ATCO – Standing before the new marble altar in Christ the Redeemer’s Assumption Church, Bishop Dennis Sullivan spoke of the sacred stone where the community’s offerings are received.
“On this great altar, the mystery of redemption, the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, is celebrated, remembered and made present,” Bishop Sullivan said during the morning Mass and consecration of the new altar Nov. 24.
After pouring Holy Chrism on the altar in five places – in commemoration of the five wounds of Jesus on the Cross – he reverently spread the oil across the surface with his hands.
Photo Gallery: Bishop blesses new altar
“This is the centerpiece of the Eucharistic liturgy, the source and summit of who we are as Catholics,” Bishop Sullivan said. “Around this altar, God’s faithful will gather in thanksgiving, prayer and praise, find comfort, [and] all women and men will find welcome.”
Gathered on the Solemnity of Christ the King, parishioners, families and clergy listened intently as Bishop Sullivan echoed the day’s reading from Revelation: “To Him be glory and power forever and ever.”
“Let Christ the King rule in our hearts, so that through us, our world can be transformed into a kingdom of justice, a kingdom of peace, a kingdom of truth and a kingdom of love,” he said.
The new altar was the latest part of a two-year-long remodeling process of the church’s interior, made possible through the Catholic Strong capital campaign. Through the generosity of its faithful, the parish has been able to not only put into place the new altar, but paint its interior walls, and restore its pews and flooring.
“Your love of your parish was the air under the wings of our success,” Father Joseph Wallace, pastor, told parishioners.
The Rybacki family – parents Sophie and Drew, and children Andrea and Joseph – were among the supportive parish families in attendance. Fourteen-year-old Joseph assisted Bishop Sullivan as an altar server.
Older sister Andrea said she was happy to be reminded “of the importance of Jesus in our lives as we come together to celebrate the Eucharist. So often, especially during the Advent and Christmas seasons, we forget that He is King.”
During the dedication, in addition to the anointing with Chrism, the Bishop sprinkled the congregation with water, a reminder of God’s mercy. As well, all prayed the Litany of the Saints. Bishop Sullivan also invoked the prophets Noah, Abraham and Moses, uniting past and present in God’s covenant of salvation.
“I feel connected to the universal Church, and the unseen that is going on,” Sophie Rybacki said.
Further solidifying the bond between the faithful and its Catholic forebears was a first class relic of Saint Vincent Pallotti, which was placed into the altar by Bishop Sullivan.
In the early 1900s, the Pallottines began ministering to Catholics in Atco.
The relic was made possible with the help of Brother James Beamesderfer, SAC, rector of Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in Pennsauken.
“It’s an honor that our founder will be remembered and venerated in a place that is the work of our men,” Brother Beamesderfer said.
After the morning liturgy, Bishop Sullivan and the community made their way to the parish’s new outdoor Saint Rita of Cascia grotto, where he blessed the dedicated space for all to bring their concerns to the saint known for her simplicity, prayerfulness and charity.
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