Local News
New Catholic Church Speaks Volumes In Greensboro
Published: November 4, 2004
GREENSBORO—A bronze statue of Jesus with his arms open and palms facing the heavens stands in front of the newly dedicated Christ Our King and Savior Church, inviting residents of the region in a distinctively Catholic way to come and worship at the parish’s first permanent church.
The Mass of dedication was held on Friday, Oct. 22, for the 306-family parish, followed by a community open house on Sunday. One visitor told founding parishioner Pat Frain, “You people have really given us a visual monument as we drive down the highway that God is the most important person in this very secular world we live in.”
“What more could any of us ask for than to turn one’s attention to God?” Frain observed.
Located on Lake Oconee Parkway in Greene County, about an hour and a half east of Atlanta, the new sandstone church has Gothic elements and mahogany front doors with a Celtic medallion rising over a bell tower. Large stained glass windows depict the cross and crown of Jesus and smaller windows show the bread and wine for the Eucharist. Memorial windows of Christ as King and as Savior donated by a parishioner have been relocated from the first parish structure to the new narthex.
Standing outside before the dedication Mass, construction coordinator Tom Rouse recalled the history for the congregation. When Archbishop John F. Donoghue gave permission to begin planning the church in February 2001, the building committee visited many churches and studied several different layouts, Rouse said. He highlighted features of the finished building, including Gothic archways into the main church and angled pews that bring out a sense of community for worshippers.
He gave the key to the archbishop saying it was “from the men, women and children of this parish who gave their time, talent and treasure and most importantly their prayers. It was only with God’s will and the total combined efforts of all that this church has come to fruition.”
Pews were packed full for the Mass celebrated by Archbishop Donoghue and concelebrated by the pastor, Father Fernando Molina-Restrepo, and former pastors Father Patrick Kingery and Father Bill Williams and three other priests. On each seat was a note card with a sketch of the church.
Handsome Southern pine beams and large windows with a Gothic arch revealing the soft image of the hills beyond are striking features of the church. A stained glass window above the altar depicts a red-robed Jesus as King and Savior, with a crown and a cross, surrounded by angels kneeling in adoration.
Choir members in red and white robes were accompanied by drums, violin, keyboard, guitar, cello, French horn, trumpet and flute. The music and the program were bilingual. About 130 people attend a weekly Spanish Mass at the church.
Opening the liturgy, the archbishop and Father Molina-Restrepo, assisted by Deacon Don Kelsey, processed down the center aisle and sprinkled the community with holy water. In his homily the archbishop said that at any Catholic gathering the church through the light of Christ draws all people of good faith.
“This year, in the beautiful town of Greensboro, among the rolling hills and valleys of east Georgia, you—the faithful men and women, the People of God—you have built a temple where the household of God may be seen in its perfection—seen by the living, and by the citizens of heaven.”
He said that at a church dedication, every component, sign and symbol of the church must be blessed and proclaimed holy, and that the altar, walls, roof and all parts of the church, “fashioned by human hands, are blessed with water, perfumed by incense, anointed with the precious oil of spiritual nobility, and consecrated as being holy symbols of the Catholic Faith, the majesty of God’s true house on earth, and the glory offered by His own People at worship.”
At every dedication the story from the Book of Nehemiah is told of how the Jews came back to Jerusalem after years in captivity and the walls of their city were rebuilt and the temple, which had fallen into ruin, was restored. Ezra read God’s law given through Moses, and the people wept until they realized the burden of God’s love can also be His greatest blessing. In the same way Catholics today must live in love and with self-sacrifice in order to be Christ-like and experience salvation, the archbishop said.
“When God calls us to the church, He lays upon us this burden, this burden which is our greatest blessing—He opens us up to feel the pain which becomes our joy. He reveals to us the mystery of our own existence, by giving us the chance to believe and to share in the mystery of our Lord’s death and Rising,” said the archbishop. “These are the truths we celebrate coming together as a community—these are the truths we celebrate in this holy temple, upon which today, with the help of all the saints, we call down God’s blessing and protection.”
Before the Eucharist was celebrated, the archbishop anointed the altar with oil and Father Molina-Restrepo anointed the church walls. Then incense was wafted through the building and candles on four dedication crosses were lit.
Following Mass, the pastor thanked all those who helped bring the project to fruition, speaking of the earlier history when two mission Catholic churches in Eatonton and Greensboro were merged into the one parish.
“For any pastor to complete the building of a new facility brings great joy. This is especially true for me here as pastor of Christ Our King and Savior,” he said, acknowledging, “The effort that it takes to get to this point is not that easy.”
“Thankfully, that is behind us and we are ready to move forward as the community of Christ Our King and Savior to serve the needs of God’s people,” he said. “This parish has gone through many changes over the past 10 years with the merging of the two mission churches into one parish – the many pastors that have ministered to this community – and, of course, the recent move into this new facility. And yet through all of these changes, Christ has been guiding and leading this community and we pray tonight that we will continue to allow Christ to guide our lives and lead us as we try to continue building His kingdom here.”
A new challenge is to attract more people to the parish, he said. “We have many more challenges and great experiences to encounter here and we will do that together as we continue the mission of bringing the good news of Jesus for our parish as well as for all those who come to our doors seeking Christ.”
He acknowledged the work of founding priest Glenmary Father Chet Artysiewicz, and thanked his predecessor, Father Kingery, “who put these plans in motion with his leadership and successful capital campaign” and thanked the parish building committee chaired by Bob Coletta.
The community gave Father Molina-Restrepo a standing ovation after Coletta spoke of his great leadership throughout the project. “And all the while he remained fully focused on the pastoral needs of the parish,” Coletta said.
The 20,000-square-foot church, which can seat 350 people, was designed by architects Hiscutt & Associates of Alpharetta and built by Batson & Cook Co. of Atlanta. Parishioners built the wooden sanctuary cross which holds an image of Christ that was imported from Italy. New statues in wall niches depict Mary, St. Joseph, St. Jude and Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Downstairs, beyond a crucifix from the original church, are two conference rooms, a social hall with a fully equipped kitchen and five classrooms. The bell tower houses the amplifying system for electronic carillon bells, a digital reproduction of sounds from actual cast iron bells. The carillon can produce 2,000 recorded sounds, including the call to worship and the Angelus. Bells will ring on the hour from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. A new parking lot was added and the existing church, made up of four modular homes, was torn down.
The community originated when Frain and Mildred Stiffler moved to the region and each wrote independently to the Glenmary Home Missioners asking them to establish a church in the Greensboro area. They were told to obtain the names of at least 60 Catholics in Greensboro and nearby Eatonton willing to support a new mission, and a surprising number of the faithful came forward.
Father Artyseiwicz celebrated the first Mass in Greensboro at the Stiffler home in 1992. The first public Mass was celebrated at an Episcopal church and the community was named Christ Our King. In 1993 the first Mass in Eatonton was celebrated at a Presbyterian church and the community was named Christ Our Savior. Eventually the communities were combined in 1996 as Christ Our King and Savior Church in Greensboro. That year the archdiocese assumed pastoral care for the parish from the Glenmary order.
The parish is just down the road from a Ritz-Carlton Lodge on Lake Oconee, and not far from a country club, golf courses and resorts and gated community homes, but also just one county over from Hancock County, one of the poorest in Georgia. An active St. Vincent de Paul Society partners with other community organizations to address the great need. Many parishioners are retired couples attracted to the rural setting and resort amenities.
Following the Mass Mexico native José Rodriguez, wearing cowboy boots and belt, said he particularly like the new church sanctuary. It all “makes you want to come more. It’s a wonderful place to come.”
Rodriguez works in agriculture and moved to the area to join other family members, 10 of whom attend the church. He believes the new facility will draw more Hispanics. “I know of a lot of people who hear about the church,” Rodriguez said.
Judy Beck served on the committee that selected interior decoration for the church and glowed with pleasure over the outcome. She said they made the church colors very neutral in order to highlight the artwork, statues and stained glass.
“We wanted a place where people could feel comfortable in coming if they were alone and having a quiet space to worship, but also a place where the church community could come together,” she said. “We really wanted it to be a Catholic church. There are so many churches in this area. We really wanted it to look like a Catholic church. … We wanted to make sure that people in this area recognized that.”
They also wanted both original churches in Eatonton and Greensboro represented in the new structure. “We wanted to use everything that was significant for our old church even though maybe not in the same form.”
Beck, who was raised in a Protestant church, especially appreciates the value of art in contributing to the church’s spirit of reverence and worship. The decorating committee “really worked together and every time we were having difficult times we kept remembering it was for the glory of the Lord,” she said.
Rouse, a 40-year General Motors employee who retired to Greensboro in 1998 from Dayton, Ohio, said, “We got a lot of church for our money.” The project cost approximately $3.5 million.
Following the celebration, parishioners gathered at a reception where bilingual signs offered “ponche/punch” and “champán/champagne” on the beverage table.
Architect Pam Banister affirmed that they maximized their resources with a limited budget.
“They had an extremely dedicated building committee. I just have to give them an awful lot of credit,” she said. “And I think it turned out terrific. … Like the archbishop, I think it looks like a Catholic church. You see it from the outside and the inside and that’s probably the best testament because a lot of churches nowadays cater more to function, not really what it looks like.”
Maria Bueno-Siffert, a parishioner from Ecuador, said that in addition to the many retired couples, there are growing numbers of young Hispanic families. She has been involved in a parish ministry that began with offering free help to retired persons on Saturdays in March to file their income taxes. It then expanded to helping others including Hispanics and the undocumented with financial and tax issues. She hopes to offer a parish seminar on American taxes and finances and teach youth about money management. She loves the parish and noted that having the dedication liturgy in both languages “ makes you feel at home.”
Frain hopes that as membership grows they will begin new ministries including providing English classes at the church.
“Breaking down the language barrier would be my dream for this community,” said the parish pioneer.
But for the moment they’re in “sheer awe.”
“We have to pinch ourselves to believe it has really come to fruition. We are so proud and grateful to God and those who donated money and time to make this happen. There is the famous quote, ‘build it and they will come’ and that has certainly been proven true in our case,” she said.
