(Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash)
WISCONSIN DELLS — Much like Jesus’ Ascension into heaven — celebrated on Sunday, May 17 — the 5 p.m. Mass at St. Cecilia Church on that day was more than an ending, it was the beginning of a new journey.
After more than 113 years of Sunday Masses; daily Masses; First Communion, wedding, and funeral Masses; and other Masses in between, Pastor Fr. Eric Sternberg celebrated the final Mass at the soon-to-be deconstructed St. Cecilia Church, making the way for a new church building — a project more than a decade in the making.
The new church will hold more than 1,000 people and will be built on the same site as the old church building at 603 Oak St.
The current church, built in 1902, can accommodate 350 people.
On busy summer weekends in Wisconsin Dells, St. Cecilia has up to 1,000 people attending Mass.
To accommodate the increased numbers, the parish offers three weekend services, including holding Mass in the former school gym across the street which was converted to a summer chapel.
All services will continue in the Parish Center chapel during construction.
‘Roots in Faith’
The final Mass and celebration that followed was called “Roots in Faith,” signifying the close Catholic community that has been formed in the past century-plus in Wisconsin Dells.
The church began filling up more than an hour before Mass, as many in the community wanted to be a part of the event.
Many people who came early took photos to remember how the “old place” looked.
Some of this community was on display prior to Mass as a video was shown, featuring interviews from longtime parishioners and Father Sternberg, reflecting on their sacramental experiences.
In the video, one parishioner said, “I love this building. I’m going to have a hard time saying goodbye to it,” while another described the experience as “melancholy.”
Looking forward to the new building, and the strength of the community as a whole, one parishioner said, “It’s a great place to live. It’s a great parish to be part of.”
A ‘dream’ come true
During his homily, Father Sternberg introduced the priests who were concelebrating the Mass with him. They were Fr. Arnold Reuter, retired priest from the Diocese of La Crosse who helped at St. Cecilia in the summer for many years; Msgr. John Hebl, retired priest from the Diocese of Madison who also helped out at the parish; Fr. Eugene “Bud” Hollfelder, retired St. Cecilia priest; Fr. James Murphy, pastor of SS. Anthony and Phillip Parish in Highland and Montfort with strong ties to the St. Cecilia community; and Fr. Garrett Kau, parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Baraboo where many children in the St. Cecilia community attend school.
Father Sternberg also made special mention of the late Msgr. Felix Oehrlein, former pastor of St. Cecilia, whose “dream” it was to build the new church.
“We honor him and his memory,” Father Sternberg said. “This is not my dream, it is Monsignor Felix’s dream.”
He also remembered the late Fr. Mike Richel, St. Cecilia pastor who passed away last year. Members of Father Richel’s family were at the Mass and participated in the Presentation of the Gifts before the Eucharistic Prayer.
“This parish needs to know how much he loved you,” Father Sternberg said, reflecting on meeting with Father Richel shortly before his death.
Father Sternberg then looked to the future and the new church building.
“All of you good people have built a vibrant, dynamic, living community,” he said. “You’ve made this a place where people want to come.”
Toward the end of his homily, Father Sternberg invited those who were baptized at the church to stand up. About half of the parishioners did. Even more stood up who had their First Communions there and were married at St. Cecilia.
Almost everyone stood up when asked who had been to a funeral Mass at St. Cecilia for a friend or loved one.
As the Mass went on, despite covered overflow seating outside with television monitors, just about everyone who was outside ventured inside to be part of the final Mass.
Following Mass, a reception was held featuring food and live music, as well as a chance to look at plans for the new church and view historic photos from the parish’s history.
The event also kicked off the final push to raise the remaining $2 million needed for the new church building project. To date, $9.1 million has been raised.
The new church
The new St. Cecilia Church will take on the same architectural style as the current church.
Construction of the new church will begin next month and is slated to be finished for dedication in early fall of 2016.
The project will involve preservation of church artifacts and some construction materials to be used in the new church project.
Removal of existing relics, all stained glass windows, statues, Stations of the Cross, bricks, and more began on May 18, the day after the last Mass.
Many of the artifacts will be carefully restored before being reinstalled in the new church building. Other items such as church pews and bricks are being offered for sale to parish members.
For more information, go to www.dellscatholic.com