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By Gretchen Keiser, Staff Writer
MABLETON—At St. Francis de Sales Church, a traditional Latin
rite parish open to people throughout the archdiocese, parishioners experienced
the solemn consecration of their church by Archbishop John F. Donoghue last
October.
This ceremony, which gives the church building “wholly and
entirely to God,” lasted nearly six hours. While most churches are
dedicated, the ceremony of consecration was held one other time in the
archdiocese, when Sacred Heart Church in Atlanta was consecrated in 1920.
Father Mark Fischer, FSSP, pastor of St. Francis de Sales, said
that consecrating, rather than dedicating, a church was rare even before the
Second Vatican Council. To be consecrated, the building must be made of brick
or stone, be debt-free, and, since part of the service involves encircling the
building in prayer, a procession must be able to go completely around it.
Once consecrated, “the church can never be used for anything
but a church,” Father Fischer said. It cannot later be used as a parish
hall. “Its essence has been consecrated to God.”
While a lengthy ceremony, he said the consecration was moving and
memorable for parishioners. “It is an experience I’ll never forget. I
think everyone here was very grateful and very pleased.”
He said that Archbishop Donoghue, who prayed throughout in Latin
and conducted the sanctifying, anointing and consecrating of the church, seemed
unfazed by the rigors of the lengthy event.
“Archbishop Donoghue was amazing,” Father Fischer said.
“His energy was phenomenal.”
Formerly a Baptist church, St. Francis de Sales Church at 587
Landers Drive, Mableton, also reflects the hands-on care and refurbishing done
by parishioners.
The oak pews in the church, donated by Msgr. Daniel O’Connor
when St. Jude Church in Atlanta, where he is pastor, was renovated, were
refinished by parishioners.
The Communion rail of white marble with alabaster insets was
donated by Father James Miceli, pastor of St. Mary Church in Rome.
The high altar of Italian marble, which was donated by a convent
in Hazleton, Pa., arrived in five crates and was reassembled by parishioners
Pat Miller and Dave Trettel after a pulley system was devised to safely hoist
and position the weighty slabs.
Parishioner Barbara Trettel built the reliquary, which held the
relics of three martyrs. The night before the church was consecrated, a vigil
was held before the relics and parishioners came throughout the night and
stayed in prayer.
During the consecration on Oct. 8, 2000, the reliquary was taken
in procession around the outside of the church, before being placed in the
altar stone and sealed. Because the original altar stone cracked during
shipment from Pennsylvania to Georgia, a new altar stone was made, and the
altar had to be reconsecrated.
When the interior of the church was being redesigned, a wood floor
was placed under the pews, instead of carpet, to enhance the acoustics.
Other gifts to the church include the baptismal font, from a
Delaware church that closed, and a mahogany side altar dedicated to the Infant
of Prague, formerly in a convent. A side altar dedicated to Mary is being
designed.
A statue of St. Francis de Sales, placed in a niche in the main
altar, was donated by a church in South Dakota. Two 19th century Bavarian
stained glass windows, which have not yet been placed in the church but will be
positioned on either side of the high altar, are gifts from a South Carolina
benefactor. The oak pulpit, Gothic in design, was found in an antique store.
The consecration of the church begins with the archbishop entering
the church and ordering the deacon to light 12 candles on the walls. Later in
the consecration rite, 12 stones placed in the church walls are anointed by the
archbishop. Handmade candlesticks above the stones hold the candles that are
lighted for the consecration and burn throughout the ceremony.
Each year the candles will be lit during the Easter Vigil Mass,
which will be celebrated by candlelight, and on the anniversary of the
consecration of the church.
After the candles are lit, seven penitential psalms are said in
the place where the relics are being kept prior to their placement in the altar
stone.
The procession then goes to the entrance to the church where the
schola and the archbishop pray a Litany to the Saints. After blessing water and
salt, the archbishop leads a procession around the church three times, blessing
first the upper part of the walls, then the lower part of the walls and finally
the middle of the walls. Each time he stops at the doors of the church in
prayer.
The third time he enters the church with the choir and the
assisting clerics, while the other members of the clergy and the people wait
outside. An invocation to the Holy Spirit is sung, followed by the Litany to
the Saints, and the Canticle of Zechariah. During this time, the archbishop
inscribes the letters of the Greek alphabet and the letters of the Latin
alphabet in a cross placed on the floor in ashes, symbolizing the worldwide
expression of Christ’s redemption.
The archbishop then blesses Gregorian water, made of water, salt,
ashes and wine, and consecrates the altar. Afterward he goes around the
interior of the church three times, sprinkling the interior each time with the
blessed water. He then blesses the floor of the church.
Finally he proceeds to the place where the relics are being kept
and a procession, carrying the relics, leaves the church and processes around
the outside of the church.
At the doorway, the archbishop then speaks to the people of their
responsibilities to the church, including their responsibilities to stewardship
and tithing.
Two marble stones have been placed in the exterior wall of the
church on either side of the doors. Made from the original altar table, the
stones are then anointed with holy chrism by the archbishop.
The procession carrying the relics then enters the church. The
place where the relics are to be placed and sealed is consecrated with chrism
and incensed. The altar itself is anointed with the oil of catechumens and holy
chrism by the archbishop. The archbishop also anoints the 12 stone crosses in
the church and incenses them.
Returning to the altar he fashions incense in the five crosses of
the altar and the incense is completely burned, signifying the first fragrant
sacrifice on the altar.
Following this, the altar is cleaned, anointed in the front and on
the sides by the archbishop, and then prepared for Mass with altar cloths,
ornaments and flowers. Then Mass is celebrated in the church.
Every level of church blessing or dedication disposes the people
of the church to become holier, Father Fischer said.
“Sacramentals dispose us to become holier,” he said.
“The church, when it is dedicated or consecrated, helps make us more
disposed to receiving God’s grace. The consecration (does so), even in a
deeper sense, I think.”
The ceremony “makes it a temple of God. A temple is a place
where sacrifices are offered and it is totally dedicated to God,” he said.
As a traditional Latin rite parish, there are visible distinctions
when those familiar only with the celebration of Mass since the Second Vatican
Council attend Mass at St. Francis de Sales Church.
The Mass is celebrated principally in Latin, although the homily
is preached in English. Those receiving Communion do so while kneeling along a
Communion rail, as was the practice prior to Vatican II, and receive the
Communion host on the tongue. Throughout the celebration of Mass, the priest
faces the altar, rather than facing the people.
Historically, Father Fischer said, altars were built facing the
east, awaiting the return of Christ, who ascended into heaven in the east. The
priest and the congregation both faced the same direction, awaiting
Christ’s return. Originally the Gospel was sung facing north, he said, to
express the need to preach Christ and his word to pagan lands, which, in early
Christian times, were northern lands.
Estimating that his parish is made up of 150 to 180 families,
Father Fischer said the sung Latin Mass “fills a particular spiritual need
in the people.”
“Perhaps it is more of an interior approach to liturgy than a
communal approach,” he said. “There is a lot of awe and mystery
experienced in our ceremonies. There is a lot of silence. (In ordinary life) at
moments of great events, we have awe and silence. At this moment of
meeting—God and man—we have great awe. It is something that means a
great deal to everyone here.”
A well-stocked Catholic bookstore, operated by parishioners and
not owned by the parish, is located at the church. Carrying many writings of
the saints, catechetical works, pro-life books and children’s books, the
bookstore is open after Mass on Sunday.
Connected to the church is a full parish hall with a kitchen.
There are 16 classrooms beneath the church for religious education and a parish
library and additional classrooms and meeting rooms are located in a connecting
area.
Parishioners teach religious education to about 80 children,
Father Fischer said. Classes are given on Wednesday evenings for those
interested in becoming Catholic and parishioners also attend the classes on the
faith.
A separate building on the property houses a full-size gymnasium.
Plans for the land include the creation of a grotto and already a small flower
garden provides flowers for the altar.
The parish has an altar guild and active Legion of Mary.
Parishioners come from throughout north Georgia and also from surrounding
states.
Originally a Latin Mass community, it was elevated to the status
of a personal parish by Archbishop Donoghue on Jan. 29, 1999, the old calendar
feast of St. Francis de Sales. A personal parish is established based upon
rite, language, nationality or other factor. It is the only parish in the
archdiocese committed to preserving the Mass as celebrated in Latin and
according to the 1962 Roman Missal.
St. Francis De Sales Church
Traditional Latin Rite
587 Landers Drive, Mableton, Georgia 30126
(770) 948-6888
Pastor:
Father Mark Fischer, FSSP
Mass Schedule:
Weekend: 9 a.m. Low Mass
11:30 a.m. High Mass (sung by schola)
Weekday: 9 a.m., except Friday; 7 p.m., Friday.
No. Of Parishioners: 150-180 families |
