March 14, 2007
Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will dedicate and bless the new church for Saint Peter Parish in West Brandywine, Chester County. Father Michael J. Fitzpatrick, Pastor of Saint Peter Parish, will concelebrate the Mass.
Cardinal Rigali will lead the entire congregation into the Church for the first time and bless the structure with holy oil and holy water prior to the celebration of Mass.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Saint Peter Parish
2835 Manor Road
West Brandywine, Chester County
Cardinal Rigali will use a blessed oil called chrism and holy water to dedicate the bare altar as well as four points in the church marked by white candles. Afterward, parishioners will prepare the altar to celebrate the Eucharist, first laying down a white cloth and other decorations. The celebration of Mass will then begin.
The new Saint Peter Church is 47,500 square feet and will serve almost 1,300 families (approximately 3,700 members) from 11 townships and boroughs covering over 100 square miles of western Chester County. The project includes a daily Mass chapel with seating for 100 people, administrative offices and meeting rooms. The entire project cost $10.2 million and is being paid for through the generosity of Saint Peter's parishioners and includes a $3.3 million loan from the Archdiocese.
Adjacent to the new Saint Peter Parish is Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic Elementary School, which is the Archdiocese's first new regional school building, not the re-use of an existing parish school. The school is operated by a board of Catholic pastors from the Coatesville region and serves parishioners from Saint Cecilia Parish, Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Saint Stanislaus Kostka, Saint Joseph and Saint Peter Parish.
The original Saint Peter Parish was founded in June 1963 near the village of Honey Brook. Its small church accommodated 350 worshippers. The former church building will close the prior evening with a final vigil Mass. The altar, stations of the cross and crucifix will make the journey to the new church to be installed in the daily Mass chapel.
For more information regarding Saint Peter Parish, please visit www.saintpeterchurch.net.
Living Lent: Cardinal Rigali has posted his weekly Lenten messages on YouTube (www.youtube.com). To view the Gospel messages type "Cardinal Rigali" in the search line.
Contact
Donna M. Farrell
Director of Communications
215-587-3747