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June 2007 Issue
150-year-old parish dedicates new
church
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For
Catholics across the world, the Easter Season was a
time to celebrate new life and new beginnings. For the
425 parish families who attend St. Sebastian Catholic
Church in Byron Center, this Easter Season marked the
beginning of a new chapter for the parish community.
On Sunday, April 22 Bishop
Walter A. Hurley presided at the Mass and dedication
of the newly constructed St. Sebastian Church. More than 600 parishioners
and guests processed from the old church to the new church. |
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The procession included a
cross-bearer; Bishop Walter Hurley; Bishop Emeritus Robert
Rose; Msgr. William Duncan, pastor; and Msgr. Gaspar Ancona,
former pastor of the church who was instrumental in the building
of the new church.
The dedication of the church
was rich with signs and symbols. Outside the doors, representatives
from the pastoral and fi nance councils, the building committee,
the architect and general contractor presented building plans,
legal parish documents and keys for possession of the new
church to Bishop Hurley, who called on Msgr. Duncan, pastor
of St. Sebastian and vicar general of the diocese, to open
the church doors. “It is a privilege to continue in the footsteps
of Msgr. Ancona’s pastoral leadership and the work of so many
of our parishioners. This is a beautiful, sacred space where
parishioners will gather to be nourished by God’s Word and
to celebrate the sacraments for generations to come,” Msgr.
Duncan said. During the dedication, the altar and ambo (where
the Gospel is proclaimed) were blessed. A relic of St. Sebastian,
martyr, was sealed in the fl oor under the altar.
This was the first newly constructed
church in the Diocese of Grand Rapids since St. Robert of
Newminster, Ada in 1998. Plans for the new church began about
fi ve years ago, when a survey was sent to parishioners asking
what they wanted to see in a new church. It was requested
that plans include both the neo-gothic architecture that would
echo the old church, as well as more contemporary elements
to meet today’s needs. The building site was blessed December
11, 2005 and construction began in January 2006. “I think
the goals are being fulfi lled and accomplished. The new church
has warmth, color, and is much larger, but it still has a
sense of intimacy which was so important to the parishioners
of St. Sebastian,” said Msgr. Ancona. “I believe St. Sebastian
Church will offer a striking and fresh contribution to church
architecture for our diocese.”
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