Archbishop presides at Mass of Blessing for new St. Ann Church
Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein, assisted by Father Patrick Beidelman, the master of ceremonies, prays the first eucharistic prayer during the Mass of Blessing a Church and Altar on Sept. 26 at the new St. Ann Church in Indianapolis. Father Harold Rightor II, seated at right near the altar, served as associate pastor of St. Ann Parish from 2007-09 and now serves as pastor of Annunciation Parish in Brazil. Father Glenn O’Connor, pastor of St. Ann and St. Joseph parishes in Indianapolis, is seated at the far right side of the altar. (Photo by Mary Ann Wyand)
By Mary Ann Wyand
“All Things Are Possible with God” was the theme for the building campaign at St. Ann Parish in Indianapolis.
Thanks to a lot of prayers, hard work and sacrifice, St. Ann parishioners saw their dream for a larger church become a reality on Sept. 26 when Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein presided at the Mass of Blessing a Church and Altar at the new parish address at 6350 Mooresville Road in Indianapolis.
“Finally!” Father Glenn O’Connor, the pastor of St. Ann and St. Joseph parishes in Indianapolis, told Archbishop Buechlein, concelebrating priests, parishioners and guests at the conclusion of the historic liturgy. He stood at the ambo and grinned as the people applauded enthusiastically. (See a photo gallery from this event)
Ten years ago, St. Ann parishioners began planning for the construction of a larger church at a new southwest side location.
St. Ann Parish was founded in 1917 at 2862 S. Holt Road, but as the decades slipped by many of the small homes near the church were replaced by commercial and industrial buildings.
A large number of St. Ann parishioners moved to suburban neighborhoods in Decatur Township, and that significant demographic change in Wayne Township resulted in declining enrollment at the parish school and its closure in 1989.
Father O’Connor was named pastor of St. Ann and St. Joseph parishes in 1997, and the next year the Archdiocese of Indianapolis completed a feasibility study on the possible merging of the two adjacent parishes.
St. Joseph Parish is located at 1375 S. Mickley Ave., a few miles north and west of St. Ann Parish.
Based on the study, it was determined that St. Ann Parish should build a new church closer to the center of Decatur Township to support the growing Catholic population there.
“We ourselves who are bound here in faith and love are the living Church set in the world as a sign and witness of God’s love for all,” Archbishop Buechlein told the assembly. “I come to express my congratulations. I come to commend you for your great faith, and I commend you for what you have accomplished with this new church.”
Before blessing the church and altar, the archbishop explained that the altar is a symbol of Christ’s presence among us.
“It is the symbol that tells us that when we celebrate the holy Eucharist, the Mass, Christ is the true presider through the person of the priest,” Archbishop Buechlein said. “At a later date, when we dedicate a permanent church building here, we will consecrate the altar with holy chrism [oil] that is consecrated on Holy Thursday in our cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul. But even now, the blessing of this altar makes it sacred, and it also makes it a sign of our unity.”
Smiling at the memory, he said, “When I came to Indianapolis and was installed as archbishop in September 1992, I don’t know that anyone here would remember it, but my first parish visit was to St. Ann Church on Holt Road. We’ve come a long way in 17 years.”
Parish expansion plans at the new location include the construction of a school and permanent church in future years. The new church was designed with a parish office, classrooms and large social hall, and will eventually become the Parish Activity Center.
In his remarks, Father O’Connor noted that the new church “truly is the work of God,” and is the result of much prayer, perseverance and teamwork.
“And this is the proof, this church and everything we’ve done over these past 10 years,” he said. “You all know the ups and downs that we’ve had, and the delays, but it’s really a gift and a prayer. The archdiocese—and particularly Archbishop Buechlein—have been behind us every step of the way.”
Members of My Father’s House, a Church of God in Christ Pentecostal congregation, purchased the old St. Ann Church on Holt Road.
“To make this day possible, we had to sell the old church,” Father O’Connor said. “… We sold the church and were still using it for over a year, and they were pretty gracious about allowing us to share the space.”
St. Joseph parishioners also helped St. Ann parishioners, he said, by opening their church for weddings, funerals and baptisms.
“This [church location at the corner of Mills and Mooresville roads] has been part of the Mills family property, a Quaker family’s property, for many, many years,” Father O’Connor said, “and they were thrilled to have a Catholic church [built] on it.”
Since St. Ann parishioners began worshiping in the new church on July 18, he said, more than 50 new families have joined the parish.
St. Ann parishioner Marilyn Campfield sang in the combined St. Ann and St. Joseph parish choir during the liturgy.
“I was married at the first church on the hill when Father [Carl] Wilberding was the pastor [from 1947 to 1974],” Campfield explained. “It was just a little house on Holt Road. It was very, very small. And then we built the church that we just left, and now we’ve got this beautiful place. Our singing will come from our hearts, I know, and that’s what God wants it to be.” †
