The parish center will be used as an auxiliary room for church gatherings such as funeral receptions and church group meetings.
Workers from Malone Mason Contractors work on the front of the new rectory under construction next to St. Mary's Church in Longmeadow. This building, a project of Kent Pecoy & Sons Construction, is one of two new buildings being built on the church property. The other is a new parish center, which is scheduled to officially open on Saturday.LONGMEADOW - St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church plans to celebrate the grand opening of its new parish center on Saturday afternoon.
The Rev. Francis E. Reilly, pastor of St. Mary’s Parish, said the center was built “to enhance the community life of people of the parish.”
“We are very happy,” Reilly said of the new parish center. “It’s a dream come true.”
The St. Mary’s Parish Center will be used as an auxiliary room for church gatherings such as funeral receptions and church group meetings.
The new space is proof that St. Mary’s Parish is “a growing community,” Reilly said.
A new rectory is being built elsewhere on the church property, which is also where St. Mary's Academy is located.
On Saturday, there will be a 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Mass followed by a dedication ceremony. The Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, will be the celebrant of the Mass.
The dedication will honor the deceased members of the committee that worked to make the new center a reality. The ceremony will also honor St. Mary’s parishioners.
The parish center is located behind the church and faces Hopkins Place.
Built by A.R. Green & Son Inc., of Holyoke, the new center will make the St. Mary’s “a more welcoming community,” said Reilly.
After the ceremony, there will be a reception “offering appetizers, beverages, music, and a wonderful opportunity to socialize with fellow parishioners,” according to St. Mary’s website.