A journey of more than a year came to a triumphant close March 3 as the faith community of St. John Neumann Parish, Mount Laurel, welcomed Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., to serve as principal celebrant at a Mass to celebrate its newly renovated church and bless its new altar. Bishop O’Connell was joined by the current pastor, Father Michael G. Dunn, and pastor emeritus Father Phillip C. Pfleger.
PHOTO GALLERY: Altar dedication in Mount Laurel church
In his homily on the Gospel of John wherein Jesus scolds the moneychangers in the temple (2:13-25) Bishop O’Connell declared the Savior’s anger had a deeper meaning than what appears at first glance.
“Jesus’ anger is directed at sin, at selfishness, at conceit, at arrogance, at bullying, at harsh judgment, at taking advantage of people, of fleecing people in the name of God,” the Bishop said. “Jesus’ anger is directed at those who take the Ten Commandments mentioned in the first reading from the book of Exodus and just throw them aside as though they had no meaning, no importance, no value in their lives.”
He continued, “We are halfway through the season of Lent, which is a perfect time for us to recommit ourselves to being good and faithful Catholics, not afraid to stand up for the truth and for what is right, especially in a society and culture that puts pressure on us to do the opposite. Today as we dedicate this altar and celebrate our faith with our fellow parishioners here, as we receive from this altar the Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, let us ask him to be with us at every moment and to help us to believe in him with all our hearts and to live our lives as he wants us to live them throughout this holy season of Lent and every day of our lives.”
The rite of consecration with Chrism oil drew all present into a faith-filled feast of sight and sound and fragrance. The choir and congregation sang the “Litany of the Saints,” beseeching each holy man and woman named to, “Pray for us.” Bishop O’Connell invoked the names of important Biblical ancestors – Noah, Abraham, Moses and others – who had constructed an altar in God’s glory and Christ’s fulfillment of his Pascal Mystery, and prayed, “Be a sign of Christ, a festive table where people might cast their troubles, a source of the Church’s unity, a center of praise and thanksgiving… Offer their gifts, unfold their intentions, pour out their prayers and echo every meaning of their faith and devotion.”
Relics of saints were deposited in a cavity under the top surface of the altar to signify all who were baptized in Christ also share in his Passion. The five holy men and women so honored were St. John Neumann, saint of Philadelphia and the parish’s patron; St. Katherine Drexel, also of Philadelphia; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint; St. Bernard of Clairvoux, in remembrance of the many Cistercian Monks who had served the parish, and St. Phaolo Le Bao Tinh, a Vietnamese martyr.
The Bishop removed his ornate outer vestment, tied a simple white vestment atop his alb, rolled up his sleeves, poured the Sacred Chrism over the surface of the altar and spread it to every corner with his bare hands while praying, “May God in his power make it holy, a visible sign of the mystery of Christ, who offered himself for the light of the world.” Donning his outer vestments once again, he waved the thurible of incense over the altar and the congregation to send its sweet scent throughout the church.
In addition to the new altar, renovations in the church included a new floor and sanctuary as well as the installation of 10 hand-carved statues from Italy.
The joy of the overflowing congregation at the unveiling of the new altar and church was palpable. The parish Facebook page called the event “spectacular” and thanked the many volunteers involved. The post proclaimed, “After 18 months of anticipation, today was a true victory for our Parish Family of St. John Neumann, and we praise Almighty God for being Our Good Shepherd throughout a tumultuous journey.”
Eric Spinner, a parishioner of 20 years who served as reader during the Mass, said that he was privileged and honored to be a part of the occasion. He likened the altar installation and other church restoration to the beauty of churches he saw during travels to Europe as a young man.
“I’ve seen the meticulous artwork of older churches, and I’m amazed with how transformed the chapel is from when I first came to St. John Neumann,” he said. “I’m also impressed with how many people came to the event; some were parishioners I haven’t seen for a long time.”
Spinner became Catholic in 2004, and his wife Heather will be received into full communion of the Catholic Church on the Easter Vigil this year; the couple also presented the gifts to Bishop O’Connell during the Mass.
He believes the improvements “solidify the fact that the parish is strong and will remain … I definitely think it’s going to revitalize the parish and bring about renewed energy and desire to worship here.”
“You could feel the excitement in the air as we entered our church on Sunday!” said parishioner Tina Kelly. “The Mass and dedication of the altar was absolutely beautiful! It had been a long time coming, but we are here now.”
She and her husband Joe “feel especially blessed to be parishioners at St. John Neumann. Father Dunn is a great spiritual leader for our parish.”
In remarks at the end of the Mass, Father Dunn was effusive in his gratitude to the Bishop for his presence at the Mass and to his parishioners for their hard work, perseverance, faithfulness, advice and patience during the months it took to complete the project.
“I kept saying that the day would come” when the renovated church would be dedicated, “and by God’s grace, it’s finally here.
“I told you it would happen,” Father Dunn said. “Thank you everyone for making this day possible.”
Shown is the newly refurbished sanctuary in St. John Neumann Church, Mount Laurel. Mike Ehrmann photo