NORCROSS--St. Patrick Parish celebrated its 25th year with an evening of prayer, food and fellowship on Aug. 25.

On that date in 1970, St. Patrick became the first Gwinnett County Catholic mission to form a parish. The mission, established from Holy Cross Parish in 1968, had its first home in a renovated 90-year-old Methodist church in downtown Norcross. Members celebrated the first Sunday Mass at the new location Sept. 15, 1968, according to information in the archdiocese archives.

The parish grew and the gathering place was relocated and expanded as the years passed. A most significant development came in 1972 when a religious order, the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, assumed pastoral care of the parish.

Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan dedicated the church on Beaver Ruin Road in Norcross on Sept. 11, 1981. It was designed to serve up to 1,000 families, but now services more than 1,900. St. Patrick is noted for its rich ethnic and socio-economic diversity.

The parish diversity and mission were reflected in the anniversary mass in hymns and readings. Longtime lay members with special roles included June Lynch, Mary Vickers, Bob Wilson, Jack Carroll, Bill Parsons, Andy Herwig, Charlie Sullivan, Vince Garafola and Tom Bierster.

The offertory gifts were brought up by Mr. and Mrs. Ken Bayer, parents of the late pastor, Father Ken Bayer, MSFS, who died two years ago after battling leukemia. On Sept. 11, 1994 the parish dedicated a large stained glass wall separating the sanctuary and baptismal pool from the greeting area in memory of Father Bayer, who is buried on the grounds.

During this homily Father Martin Kopchik, MSFS, the current pastor, applauded parishioners for their active participation in social ministries, religious education and support groups.

Father Joseph Mullakkara, MSFS, who also is assigned to the parish, and 12 other priest concelebrated the mass, including Father John DeVore, MSFS, Father Sean Fleury, MSFS, Father Thomas Carroll, MS, Father Greg Kenny, CMF, Father Joseph Fahy, CP, Father James Adams, Father Charles Kerscher, Father Anthony Curran, Father Mike Flanagan, MS, Father Jack Druding, Father Victor Reyes and Father Joseph Corbett.

Letters of congratulations were shared at a reception following the Mass. The hundreds of people who attended the celebration also viewed pictures and videos detailing the history of the church and its people.

Former pastors of the parish, in addition to Father Bayer, include Father Joseph Meehan, MSFS, Father Gerard Gill, MSFS, and Father Martin Griffin, MSFS. Father Dan McCormick was among the first priests to minister to the pioneer faith community.

Most of the information for this article was submitted by Carol Sacca, a parishioner of St. Patrick Parish.