A new chapel years in the making – supported by generous donors and the diocesan Catholic Strong campaign – has delivered to a parish community not only a new space to worship, but an homage to a beloved former church.
The new Saint John Bosco Chapel on the grounds of All Saints Parish, Millville, was celebrated Jan. 31 with a Mass and consecration celebrated by Bishop Joseph Williams.
Saint John Bosco merged with Saint Mary Magdalen Church to form All Saints Parish in 2010. The original idea for the chapel came about when Father Peter Idler was named pastor in 2017, and when the former Saint John Bosco Church was closed and sold in 2020. It was also around the same time that the Campaign for the Catholic Community of South Jersey, or Catholic Strong, kicked off as an effort to strengthen parishes for the future.
“The consecration of this new chapel marks the culmination of that entire process. It shows the revitalization of the church in Millville while respecting the patrimony of the faithful that has been handed on to us,” said Father Idler, who concelebrated the Mass. “While the hard work of merging Saint Mary Magdalen and Saint John Bosco was done largely by my predecessor, Father Paul Olszewski, this chapel became a way to physically honor the spiritual legacy of Saint John Bosco.”
The new chapel will host the celebration of daily Mass, and offer the faithful access for prayer and Adoration when parish offices are open. Father Idler hopes parishioners will “adopt the custom of making short Eucharistic visitations throughout the day.”
The chapel itself is a converted classroom of the former Saint Mary Magdalen Regional School, and it is joined in that building by new offices, a meeting room, parish hall, kitchen and food pantry.
The larger project of revamping that building was a key focus of the Millville parish through the Catholic Strong campaign. Initiated by Bishop Emeritus Dennis Sullivan, the campaign returned 70% of funds raised by each parish back to the parish for needs of its community. The other 30% went to support diocesan-wide initiatives.
The construction of the chapel was also made possible by generous contributions by longtime parishioners.
“While we were able to do so much with the money raised by Catholic Strong and with the funds acquired through the sale of Saint John Bosco,” Father Idler said, “this chapel was ultimately paid for by an extremely generous gift by Peter and Jane Galetto, who are two former parishioners of Saint John Bosco and cherished members of All Saints. They made this chapel possible.”
The chapel bears original elements of the former Saint John Bosco Church – notably, the glass windows that were part of the church building.
“In a real way, the design of the glass depicting the Seven Sacraments, the descent of the Holy Spirit, and various Mysteries of the Holy Rosary dictated the layout and design of our new chapel,” said Father Idler. “We were able to bring the pews, ambo, altars, tabernacle and statues from Saint John Bosco and incorporate them into a harmonious design in their new space. The ceiling calls to mind the copper ceiling in the former basement church that had been built in 1905. [The chapel] shows our commitment to using both the old and the new – which is a hallmark of our Catholic faith.”
With the new chapel now a functional part of the All Saints Parish campus, Father Idler expressed his appreciation and gratitude.
“I am so thankful to God that this day has finally come. I am so grateful to our benefactors who made it possible,” he said. “I am so happy for our faithful of All Saints who will have this little gem of a chapel to help them grow in their faith while being part of a legacy of faith in Millville that goes back many generations.”
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