By Alice McCabe

About 700 attended the dedication September 12 of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Norcross, in its new Beaver Ruin Road location. Arrangements had been made by Dick Bledsoe, parishioner and partner in Gwinnett Community TV, for closed circuit TV to be shown in Trinity Room (three classrooms made into one), but there was no need for it. The overflow beyond the 500-seat-sanctuary sat in the entrance-hospitality area and viewed the two-hour ceremony through a raised wall that separates the altar from the baptismal area. (Home video viewers can secure the video tape of the proceedings from Bledsoe.)

Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan of Atlanta was joined by vice-chancellor Father James Miceli; Father Sean Fleury, MSFS, former pastor of St. Patrick’s and now provincial of the Fransalians in England and America, Father Kenneth Bayer, MSFS, former associate pastor of St. Pat’s, as well as pastors of the host church, Fathers Joe Meehan and Gerard Gill, MSFS, in the procession of the door of the new facility. There, Charles Parker, president of the parish council, told the bishop of the prayerful planning that went into the building project, then presented him with the key to the front door. The bishop handed it to Father Joe who opened the door, amid applause from the assemblage.

Inside church, the bishop blessed the water and anointed one wall. St. Pat’s priests anointed the other three walls on each of which hung a hollow cross of hand-crafted wood by Darry Wood of Hayesville, NC, who also made the huge cross over the altar and the altar table. On each cross, a candle was lighted. The beeswax candles were made by parishioner Mary Ellen Macke.

Throughout all the rite, appropriate music was played and sung, as planned by Maurus Hack and Kathy Kadel. The latter also directed the choir, alternating with Tansy Walker, folk-group director. Claud Shirley, who has done St. Pat’s books for ten years and is a professional singer, donated his services by singing the responsorial psalm and the Litany of the Saints.

Lectors were Gene Slade, chairman of the building committee, and Kay Westphal, chairman of the dedication committee.

Boy Scouts of Troop 248, sponsored by St. Patrick’s, directed parking and helped with moving chores. The Shamrocks and Irish Springs, youth groups of the parish, assisted with ushering people to the roast beef dinner that followed the Mass of dedication. Mr. and Mrs. Knowlson were in charge of food for the night, as well as for nine priests on Friday night preceding the Penance service, and for 300 children after the children’s liturgy on Sunday.

The daily (or Blessed Sacrament) chapel was inaugurated and blessed during the Mass by the bishop, priests and altar boys, plus a procession of special ministers of the Eucharist led by Hector Jara.

As parishioners left the Sept. 12 celebration, each family was presented with a boxed piece of the Alabama fieldstone used decoratively on the inside and exterior walls. The keepsake was accompanied by a card explaining that each person in the parish is a living stone built into a spiritual house.