Groundbreaking for a new church at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Blairsville, took place Pentecost Sunday, May 22.

Father Paddy Donaghey, pastor, blessed the site, a hill directly behind the present church. A new 13-foot crucifix on the site also was blessed.

Several people helped turn over the soil after the pastor did so: Jim Dobson representing the civic community; Best Dockery, oldest member of the parish, John Franklin, youngest member present, and Sister Rosemary Wickham, OSF, parish director of religious education.

The new church will seat 300 people. The present church, dedicated Sept. 20, 1980, was built to seat 100 and “is bursting at the seams’ with the overflow, according to Father Donaghey.

It will be used for a fellowship hall, according to the pastor. They hope, he said, to add on a room for the parish office.

The new structure will be wooden with vinyl siding. To the rear is protected forest land.

Father Donaghey is hopeful that Archbishop John F. Donoghue will dedicate the new church on Pentecost Sunday, 1995.

After the ground blessing a potluck supper was held on the church grounds.

St. Francis of Assisi, the first Catholic Church in Union and Towns counties, is the outgrowth of evangelizing efforts by Glenmary priests. Father Frank Ruff said the first Mass in the area in 1966. The setting was a lunchroom at a manufacturing plant. After that, the liturgy was celebrated in private homes, including Mrs. Dockery’s, and at the Methodist church in Blairsville.

The church is located on Highway 76 four miles east of Blairsville.