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By Susan Sullivan, Special To The Bulletin
FORT OGLETHORPE—Parishioners of St. Gerard Majella worship in
a circa World War I church building across the street from the former Fort
Oglethorpe, just outside the entrance to one of the most famous Civil War
battlefields, Chickamauga.
The small, white, Colonial-style church was originally an
interdenominational chapel associated with Fort Oglethorpe, according to the
current pastor, Father John Howren. The historic setting is part of the parish
character, but the present and future are the focus of this 230-family
community near the uppermost border of the archdiocese.
A two-hour drive north on I-75 from Atlanta, the trip to the
parish passes through congested commercial areas of Fort Oglethorpe and ends at
the church’s spacious grounds, some of which are wooded.
Parts of the property feature extensive lawns shaded by mature
trees, perfect for parish picnics. A rectory/office and parish center were
added in the early ‘80s. A parish school, closed in 1968, was once located
in former officers’ social quarters at the fort, but no longer exists.
Former rectory and convent buildings still stand on the site of the fort.
Fort Oglethorpe, originally a cavalry post, dates to the turn of
the last century. It closed in the mid-1940s. The city incorporated 50 years
ago, taking the closed fort’s name, according to Father Howren. In 1948,
the Redemptorists founded St. Gerard, named after one of the order’s
famous members, as a mission. St. Gerard Mission became a parish in 1952 and
was given back to the archdiocese in 1996.
Many parishioners work in health care institutions in nearby
Chattanooga, which is part of the Diocese of Knoxville, Tenn. Others are
employed at area carpet manufacturing centers. It is a generally stable
population, according to Father Howren, who arrived in 1998.
“We probably have as many funerals as baptisms,” he
said. “The median age is 40s to 60s. We also have many young
families.”
While aware of the history that surrounds them, parishioners are
looking forward. They are very proud of the parish Life Teen program, three
years in existence. Twenty-six teens regularly participate at the 11:30 a.m.
Mass each Sunday and an active Power Teen middle school group prepares young
people for Life Teen. Twenty Power Teens and one adult were confirmed May 21.
Nine people received sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil
this year, 14 the year before. Three people have already indicated interest in
the program for next Easter, according to Helen Partin, director of the Order
of Christian Initiation of Adults. A parishioner for 27 years, Partin is a
eucharistic minister, pastoral council member and annulment case sponsor and
directs the homebound ministry.
This ministry stays in weekly contact with approximately 20 people
on a regular basis and others as needed. Fourteen eucharistic ministers are
available to visit the homebound.
Barbara Tripp, a parishioner for 25 years, is also a case sponsor,
eucharistic minister and member of the pastoral council. In addition, she works
with marriage preparation and heads up the parish outreach ministry, which
helps a residence for people with AIDS, the parish food pantry and Respect Life
ministry.
“We take needed supplies to the AIDS house,” Tripp said,
“such as movies, T-shirts, toiletries.”
Joy Fisher, a music minister who joined the parish during the
Easter Vigil three years ago, said of the AIDS house, “It was wonderful to
see a run-down ‘project’ home renovated. It has a beautiful garden
and serves as a transition place for up to six months for AIDS patients who are
without a place to live.”
Regina Richardson oversees a hospital ministry that makes
sandwiches for those spending time in waiting rooms.
“We have a St. Gerard Society,” said Father Howren.
“Our social outreach to the poor and needy is tremendous. We maintain a
food pantry and offer assistance to those facing eviction or loss of utilities.
It’s kind of an in-house St. Vincent de Paul. We take up a collection once
a month for the society and the parishioners are extremely generous.”
“At Thanksgiving and Christmas we work with (the county
family services agency) to identify around 60 families for holiday boxes, which
include a ham, turkey—everything needed for a feast,” the pastor
continued. “I’m always moved by the generosity of the parish in
reaching out to others. These are not wealthy folks so it’s a real sign of
our Christian stewardship.”
“People hear about our generosity and stop by when they need
help,” Tripp said. “One little girl told me, ‘We got lights last
night. It was wonderful.’”
“Another time a man was injured and needed a bus ticket to
send his son to stay with his mother,” Tripp said. “We were glad we
could help. We arrange for lodging, so people can sleep and clean up. We help
with gas money, too. It’s all in-house. Sometimes we’re very busy.
Other times we don’t hear from anyone for two weeks.”
Tracey Foster coordinates the parish Respect Life ministry. The
ministry supports the AAA Women’s Center in Chattanooga with financial
help and prayers. The parish group is helping to expand this ministry to
struggling mothers with a new Lafayette chapter. Letter writing campaigns to
politicians, information in parish bulletins and newsletters are other features
of the ministry. It is not just about abortion, according to Foster.
“We need to respect all life, from conception to death,”
Foster said. “We are involved in the AIDS house and with child abuse
prevention and foster parenting. We need to educate our church to a broader
view, to respect life. Abortion is just the beginning. In this county 32
children a month are being protected from their own families. How can we
address this as a church? If we had one foster family for every church in this
area, we’d have 100 families.”
The Women’s Guild, led by Celeste Hochrein, helps many of the
same ministries and arranges hospitality for events.
“It’s such a small parish,” she said.
“It’s pretty indistinguishable who is doing what. The same people do
everything. It’s a great group, with older women and younger women. We
have good cooperation, work really hard and have a good time doing it.”
A core group of people also puts great effort into the parish
religious education program, directed by Rosemary Manning. Her responsibilities
include the OCIA; Life Teen, coordinated by Jay Roueche; Power Teen programs,
coordinated by Anastasia Hanna and Jim Feldmeier; and K-6 religious education,
coordinated by Darryl Moffitt.
“We have some great worker bees out there, offering their
time and talent,” Manning said. “These people are the backbone of our
religious ed program. Each brings different gifts to the table.”
“We consider religious ed an all-encompassing program, from
life to death,” Manning continued. “We want a faith formation program
that enriches the spiritual growth of each parishioner, regardless of age and
where they are on their spiritual journey.”
Surveys help tailor the program to parishioners’ needs. One
done two years ago helps determine what topics are of interest, especially for
adults. Class evaluations help keep the program on track, according to Manning.
“We listen to what they want, as opposed to what we want them
to want,” she said.
“I am thankful for the great dedication these people
show,” Father Howren said of religious education volunteers, “the
time they put in with the young people ... and the blessing that they are to
the families and to the children.”
The pre-confirmation retreat at Cloudland Canyon is one example,
he said.
“It was a very powerful experience. The kids came back on a
spiritual high, which is not easy for seventh- and eighth-graders. It happened
because of the adult involvement. The highlight was Mass on the canyon
rim—an awesome, wonderful experience of Eucharist.”
Moffitt, who was confirmed in 1997 and helped with this
year’s retreat, agreed.
“The Holy Spirit just took over,” Moffitt said.
“The sacrament of confirmation was a very big moment in my life. I wanted
to share that with those who are receiving it this year. I’m trying to
teach others what I’ve learned.”
“My grandson, Jay Samilo, doesn’t talk much,” said
Mildred Hutcherson, the parish pianist. “He was delighted with the retreat
and said so.”
“We were asked to write letters to the confirmation
candidates,” Fisher said. “I was so tearful writing it and so were
the people I read it to. It made me realize that these young people are now a
part of my family. I’m part of their spiritual growth.”
Many service hours by confirmation candidates went into parish
outreach ministries. The young people are visibly changed in their attitude and
involvement, according to several parishioners.
“One of the beautiful things about a small parish,”
Father Howren added, “is that we do have the opportunity to know each
other well and support each other on our common faith journey. At the same time
it’s easier to see the hurts and the problems and the need for
reconciliation. Addressing those helps us to become a more whole and holy
community.”
Father Howren said RENEW 2000, forming small sharing groups, has
helped continue the growth of the faith community. “It helped people look
deeper. It helped them ask questions and see where other people are coming
from. It helped establish a deeper level of relationship on a faith level.
There’s no reason that process needs to stop.”
One area for growth is to bring more parishioners into the
“active core” of the parish, according to pastoral council president,
Paul Banze, a parishioner for the last nine years.
“It’s a matter of constant asking and pushing,”
Banze said. “We want to involve everyone in the parish. We want to expand
our core group of active people.”
Father Howren agreed. “I’ve asked the pastoral council
to be a little more visionary in the parish, rather than just function as
problem solvers. Based on that vision, we want to establish goals each year. We
want to become a more visible sign of Christ’s love in the
community.”
Building projects are on tap for the future, including a
respectful, holistic renovation of the church interior by October 2002. A new
ambry for holy oils and updated windows and doors in the narthex from two years
ago are a start. The interior of the traditional, rectangular church features
stained glass scenes, old Stations of the Cross in oil, two beautiful icons of
Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Gerard, a choir loft and unusual,
cross-shaped lighting fixtures. An immediate project is to make a Life Teen
space in the parish center.
Along with various projects and ministries, the parishioners also
know how to have a good time. The parish has two major celebrations a year that
they consider unique to the St. Gerard community, the first at Pentecost.
“Our Pentecost celebration marks the end of the religious
education school year and the beginning of summer travel,” Father Howren
said. “We end the year with a bang and celebrate the birthday of the
church.”
Organizations such as the Women’s Guild and Knights of
Columbus pitch in to provide a lavish picnic, complete with roast pig. Face
painting, square dancing, balloons and games round out the fun, which begins
after the last Mass on Sunday.
“People bring blankets and lawn chairs. We have a great
time,” Fisher said.
This year’s celebration marked the beginning of the Elijah
Cup program in the parish. More than 25 families have signed up to host a
chalice in their home and to pray for vocations each night as part of this
Serra Club project.
The other celebration occurs on the feast of the patron, a
Redemptorist brother who lived in the 1700s, according to Father Howren. St.
Gerard’s Day is marked by solemn vespers, followed by an elegant sit-down
dinner.
“This is not a picnic,” Father Howren said. “We
have lanterns and wine. It’s very nice. We really enjoy it.”
A bonfire and “s’mores” round out the evening.
When asked by their pastor to think of words that pull the parish
personality together, parishioners cited qualities like compassion, caring,
vibrant and sincere. They then began describing their pastor.
“He’s very joyous,” said Renetta Hall, parish
secretary. “He’s got that gleam in his eye. You hear him say,
‘Ohhh, we could do that.’”
“He’s taught us a lot about liturgy,” said Moffitt.
“We know why we do what we do.”
“He is really gifted,” Manning said. “He tries to
keep us all going at our fullest. He gives us a lot of ‘feeding’ in
our ministry work. He’s a very creative-minded person. He’s a
blessing.”
As for parish challenges, Banze focused on the rigidity that can
slow down parish growth. Adult enrichment classes started to answer this
challenge. Education and involvement are the keys to this common parish
problem, he said. Liturgy information is included in the church bulletin and an
instructional Mass has been an eye-opener for many parishioners.
“It’s a very moving experience,” said Scott Fisher,
who serves on the pastoral council and building and finance committees.
“Until Father John got here, we didn’t know much about Vatican II and
the changes. It’s so exciting to see the church change and grow, to learn
about what you’re doing, to get away from being an audience to being
participants who understand what they’re doing.”
“The bishops set before us a vision,” Father Howren
said. “We are all called to fully, consciously, actively participate in
liturgy. It is the right and the duty of the baptized. There are to be no
observers.”
“He constantly reminds people that music is sung
prayer,” Hutcherson said. “He says if God gave you a bad voice, give
it back to Him.”
Though the parish has many internal projects, activities and
ministries, it remains physically and spiritually connected to the larger
church. Despite the distance, this year 15 parishioners attended the Chrism
Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta, followed by lunch with the
pastor. Parishioners took part in Life Teen training, the liturgy conference,
Sonfest and Steubenville Atlanta.
Many Catholics living within the parish boundaries of St. Gerard,
such as those in the fast-growing town of Ringgold, find it easier to head to
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in the Knoxville Diocese. The pastor is
reaching out to Catholics in Ringgold, making them feel welcome in their own
archdiocese.
There is a long list of people, clerical and lay, who have shaped
St. Gerard over the years, including 12 Redemptorist priests who served as
pastors.
“God has really blessed this parish,” Manning said.
“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to be involved. It amazes me
sometimes how God puts people together.” |
