Photos of the Church Dedication

February 8, 2009
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Click Here to Download the Dedication Program

 

St. Gabriel Catholic Church

2007 St. Joseph Pilgrims

2008 St. Joseph Pilgrims

St. Gabriel Church Dedication Ceremony - February 8, 2009

On February 8, 2009, St. Gabriel Catholic Church, in the Gentilly Woods neighborhood of New Orleans, dedicated their newly renovated church; a church nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Words cannot describe where St. Gabriel Catholic Church has been and words certainly cannot describe where they are today. From mud on the walls to Holy Oils on the walls; dirty water filling their homes to Holy Water giving them a sign of rebirth; drift wood as a result of the flood to fine wood as a result of the flood of the Holy Spirit.

When talking to St. Joseph pilgrims who traveled to New Orleans one or both times, many echo the sanctity and length of the Sunday Mass. Many say that the celebration of the Eucharist meant more to them in the context of the singing, the prayers, the baptisms and the fellowship. Many go on to say that the Mass only seemed like only 15 minutes, when in fact it was an hour and a half! Would you belief me if I told you that the Dedication Ceremony only felt like 15 minutes, when in fact it was a three and a half hour celebration!

The Dedication Ceremony, including the before-hand fellowship, the Dedication Mass, and the reception following, was a very touching moment in my eyes as well as the over four hundred parishioners, visitors, volunteers, friends and families who attended.

The Ceremony, just as St. Joseph Church’s Dedication began outside with Archbishop Hughes handing over the keys to the church to Fr. Doug Doussan. Archbishop Hughes’ words to the congregation were short and sweet, “Do you really want me to give these keys to your pastor and can we trust him not to lose them?”

When the doors opened to the church, a sense of joy and accomplishment poured over me and the others who were seeing the church for the first time. Walking in, I noticed a newly constructed reconciliation room that opens up to a large, black granite baptismal font. Proceeding towards the front of the church, I noticed the new sanctuary area with a new Altar, Ambo, Presider and Server Chairs, and new liturgical banners. When going to find a seat, my attention was drawn to the new pew chairs that have been arranged in a semi-circular pattern in the church. (For a description of all the new liturgical furnishings see page 17 of the Dedication Program by clicking here).

There were many symbolic moments that touched many people sitting in the congregation that afternoon. One of those moments was when the sprinkling of the congregation and of the building walls took place. This was a moment of cleansing; a moment of purification, a moment where all the mud, dirt and grime left over from Hurricane Katrina were washed away from the inside of the church.

Another symbolic moment was when Archbishop Hughes explained the history of the chalice that he used during the celebration of the Eucharist. Archbishop Hughes said that this chalice (pictured to the left) was a chalice blessed and given to the Archdiocese of New Orleans by Pope Benedict XVI for the archdiocese’s recovery efforts during the tough times following Hurricane Katrina. Having that chalice there was a symbol of the true magnitude of the efforts put in by the parishioners of St. Gabriel.

There were two overlying themes of the Dedication Ceremony. One being, “We got here by faith”, and the other being, “We lost everything, but we feel so blessed”. These two statements need no explanation. Faith is what has gotten the parishioners and families of St. Gabriel to this point and it has been through the many faithful blessings that will push them in to the future.

Fr. Doug and Sr. Kathleen are such an inspiration to so many, including the pilgrims and parishioners of St. Joseph. It has been and will continue to be an honor to be partnered with St. Gabriel now and into the future. St. Gabriel has truly become my home away from home and has been a true source of light and hope for the future. We cannot be happy enough to see our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ achieving their dreams of getting back to a sense normalcy and having a place to worship the Eucharist and the many blessings that have been bestowed upon their lives.

Congratulations St. Gabriel! You all never cease to amaze me and inspire me!

Peace,

Kevin Nolten

 

Kevin's St. Gabriel Trip - October 2008

St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church is located in the Gentilly Woods (upper ninth ward) in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina struck this area very hard with heavy rain, high winds, but most of all, a great deal of flooding. For the past 2 years, since the hurricane, St. Joseph Parish has indirectly adopted St. Gabriel Parish by sending parishioners down to assist in recovery and rebuilding efforts.

This past weekend, I made the trip to St. Gabriel for Mass on Sunday. Many fond memories were brought to life from the many things we did for their parishioners and their families. This parish did so much for their parishioners, but the parish expected nothing in return. Well, upon walking into the church, I was amazed, shocked, and overwhelmed. What I saw was a result of parishioners giving back to the parish in the form of their financial resources to renovate their worship space. Upon walking in, I went to the first row of folding chairs (with cushions!), sat down and began looking around. I saw the signs of renovation, growth, and especially signs of life.

While sitting, I couldn’t help but notice that they are having Mass every Saturday and Sunday while renovating their church. In looking around, I saw all the constructions equipment, paints, sheet rock, wood, etc. pushed to one side or the church. There were signs of a giant choir loft being constructed on the opposite side of the “dining hall”. The Altar area was raised up on a 2 tiered, round platform with the tabernacle directly behind. I looked up and saw the same crucifix that was in the old church, a little dusty, but hanging high as a sign of hope, courage, and love that Christ had for his people. This crucifix, suspended about 25 feet in the air was a sign of Christ’s presence through the trials and tribulations of this hurricane.

One parishioner I spoke to prior to Mass said, “Since Christ stayed hanging there, it gave me hope and faith that I can do the same – stay and do what I can to make it through.” This parishioner went on to tell me that she was finally able to move back into her home last week, over 3 years after the hurricane.

Many other parishioners, like this one did just that – they kept with their faith and they stayed with it. In January of this year, there were approximately 80 families who had moved back into their homes. As of this weekend there were 220 who have been able to call that area home again. It has truly been a joy to see parishioners able to move back into their homes. Even if it has been over 3 years since the hurricane, they keep pushing.

With families moving back into the area, a greater presence was felt at Mass. Nearly every seat was taken. The ushers were even bringing out more folding chairs right before Mass to accommodate all the people.

Throughout Mass, I was able to recall how deeply bonded the people of St. Gabriel are. A kiss of peace lasting about 12 minutes is just one example. Everyone shakes the hand or hugs every-other person in that church - not because they have to, but because each and every person in there is family. Though this happens every weekend, there was something different than two years ago and even one year ago. There was a rebirth of life with in those families. There were younger children and older children, younger families and older families in the church. There was an indescribable since of “normalcy” within the parish; something that I hadn’t felt the previous times I had been there.

After a Mass that seemed to be only an hour, but really lasting one hour and 45 minutes, it came time for the announcements – only two this week… The first announcement was inviting everyone to the dining hall / kitchen for coffee and donuts. This hospitality has been a key function in bringing people back “home” to church and adding that “life” back into the parish. The second announcement was asking people after Mass to help pick up all the chairs so that construction can begin again on Monday. I couldn’t help but to laugh as I thought about the many fun times we had stacking chairs after the 6:00 pm evening Mass.

Their closing hymn was something that really struck home for me and everyone who has been down to St. Gabriel can relate to this. The song was “Let There be Peace on Earth”. These words, reflecting on what those families went through and continue to go through, are such a powerful testimony to what our faith and our world stands for and strives for.

“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God as our Father, brothers all are we, let us walk with each other, in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now. With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow: To take each moment and live each moment in peace, eternally. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.

As I was leaving, I spoke to Fr. Doug and Sr. Kathleen and they made sure to tell me that everyone is invited to the rededication ceremony of their new church on Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 2:00 pm. This is something that they have been waiting on for a long time and are very excited about.

Planned additions to the church during the renovation: