By Sister Joan Meyer

"Let the soil from our homes that we place on this site remind us forever that we are one people in your Son, Jesus," was one of the prayers Father bob Poandl, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church in Cleveland, prayed at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new all purpose building on May 9. Every family was invited to bring soil from their homes and place it at the site of the future altar. Ground from the places where Mass was held; Ward's Funeral Home, the Catholic Center, the Methodist Church, as well as from St. Luke's in Dahlonega and St. Francis in Blairsville were also mingled together in the breaking of the ground.

Glenmary Brothers Virgil Siefker and Larry Jochim came to Cleveland in May to help lead the parishioners in building church. Symbolically, Brother Virgil led the procession to the new building site while Brother Larry officiated with Father Bob.

The new building will be built for the purpose of worship, education and social events of the parish. St. Paul the Apostle Church was first established on July 5, 1964. At this time, there were only six Catholics in the county -- Mrs. Frank Kinnear, Mrs. Betty Helton, Mrs. Laxton Westmoreland with her two children, Donna and Charles, and Father Frank Ruff. Mass was celebrated in the Ward's Funeral home. Eva Westmoreland, one of the first parishioners, was so happy on groundbreaking day. She said, "I have waited 25 years for this day!"

As construction begins, the people at St. Paul the Apostle request prayers from their brothers and sisters in the archdiocese for safety and success on the building of church in Cleveland.