St. George Parish rededicates its church

Intermountain Catholic

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The Most Rev. John C. Wester, bishop of Salt Lake City, anoints the altar during the Rededication Mass for the renovated St. George Catholic Church.

ST. GEORGE - In a ceremony filled with solemnity and music, the Most Rev. John C. Wester celebrated a Rededication Mass on Aug. 22 at Saint George Parish.

The Mass capped a week of musical performances by groups of different faiths; additional concerts were planned for the week following the dedication. The ceremonies will culminate when Father Gustavo Vidal, pastor of St. George Parish, celebrates his last liturgy in the parish on Aug. 29 and moves to a new assignment at Saint Mary Parish in West Haven.

Fr. Vidal began as pastor in St. George six years ago. Two years ago he began to work on the expansion.

The remodeled church can hold almost 700 people; it has a new altar, ambo, reredos and artwork.

"May this beautiful church of St. George stand for generations to come as a fitting offering to God and God's people, abiding in Christ, his body, the Church; a temple not made by human hands but fashioned by the cornerstone, Jesus the Christ," Bishop Wester said during his homily.

After Bishop Wester's homily, St. George Mayor Daniel D. McArthur, representing county officials, said that "the Catholic Church has been a force in our community for generations" and read a proclamation stating that the church is now one of the most visible religious buildings in St. George and will serve as a haven for reflection and prayer.

The day after the Rededication Mass, the parish hosted a Community Leaders Prayer Service.

"It was especially moving to me because it was the first time for me as a native Utahn that I've seen so many people of so many different backgrounds in the building at one time, all praying together," said David Chapman, a St. George parishioner.

Among the guests at the prayer service was Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Quorum of the Twelve, who also was the keynote speaker at the fundraising dinner afterward. "What a beautiful church and what a wonderful experience we had together at the prayer service today," Elder Ballard said. He recalled the historical Mass that then-Father Lawrence Scanlan celebrated in the St. George Tabernacle in 1879, as well as Cardinal Francis George's presentation at Brigham Young University this year, and he called for that spirit of cooperation to continue. Despite doctrinal differences, "We must stand together ... on some basic fundamental values that must be protected and must be fought for by all people of all faiths" to protect religious freedom in the United States, he said.