By Julie Godfrey Miller
Superior Catholic Herald
Bishop dedicates new worship space in Phelps
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PHELPS -- Parishioners and guests attending Mass Sunday morning, April 6, gathered at the nearby firehall and, following a greeting and prayer by Bishop Peter F. Christensen, processed to their newly expanded and renovated church to dedicate the worship space. This was Christensen's first church dedication.
At the church door, Mike Kilinski. of Urban Construction, presented Christensen with the plans for the work done on the church and Deacon Norm Mesun Jr. presented Christensen with the key to the church. Christensen then presented the key to Patricia Pintens, the parish director, so she could formally open the church.
Inside the church, Christensen, assisted by Mesun blessed water that would be used to sprinkle the assembly and to purify the walls and alter of the renovated church.
Christensen presided at the Mass which followed, with Fr. Brendan Kunda, a retired priest of the diocese, concelebrating and Mesun assisting. Fr. Bob Koszarek, supervising pastor at St. Mary, and Deacon Albert Goodrich, of Eagle River, were also in attendance.
In his homily, Christensen noted that in the Gospel reading (Mt. 16:13-19) Jesus asks Peter, "Who do you think I am?" Peter responds, "You are the Christ, Son of the Living God."
Those words, which changed Peter's life, also happen to be Christensen's motto, which appears on the his coat of arms.
He also noted another coincidence. Earlier Pintens had showed him a photo of the interior of the original St. Mary Church that she had just discovered. It featured an arch that is nearly identical to the arches that form an important part of the new church.
Christensen praised the work and dedication of the St. Mary parishioners. He said they showed resourcefulness, just like the priest who founded the parish 100 years ago. This priest needed pews for his new church and managed to negotiate a good price on some used ones, find free transportation for them and enlist free labor of high school students to refinish them. When it was all done, he had too many pews and sold them for a profit of $300.
Christensen also commented on the new stations of the cross, which were carved by artisans from St. Mary's sister parish in Haiti. Even though they were in the midst of the renovation project, Christensen said, St. Mary parishioners continued to fund the building of a school for the parish in Haiti.
Following the reciting of the creed, the rite of dedication began with the choir and congregation singing the Litany of the Saints. The bishop said the prayer of dedication and anointed the altar with sacred chrism, making it a symbol of Christ, the anointed one. He then anointed the walls in the four corners of the worship space.
The altar and church were incensed and the paschal candle brought forth. Christensen passed flame from the candle to a small candle that Mesun used to light the altar candles and those on the walls of the church. Members of the congregation then came forward to venerate the altar.
One last dedication rite remained. After Communion was distributed, the Blessed Sacrament was placed in the tabernacle and the sanctuary lamp lit.
At the end of Mass, Dennis Konieczka, chairman of the parish council, introduced several honored guests, who said a few words about the project and the new space. They were Koszarek, Kilinski, Peter Albrecht, chairman of the Phelps town board, Richard Parks, superintendent of the Phelps School District, Kunda and Pintens.
Pintens presented Christensen with a gift basket, that included 100 (or so) blessings written on cards for the bishop. She also presented him with a hand-carved walking stick.
A reception in the new gathering space adjacent to the worship space, followed the Mass.
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2008