By Julie Godfrey Miller
Catholic Herald

Parish dedicates remodeled church, new altar

GRANTSBURG -- After several years of hard work, renovations and a new addition at Immaculate Conception Church in Grantsburg have been completed. Bishop Raphael M. Fliss dedicated the church June 12, at a Mass he concelebrated with Fr. Dennis Mullen, the pastor, and Fr. David Lusson, the former pastor. Deacon Stanley Marczak assisted.

Following a solemn procession of parishioners and the celebrants of the Mass, Stanley Peer, chairman of the renovation committee, spoke briefly about the dedication. He said that every single member of the parish, as well as many of visitors, had a hand in the project.

To begin the dedication, Fliss said a prayer of blessing over a container of holy water and, with the help of Marczak, sprinkled the altar and the people with the newly blessed water.

The liturgy of the word and Fliss' homily followed.

Fliss commented on the beautiful and ancient ritual of the dedication of a church. He said, "What you will notice is that Jesus Christ is at the center of it all."

He added that the renovation and building did not happen overnight but took many people coming together to meet, work and sacrifice. "It is my hope that each and every one will be appropriately recognized for their contribution to the project," Fliss said.

The building of a church is never completed. Fliss said Christ called the early Christians living stones, and "with Jesus as the corner stone, the people, then as now, become the building blocks of our temple here on earth."

He added that Christ promised to be with his church to the end, and it is that promise that gives Christians the courage to continue and that gave Immaculate Conception Parish the courage to complete their project.

At the conclusion of the homily, the choir and congregation sang the Litany of the Saints. Then Fliss said the Prayer of Dedication and anointed the new altar with sacred chrism. Candle bearers took up positions in 12 places in the church and Mullen and Lusson anointed the walls of the church near small crosses in each of the 12 locations.

After an incensing of the altar, and of the bishop and the people, the oil was wiped from the altar and the altar prepared for the liturgy of the Eucharist. Fliss invited everyone attending the Mass to come forward to kiss the newly blessed altar.

Following Communion Fliss carried the Blessed Sacrament, in procession, to the new chapel of reservation.

At the close of the liturgy, Marczak also mentioned two other reasons to celebrate: Mullen would be celebrating 35 years in the priesthood June 13 and Lusson would be celebrating 25 years June 14.

Marczak said that the center of parish life is not at meetings or in charitable works or education. It is at the altar where the holy Eucharist is celebrated, and it is the gift of priesthood that allows the faithful to celebrate Eucharist.

After thanking everyone who participated in the renovation project and in the dedication day, Mullen called Lowell Hoffman forward to receive a special award.

Mullen said an old cemetery, the burial spot of Native Americans as well as others, lies within the parish. The original Catholic church in Grantsburg, Sacred Heart Chapel, once stood on the site. At some point in the past the cemetery was willed to the Diocese of Superior and became the responsibility of the pastor of the Grantsburg parish.

Hoffman single-handedly took care of the cemetery for 20 years, but due to age is not able to do it any more. Mullen presented him with a large plaque, expressing appreciation for his selfless generosity and hard work

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2005