dedication Mass and performed the prescribed anointing and liturgically rich dedication ritual for the church and parish facility.

The parish that was inaugurated in July in 1977 when over 200 interested Catholics gathered at the Lilburn City Hall can take justifiable pride in the new church and educational facility of St. John Neumann.

The ecclesiastical structure is situated atop a hill on Tom Smith Road and the rustic cedar and natural granite stone gives the new building a sense of eternity. Father Connell, Chaplain of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer Home, and one of the con-celebrants, commented: “Your church is so beautiful and so new – yet it looks like it has been here forever.” The contemporary design is ideally suited to the topography of the area; it neither stands out nor blends in – it is the prominence. The gradual ascendancy from the parking are to the roof peaked over the sanctuary was specifically designed to indicate “man’s upward climb toward his heavenly home.”

The con-celebrated Mass that marked the dedication ceremony was a memorable and historically unique celebration for the Church of North Georgia. Father Paul Reynolds, Pastor of St. John Neumann, was able to acquire the actual chalice used by the former bishop of Philadelphia: St. John Neumann in his celebration of the Eucharist over a century ago. With the assistance of Father Druding, of St. John the Evangelist in Hapeville, Monsignor George Tomichek, presently Apostolic Nuncio in the Philippines and formerly of Philadelphia, personally delivered the saint’s chalice, together with the vestments actually used in the canonization of St. John Neumann in 1977.

The vestments worn by Archbishop Donnellan, Father Paul Reynolds, Pastor; Dom Augustine Morre, O.C.S.O., Abbot of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia: Monsignor Noel Burtenshaw of the Georgia Bulletin and Father Dominic Young, St. Pius High School, wore the exact same vestments worn during the dual canonization ceremonies that took place in Rome and in Philadelphia simultaneously.

Others priests that joined in the concelebration included Father Methodius Telnack, O.C.S.O., who designed the meaningful and brilliant stained glass window in the sanctuary; Father Gleury, formerly of St. Patrick’s in Norcross and present Franciscalian Provincial; Father Ken Baer, also formerly of St. Patrick’s now stationed in Washington, D.C.; Father Richard Lopez, Diocesan Vocation Director; Father Terance Kane, pastor of St. Oliver Plunkett of Snellville; Father James Miceli, archdiocesan master of ceremonies; Monsignor George Tomichek of the Philippines; Father Druding of St. John’s in Hapeville and Father Connell of the Cancer Home.

The dedication Mass was proceeded by thirty minutes of sacred music provided by the combined choir (resplendent in their new Kelly green robes) and folk group of St. John Neumann, under the direction of Mr. James Kitchens.

After the opening prayer, Mr. John Sedlak, on behalf of the parish building committee, and before an overflow crowd of very joyous and proud parishioners, presented to the Archbishop “as pastor of the Church of Atlanta” the plans, specifications and deed to the completed parish church.

The Archbishop noted in his homily that “this building was designed solely for the gathering of God’s people and is dedicated by ancient and solemn rites to the purpose.” Father Paul Reynolds, the skillful paladin and pastor, given custody of the territorial boundaries, two-and-a-half years ago, had earlier commented that the men of the building committee had assured him that “God was in the design of this building.” Every traditional, liturgical and ritual detail considered in the solemn rubrics of the dedication were incorporated by that committee in the interior design as well as the overall flow of the structure.

The strength of the parish family of St. John Neumann has been, as the Archbishop mentioned in his homily, “… centered around the Eucharist … and nourished by it.” The parish has not sat back in idleness awaiting the completion of a building but has had an ongoing full parish program from the beginning, that now, incidentally, has a building to utilize.

The Pastor of the Church of Atlanta told the joyous congregation that the “… parish is the visible sign of Christ in the world and that the strength or the feebleness of Christ in this community will be judged by this congregation.” The parishioners of St. John Neumann’s have already heralded much of this Christo-centric strength, and as the Archbishop further states, will continue to use this new church “… to prod and disturb” them enough to continue to display this strength in Gwinnett County.

He further stated the this church was “… here to rekindle faith, renew love and reaffirm hope.” The new church of St. John Neumann is indeed a magnificent, prayerful structure that these people of God can return to again and again for that rekindling, renewing and reaffirming.

After the dedication ceremonies, a reception was held for the Archbishop and the parish family in the parish hall. That very large social hall was also dedicated to the memory of Robert and Margie Lind and named Lind Hall in loving memory of two of the parish’s most respected and active teenagers, who died in a tragic auto accident in June of this year. Father Reynolds and Archbishop Donnellan presented to Bob and Betty Lind and their youngest daughter Susan, the plaque marking the occasion.

In July of 1977, Father Paul told the parishioners that this was a new beginning; at the reception the napkins were emblazoned with the words: “A New Beginning”; I wonder what he has up his sleeve this time?