Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2 — The Georgia Bulletin, September 8,1988
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish
Stage, Study, Preschool Make Up New Community Life Center
BY GRETCHEN REISER
The aptly-named Com
munity Life Building at St.
Thomas Aquinas parish
will be a place for
parishioners from one on
up.
Built off the parish hall,
the 35 to 40 room structure
is designed to respond to
the many needs of the
rapidly growing Alpharetta
bo, and the St. Thomas
Summer Theatre, will
follow.
“It’s a beautiful facility.
I think we are very, very
blessed to have it. It’s one
of those dreams people
have for many years and
when it comes to fruition,
you see how blessed you
are,” said Katey Carroll,
who is chairing the dedica
tion.
upon being able to put their
children in a Catholic
preschool.
“I think Catholics have
been looking for a place to
bring their children. We’ve
all had to place our
children in preschools that
are not Catholic” in the
past, she noted, observing
that while many of the
preschools have good pro
grams, this is an opportuni-
original parish hall was
completely renovated. A
“gathering area” will be a
place for stand-up hospital
ity, like receptions, coffee
and doughnuts. A brand
new kitchen has been in
stalled that will permit
many kinds of social uses,
Carroll said.
New office space in the
Community Life Building
will be provided for the
priests and deacons, and
for the education person
nel. Within the building,
“the rooms can be con
figured in many ways,” he
said, and will provide
places for adult education
and youth catechesis, but
also settings during the
evenings for the various
meetings of support
groups, like AA, and
renewal movements, like
Cursillo and Marriage En
counter.
Rapid and sustained
growth has characterized
St. Thomas Aquinas and
the Alpharetta area since
the parish began.
St. Andrew’s parish in
Roswell and now St.
Benedict’s have been
created from the original
St. Thomas Aquinas
parish, Carroll noted, and
even at that, the parish is
over 2,000 families in
number and still growing.
Fifty new families regis
tered in the parish in
August, he said.
Because the building pro
ject, whose construction
costs are estimated at $1.5
million, lasted about a year
and a half, parish pro
grams and ministries had
to adjust drastically during
that period, but will now
have the space and
facilities to resume and
grow. Carroll said he
thought “the various
ministries did an absolute
ly magnificent job” during
the construction.
“I think the dedication
will signify that a chapter
has come to an end and a
new chapter will begin,”
Carroll said, adding that
the parish was even adopt
ing a new bulletin format
and color “to try to signify
that this is a new phase in
parish life.”
Father Fennessy noted
that the building was
meant to be a place where
a total ministry of the Word
could take place, including
preaching and explanation
of scripture, but also com
munity life and service to
others.
“People have said the
building is beautiful, and it
is,” the pastor said, “but
I’m really more excited
about what it can do for the
people. These are really
my hopes.”
During the dinner follow
ing the dedication, the
nursery will be open for lit
tle children and there will
be special entertainment
for the young children.
Adults will hear a Rodgers
and Hammerstein musical
under the direction of Edie
Shannon.
parish, with places for
preschoolers, an active
youth drama group, adult
education and catechetics
for the young, evening
meetings, and a “gathering
place” for get-togethers.
The building, several
years in the planning stage,
will be dedicated Sunday,
Sept. 11 after a noon Mass,
with Archbishop Eugene A.
Marino, S.S.J., presiding at
the Mass and then blessing
the new building. Father
James Fennessy is pastor.
A sit-down dinner for
over 1,000 people in the
parish, with entertainment
by a parish three-man com-
Elements in the building
include a nursery for
preschool children which,
in addition to helping dur
ing weekend liturgies,
also provides a Monday-
through-Friday setting for
over 80 children from three
to five years old who are in
preschool or kindergarten.
A staff of 22, headed by
Chris Pelkey, conducts the
program, which also in
cludes a five-day-a-week
Mothers Morning Out for
about 60 children.
Mrs. Carroll, a school
teacher who is now a home
maker, said parents in the
area place a high value
ty to begin teaching
children in the Catholic
tradition and planting
seeds of faith. “I’m just
thrilled that we can offer
this to our children.”
The parish youth minis
try, which includes a very
active 10-year-old drama
program, had a stage in the
original parish hall, but
that stage has been refur
bished, along with the
sound and lighting system,
and an adjacent costume
changing area has been
added, said Tom Carroll,
who is president of the
parish council. As part of
the building project, the
"Sparrow" Returns
Those who heard her, and those who didn’t, but
heard about her, will have a second chance to listen to
Sister Elaine Frederick, O.S.P. The Religious who
sang “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” at the
archbishop’s installation Mass May 5, will be part of
a musicale at the Shrine of the Immaculate Concep
tion, Sunday, Sept. 18. The musical and choral
presentation at 4:30 p.m. is a benefit for the Shrine
and will be followed by a reception across the street
at the Georgia Railroad Depot. Tickets for the con
cert and reception are $35; the program will also in
clude the Cathedral of Christ the King choir and folk
group and the Gospel Singers from Our Lady of
Lourdes. For tickets, contact Mrs. Richard
Schweitzer at 255-5537.
Sister Elaine
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