By Kathi Stearns, Staff Writer

SNELLVILLE – A statue of the risen Christ with arms outstretched stands as the focal point of the new sanctuary at St. Oliver Plunkett Church in Snellville, flooded with sunlight from a glorious stained-glass window behind it.

“We wanted people to come in, look and say, ‘That’s awesome’” said Father Tom Carroll, MS, pastor. Parishioners filled the church to capacity Nov. 19 when Archbishop John F. Donoghue dedicated the new sanctuary.

“It is an incredible feeling to walk into the (new) church and to be showered by the sunlight (from the stained-glass window),” said Gerald C. Oberholtzer, chairman of the building committee. “Until this sanctuary was built we never really had a church, we just had a place of worship. Now we have a church.”

The Mass of dedication was concelebrated by Father Carroll, Father Michael Flanagan, MS, parochial vicar, Father James Kaczynski, MS, vicar provincial of the LaSalette Missionaries, Father Terry Kane, first pastor of St. Oliver’s, Father Joseph Beltran, second pastor of St. Oliver’s, and 20 other priests.

The archbishop was offered the keys to the church by Gary Pellegrom, president of the parish council, and was given the building plans by Oberholtzer.

Parishioners Mary Layng, Melissa Layng and Mary Jane Insull, director of music, presented the archbishop with the lectionary. The Gospel was proclaimed by Deacon John Cicala.

During his homily Archbishop Donoghue recalled his first pastoral visit to St. Oliver’s when he broke ground for the new sanctuary Aug. 29, 1993, just two weeks after being installed as the archbishop of Atlanta. “At that time you were engaged in making come true the dream that we bring to a successful conclusion today --- the erection, the consecration, and the inhabitation of his new temple of God and home of His Son, Jesus Christ.”

While Jesus was ministering on earth he had no home, the archbishop said, but His home was anywhere that the presence of God’s Spirit could be found. To illustrate, the archbishop retold the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who was so small in stature that he had to climb a tree to see Jesus. Moved by Christ’s manner and message Zacchaeus invited Jesus to his home in Jericho. Later Zacchaeus decided to give half of his worldly goods to the poor and used the other portion of his wealth to make restitution for the fraud that he had perpetrated upon the taxpayers.

“Zacchaeus’ house and wealth became the house and wealth of the Lord,” Archbishop Donoghue said. “The Lord became master where He hd come as a visitor, and Zacchaeus became forever the servant of the Lord’s good work. Like the servant of God, Zacchaeus, we welcome Jesus Christ into this house that we have built, and which we now joyfully surrender to His purposes, to His will for us.

The archbishop reminded the congregation that even though the building may be finished, the growth of the temple must continue. Using the words of St. Paul, the archbishop said, “You form a building which rises on the foundation of the apostles and prophets…in Christ Jesus you are being built into this temple to become a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.”

The archbishop then anointed the altar and handed the vessels of sacred chrism to the concelebrating priests for the anointing of the walls. After the archbishop incensed the altar, parishioners Joan Goldsack, Nancy Butler, Peggy Brooks, Sonia Victorio and Cecilia Johnson prepared the altar.

The new sanctuary seats approximately 600 people downstairs and 100 people in the balcony; the old sanctuary seated 420.

The old sanctuary has been converted into a multipurpose parish hall and its lower level renovated into seven classrooms. With the six classrooms in the new building, there are now 13.

A Blessed Sacrament chapel, with a stained-glass window of Our Lady of LaSalette, is used for daily Mass and serves as a cry room during the Sunday celebration. Four other stained-glass windows, representing the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, Eucharist and matrimony, accompany the window behind the risen Christ.

A new entrance and gathering space form a large welcoming area for all church events. A youth center on the lower level of the facility will be decorated and furnished by the teens.

In 1979 plans were conceived for the original sanctuary and on Sept. 21, 1980 ground was broken for the 14,000 square-foot church. On June 21, 1981 Archbishop Donnellan dedicated the parish complex. By July 1, 1990, the feast of St. Oliver Plunkett, the parish family was able to burn the mortgage. In July, 1991, at the request of the archbishop of Atlanta, the Missionaries of LaSalette assumed pastoral care of St. Oliver’s. After several major repairs the community began to look into the possibility of building a new sanctuary.

The fund drive for the new sanctuary began in the fall of 1992 with 52 percent of the parishioners taking an active role in the project which raised over $500,000.

Built in 14 months during some of the Georgia’s wettest weather, the church stands as a testament to the spirit and love of the community.

“This building has been an act of love from the very beginning,” said Oberholtzer. “We’ve been trying to build this church for five years. We have been watching it grow, week by week, for the last 14 months. It is so nice to know we finally made it.”