By Rita McInerney

Most Blessed Sacrament’s green and gold banner has found a home beside the altar in the chapel at the Village of St. Joseph.

Announcement of the decision to base the parish there was made by Archbishop Eugene A. Marino, SSJ, at a parish vesper service held Sept. 12 in the chapel.

Perhaps 100 people attended. They applauded spontaneously at the archbishop’s words. “I’m happy to say that Most Blessed Sacrament is going to continue.” Adding that “it seems to be the will of the people,” the archbishop said. “Without you there can be no parish. Where it meets to celebrate is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that the people of God come together to worship.”

“This is a parish that has a beautiful and distinguished history,” the archbishop said in mentioning the “debt the archdiocese and the parish owes to the LaSalettes who have served the parish for 15 years … I hope they will continue to grow.” Father Joseph Aquino, MS, is pastor.

“Your presence in such large numbers demonstrates there is life and vitality in your parish and that you will make the sacrifices necessary for it to continue,” the archbishop said. The decision to keep the parish alive was made by the community after a task force was named to determine its viability.

Most Blessed Sacrament at St. Joseph’s Village “won’t be a huge parish,” he said. “I don’t know that it necessarily has to be but it will be a parish that reflects the love of Jesus Christ” for all people, young and old, black and white.

Archbishop Marino said it was the “best decision” to have the parish worship in the chapel on the 46-acre campus of the archdiocesan residential center for children with behavioral or learning disorders since it is close to the center of the original parish boundary. For the “foreseeable future,” the archbishop said, the chapel will be the setting for parish liturgies and “to the extent that we can work it out, for other parish functions. The chapel will be available. Other facilities we will have to negotiate.”

He expressed confidence that the parish “will be able to achieve a commodious, friendly working relationship with the Village.”

The archbishop went on to speak of the dream the late Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan had for establishing a school for children with special needs that led him to open the Village of St. Joseph in 1967. His dream included a housing complex for the elderly and a parish as part of the total complex, Archbishop Marino told the attentive congregation. He then mentioned the 48-unit housing for the elderly that is proposed for an area behind the chapel, saying that the dream of the first archbishop may soon be fully realized.

(Steve Brazen, executive director of Catholic Social Services, said the proposal will be under consideration at the next meeting of the board of directors of the Village of St. Joseph on Sept. 20. “The possibility of constructing 48 units of housing will be discussed with them and presented to them for their approval,” he said.)

Archbishop Marino promised that the archdiocese will continue to monitor the needs of the parish and make accommodations so that the needs of the people can be met. He concluded his brief talk by mentioning that the day was the 15^th anniversary of his ordination as a bishop in Washington, D.C.

The parishioners arrived early for the evening service since parking is limited outside the chapel. The mood seemed friendly as people gathered in the handsome chapel of fieldstone and wood. The chapel holds 140 people.

Margie Davis Watts, a parishioners since 1970, was one of those who have been praying and waiting. “We want our parish. It’s been up and down, with some hard times and feelings low, but we have never given up hope,” she commented. Her two children, who attended the parish school before it closed, still attend Most Blessed Sacrament although they both live in Tucker.

The parish, Mrs. Watts said, is a close knit family” but in the old Ben Hill location it became just a weekend church with changes in the neighborhood making it unsafe to be there after dark. Construction of I-285 made access to the 33-acre property difficult.

The “movable” parish began its odyssey in early January when the last Mass was celebrated at Most Blessed Sacrament Church on Stone Road. The church was dedicated in 1964. Taking over on a lease-purchase agreement was an Acworth church group. The $1.2 million agreement later fell through. Parishioners worshipped at an Episcopal Church near their own Ben Hill church until April. When the Episcopal Church was put up for sale the parish began celebrating Liturgy at the Village chapel.

Tenant of Most Blessed Sacrament Church for the past four months is Universal Faith Ministries. Father Aquino said the congregation has an option to buy.

Father Aquino said the average age in the 150-household family is between 45 and 55. There are 19 children registered in the religious education program. Adult and youth education classes are held on Sunday at the chapel.

“I’m pleased,” he said of the decision to base the parish at the Village. “The chapel is a good size, comfortable, and very conducive to worship.” He said the parish expects to do some renovating, including carpeting.

He said meetings will continue to be held at the church rectory in Ben Hill three miles from the Village. “Hopefully, if the parish does grow perhaps we could build a little community center by the chapel.

Growth in the area is mainly industrial parks along Camp Creek Parkway, few homes are being built in the wooded residential areas. Parishioners, including some younger families, come from Fayette County, Fairburn, College Park and East Point, according to Father Aquino.

Serving on the task force from the parish were Father Aquino, Melvin Jones, Eldine Daniel, Elaine Greene, Jerry D’Andrea, John McClure and Alphonso Royals. Deacon William Lyday, a member of the parish and vice chancellor of the archdiocese was a member as were Father Thomas Carroll, MS, pastor of St. Ann’s in Marietta; Father Bruce Wilkinson, pastor of St. Anthony’s in southwest Atlanta, and Mike McNamara, assistant finance director of the archdiocese.

Masses at Most Blessed Sacrament at the Village are celebrated Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 9 and 11:30 a.m. Confessions are at 5:30 p.m. Saturday or anytime by appointment.