BY KATHI STEARNS

Staff Writer

SANDY SPRINGS--A dominant statue of the crucified Christ hangs in the sanctuary of St. Jude the Apostle Church as a reminder of Christ's ultimate sacrifice. Below it stands the parish's new altar where this sacrifice is offered daily in the celebration of the Eucharist.

The ceremony blessing the altar began outside the church as the bells were rung signifying the beginning of the Mass. Archbishop John F. Donoghue was the principal celebrant of the Sept. 21 liturgy. The Mass was concelebrated by Msgr. Daniel O'Connor, pastor, and Fathers Victor Reyes and William Williams, parochial vicars at the Sandy Springs parish.

After the archbishop greeted the congregation he blessed water symbolic of baptism and processed through the church, sprinkling the congregation and then the new altar, praying that the Word of God would always be heard in this place of prayer.

Recognizing the diversity within the church, readings were read in either Spanish or English, with the alternate language available in the program.

During his homily Archbishop Donoghue spoke of the many customs that contemporary Catholics share with their spiritual ancestors. "The use of an altar for sacrifice or for the offering of gifts to God is, perhaps, the most ancient and fundamental of these customs," he said.

"Since the beginning of man's worship, the sacrifices offered to God were placed on the altar dedicated to that purpose. It is fitting then, that today, we do as our ancestors---that we offer this new altar for the worship of God, and that we gather together as his holy people to perform these rites of blessing---for with this blessing we acknowledge our own acceptance of this altar as the table of our communion with God, and we ask him to bless it and to make it the place where he will visit us most powerfully, in the preaching of his word and in the miracle of transubstantiation, the miracle of his true presence among us."

The archbishop told the congregation that the splendor of holy altars is meaningless unless they are first a people sanctified by love. The parishioners were reminded that nothing should be brought to the altar unless the congregation is at peace.

"Nothing, Jesus tells us, should be brought before the Father if we are not at peace with one another," he said. "No gift to God can replace the honesty that is required among us as followers of the truth. No gift will suffice if we harbor in our hearts any dishonesty. This is one of the most radical teachings of the Gospel, that before we approach our God, we must be reconciled with our brothers, our sisters, our friends. It is as if God himself is saying through his Son, 'Before you may be worthy of me, you must be worthy of one another.'"

"We come before this new altar and pray that whatever blemish might exist upon our relationships with one another, God will now wipe away those imperfections through the merit of Jesus' sacrifice, the sacrifice which I am about to reenact for the sake of us all."

Archbishop Donoghue then anointed the altar which stands as a symbol of Christ, the anointed one, with chrism. The altar is made of maple and slate.

Incense, which signifies that the death of Christ remains the perfect offering for sin, was then wafted about the church and sanctuary. The table of the altar was wiped, covered with cloth and decorated with flowers as it was prepared for the sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ.

Archbishop Donoghue then gave a burning candle to Father Williams who in turn passed it on to an altar server who lighted the candles surrounding the altar and throughout the church as a reminder that Christ is "a light to the nations."

Music played an important role in the dedication Mass. The sound of a triumphant trumpet filled the church as a prelude to the liturgy. The Hispanic Choir led the congregation in song during the call to worship. The traditional choir led Mass participants in songs which set the tone for a day of celebration and encouraged full participation. Both choirs joined together for the singing of the Litany of Saints.

Stan Topol & Associates, interior designers, Porter Mann Architects and Dudley Barrett Construction Co. worked on the $650,000 renovation project. All of the pews, carpeting and windows were removed from the church when construction began Feb. 9, 1997. The altar, tabernacle table, baptismal font, lectern and ambo were replaced.

Renovations included the staining of the walls, installation of a lighting grid in the ceiling, the refurbishing and redesign of the Stations of the Cross and the reconfiguration of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel to include liturgical chairs for more flexible seating for baptisms and small prayer services. The church confessionals, ministry room and Ave Maria Shop were also redesigned. The renovation took six weeks and was completed on Holy Saturday in time for the Easter Vigil Mass.

In a special ceremony following the Mass Archbishop Donoghue blessed the parish school's new library/media center, computer lab, science lab and administrative offices. The ceremony was attended by Barbara Poole, principal of St. Jude School, Sandra Smith, superintendent of schools, faculty, students and parents.

Poole, Gerry King, who serves as co-president of the Home and School Association, and Regina Hersey, chairman of the board of total Catholic education, read Scripture passages during the ceremony. The archbishop prayed the library be a place of "gathering and safeguarding of God's Word and the teaching of His Church." At the conclusion of the readings, Archbishop Donoghue processed through the classroom sprinkling holy water throughout.

The new library, which has Scripture passages inscribed on the walls, provides ample room for three classes to use the facility simultaneously. It contains a story well for younger students and computers to assist older students who are engaged in research. The new science lab features look-up stations, a sink, a safety eyewash facility and a propane gas station. The new computer lab houses 32 state of the art computers and provides the students with access to the Internet for research purposes.

"These resources will enhance the learning experience for our children," Poole said. "The project could not have been completed without the parishioners and the school community working together. It was truly a parish project."

In 1991 Msgr. O'Connor began a capital funds campaign to raise the $2.2 million necessary to improve the parish and school facilities. Under the direction of Eleanor Crockett and Ronnie Kessenich the campaign, entitled "Facing Challenges and Pursuing Opportunities," was implemented.

The first phase of the plan called for the air-conditioning of the school building, restroom and church basement renovations, handicapped/elderly access to the parish center and additional lighting in the cafeteria and hallways of the school. The work began in May 1992 and was completed that August.

Phase two called for the renovation of the parish hall known as the Stapleton Center. Used primarily for social functions such as weddings, this area contains three meeting rooms, a warming kitchen and a bride's room. During renovations this center was also made accessible to handicapped persons through a lift and an enclosed stairwell. The second phase of work began in October 1993 and was completed in March 1994.