Parish To Dedicate Church Friday

An eight month construction project complete, parishioners of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church will, through Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock formally dedicate their new 5000-square foot sanctuary at Sixth and Cherry streets at 6 p.m. Friday night.

The new building became necessary due to structural issues created by age but also due to the size of the church. A building that comfortably seated about 80, as seeing 120 or more for a Sunday mass.

It was desperately needed, said Father Ravi Gudipalli

The new structure should alleviate that the former building would fit inside the new building, roof and all, with plenty of room to spare. Gudipalli said the new building will hold 175 to 200.

The new church replaces one dedicated on July 25, 1956, which was about three years following masses beginning in the city, according to church history. Initially, mass was held in a National Guard Armory, and later in a courtroom in the courthouse.

The church started coming down on Aug. 15, following the Feast of the Assumption mass. But not everything has been discarded.

All of the stained glass in the previous church was saved and has been reinstalled in the new church. Earlier this week a new section of stained glass was due to arrive for the front of the church, as were new pews and an alter.

During the construction of the new church by Circle M Construction, parishioners have met in a fellowship hall dedicated in February 1983 next door to the sanctuary. That has necessitated a constant state of set-up-and-tear-down to accommodate the buildings multiple purpose use.

In addition to Circle M, various parishioners have contributed expertise, financially, fundraising, and or spiritually to the project in what Gudipalli said has been a group effort.

A community of everybody of the parish did hard work, their support, their sacrifice, their cooperation. Everything, said Gudipalli.

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Parish To Dedicate Church Friday