November 26, 2010
St. Clement ‘Church-house’ dedicated in Boonville Nov. 21
Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger begins the Mass with a prayer as Father Lowell Will looks on. The wood on which the crucifix is mounted was taken from the original roof beams of the old church. Marble and new laminated beams are among the new features. (Message photo by Paul R. Leingang) Click for a larger version.
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
“Stand up,” said the bishop during his brief homily. “Look around and see how beautiful it is.”
“It” was the interior of St. Clement Church in Boonville and Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger had asked the congregation in the pews and standing along the outer walls to look at the ceiling and the furnishings during the dedication of the church, Nov. 21.
Then he had them stand up a second time, and look at each other — to make the point that the people “really are the house of God.” The building is “a church house where we pray and celebrate the sacraments and bury the dead. It is a sacred space. But the sacredness really resides in us,” he continued, in the church “whose foundation is Jesus Christ.”
In a booklet prepared for the ceremony, Father Lowell Will, the pastor, said the new building is “a tribute to the many people who have worked and sacrificed many years.”
Father Will thanked previous pastors who served the parish. Fourteen priests of the diocese, with connections to St. Clement, joined the celebration.
Father Will also thanked the church planning committee, especially Dan Harpenau; the parish council members, the men’s and ladies’ clubs, the capital campaign and fund-raiser committees, the dedication committee, the architect Kevin Callahan, and all engineers, and all parish members who contributed funds, time and prayers.
The dedication ceremonies began with the bishop and the pastor processing along with other participants to unlock the front door. Bishop Gettelfinger sprinkled holy water on the altar, the walls and the people — and later anointed the altar and walls with chrism.
“By anointing with chrism, the altar becomes a symbol of Christ, ‘The Anointed One,’ who was anointed by the Holy Spirit at baptism,” said a note in the booklet. “The anointing of the walls signifies that the church building is given over entirely and perpetually to Christian worship.”
The new building incorporates features from the original structure, begun in 1880. Restored stained glass windows are used in the new building, as are the Stations of the Cross, statues of Joseph and Mary, the baptismal font, holy water fonts and the cabinet in the vesting sacristy.
The kingpin beams from the rafters of the old church now hold the crucifix on the wall above the altar. The old high altar and tabernacle have been refurbished and now serve as the Tabernacle Shrine.
Laminated wood beams are used for the roof structure, above walls of metal, masonry and glass. Marble is used in some areas “because St. Clement is the patron of marble workers and stonecutters,” according to Father Will.
The “Reitz Chalice,” studded with diamonds and other precious gems, was used at the Mass, through the courtesy of Holy Trinity Church in Evansville.