A New Home for St. Clare Parish

It was standing room only as the St. Clare Parish community gathered with Bishop Bradley and honored guests for the dedication Mass of the new church building. Despite the blustery winter day, the joy-filled occasion was the culmination of more than two decades of the community’s perseverance and dedication to realize its vision for a new and expanded church home.
 
During his homily, Bishop Bradley explained the significance and sacredness of the Rite of Dedication Mass. “The blessing of ourselves, and this structure, with Holy Water at the beginning of today’s Mass is because this building, now blessed, houses those of us who have been washed clean in the waters of baptism. That is what makes us ‘holy ones’; not because we’re perfect; but because we are on a journey of faith, which one day (God willing), when our journey in this life is completed, will lead us into the eternal dwelling place of God in heaven.”
 
Bishop Bradley further explained the anointing of the new altar with sacred chrism is “because Jesus is ‘Cristos’ — ‘The Christ’/’The Anointed One.’ On this altar we will celebrate the Sacrifice of our Redemption at every Mass. It is through the Sacrifice of Jesus’ body and blood on Calvary, accomplished once for all 2,000 years ago, that we celebrate anew in an unbloody way at every Mass, by which Jesus’ body and blood is made Present for us to be our food and drink in the Holy Eucharist. In turn, we will anoint the four walls with the same sacred chrism, because this church building brings together those of us who are also ‘the anointed ones’ through baptism and confirmation in Jesus, the Christ.”