By Lois Rogers | Correspondent

On Sept. 19 at 4 p.m., a long awaited new chapter in the 129-year-history of Holy Cross Parish will begin as its new church is dedicated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.

More than a decade in the planning and  two years in the actual building, the splendid, 22,500-square-foot structure that seamlessly blends the 19th and 20th centuries into the 21st is sure to resound on that day with prayers of thanksgiving and hymns of joy.

Twice before, the dedication ceremony had to be postponed to give the meticulous crew of craftspeople and artisans involved in its construction more time to complete their work.

Now, with the stones set, the shingles in place, the artistic elements shining anew in the light of faith and the gardens a blooming pathway to the house of God, the time has come to turn a long-anticipated new page.

A New Beginning

On Aug. 20, almost a month before the dedication was to be held, the Holy Cross campus was bustling with activity. Work went on at a busy pace as the last-minute details to the exterior and interior of the church were completed.

On site since construction began on the church in the spring of 2013, was Father Michael Manning, pastor. He has shepherded the overall project – which also included the expansion of the school – since shortly after arriving as pastor Nov. 3, 2004.

Father Manning spared some time to give a tour of the church and the grounds which dovetail harmoniously with the long-established Rumson neighborhood situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Navesink River. Accompanying him were Lori LaPlante, pastoral assistant, and Sue Symington, parish sacristan.

Enthusiastically, he pointed out everything from the banners heralding that the time has come to rejoice, to the framework for the Marian garden and its surrounds. He made special note of the belvedere – roofed tower with a view – that will soon house a welcoming angel harvested from an old church in the Netherlands.

It’s just one of many treasures acquired from venerable church buildings from Philadelphia and beyond that will enable worshipers to experience the unmistakable sense of Catholic history and religious artistry.

Inside the church, Father Manning shared his joy in the fact that the new marble altar (a first for the parish) is situated exactly where the former altar had been for 100 years. The altar faces the grand window of St. Helena finding the True Cross, a treasure from the original church, that illuminates the choir loft above the nave.

The new church will accommodate nearly 700 people, about 500 more than the original structure -which dated back to 1886. With 2,400 families in a very active parish, the expectation is that the new, larger cruciform worship space and its basement community room will add even more dimension to parish life, Father Manning said.

Since ground was broken for the church in the Spring of 2013, the parish has been worshiping in the adjacent school’s gymatorium. The dedication Mass will mark the return to the sacred setting many parishioners have known for generations, and anticipation is running high, he said. Impromptu tours have brought many faithful into the church even before it’s complete.

And Father Manning’s daily updates on the progress have been a popular read since “construction” coverage began on his blog Aug. 19, 2009. Back then it was devoted to the first phase of the project which focused on upgrades and improvements to the school. Since construction of the church began, the updates have continued unabated.

Treasuring the Past

So beloved was the original church building that real care had been taken to enlist support for the new project from the parish community and the community at large.

The idea for a bigger church surfaced as far back as 1994 but actual planning would not begin until sometime later. When it did, town officials and some townsfolk were concerned that increasing the capacity would render it incompatible with atmospheric Rumson. “The town had wanted things to stay smaller,” said Father Manning. “Everyone seemed fixed on (no more than) 450 seats. Some were very concerned about the numbers.”

Rebuilding in keeping with history – especially preserving the iconic steeple and the front entrance – were other concerns, expressed this time by parishioners, said Father Manning, LaPlante and Symington.

Good communication and the care with which noted church architect James McCrery successfully maintained the continuity between the old and the new in context with the town went a long way toward building overall support, Father Manning said.

“It became less difficult to get support. The neighborhood became aware that the plan was becoming more and more beautiful. People became more accepting,” as the process went along, Father Manning said.

While the orientation of the church has been changed – the congregation now faces east and the former entrance is in the back of the new structure – the sense of place is strikingly the same.

“So much speaks to the old church,” said LaPlante.

Father Manning agreed, saying that parishioners who have stopped by say the building “feels like the old church only bigger. … I think people will feel at home. It’s beautiful and well done and I can’t wait for Jesus to move in.”