DAWSONVILLE—Christ Redeemer Mission of St. Luke’s Church in Dahlonega has recently purchased 8.361 acres of land to build a new church.

Future plans include a church with seating for 400 people, administration space, a fellowship hall, classrooms and various support facilities including a parking lot with 150 spaces. The site, which is located on Kilough Church Road, is heavily wooded and the new construction will attempt to maintain as much of the natural growth as possible.

Under then-St. Luke’s pastor, Father John Henley, Christ Redeemer started as a small group of 10 families in 1982 and met for 10 years at Dawsonville United Methodist Church. They purchased their current property at the northwest corner of the intersection of Georgia Highway 9 and Perimeter Road in 1992. Father Edward Danneker became pastor of St. Luke’s and priest in charge of the mission in 1990. The congregation converted an existing residence into a worship space and later added a fellowship hall. The church was dedicated on Dec. 13, 1992.

The present church holds 96 people and many Sunday mornings every seat is full with folding chairs to serve the overflow.

The Catholic population in North Georgia has been steadily increasing over the past few years and the pace is expected to increase at an even greater rate in the near future due to the overall rapid growth in the area.

The architects for the estimated $3 million construction project, which is expected to begin in the fall of 2002, are Bradfield, Richards, Rhodes and Associates of Atlanta.