By Father John Geaney, C.S.P.

"The last time I stood in Our Lady of the Lake, it was black." Rev. Dick Haley, Minister of Pickwick United methodist Church, was helping the community at Our Lady of the Lake remember the day that their Church had burned. He described how people were moving in and out of the charred remains carrying sacred objects of worship, gathering themselves between fits of tears to go back in and find what might still remain, and as one group of people approached him he recalls saying, "If you need a place of worship, you can come to our house." Rev. Haley was addressing the people gathered to celebrate the dedication of Our Lady of the Lake, people who had worshipped for a time in the space he offered that sad night. But now there was a new church in a new place and he said, "In the name of Jesus Christ, prosper and proclaim the gospel to all of God's children in this neighborhood."

On March 29, Our Lady of the Lake on Highway 57 in Counce was dedicated by Bishop J. Terry Steib, S.V.D. "We're not here to maintain," the Bishop said. "We're here to proclaim. We're here to proclaim who we are and whose we are." The church of Our Lady of the Lake is purposely located on Highway 57. When the Church burned two years ago, Father Tom Kirk, who was pastor at the time, called Bishop Steib and wondered out loud whether the Bishop might close the church. "It never crossed my mind," the Bishop said, "But when you're rebuilding you might want to get the church out on the highway."

Approaching from either direction, the church sits nestled in a curve of the highway. It's stunning lights filled the evening sky on Thursday and people flocked from around the Pickwick Dam area and from as far away as Memphis to fill the Church to overflowing. Bishop Steib began the ceremony outdoors by receiving the deed to the property, the plans for the building and the key to the church. All who had gathered joined in prayer as Bishop Steib called on Father Chiawa, the pastor, to open the doors of the church and all the people followed the Bishop into the Church where he began the sprinkling of the building with holy water, reminding the people of their baptism. Because it is a new church, the Lectionary was presented to the Bishop for his blessing, and the Liturgy of the Word began.

In his homily, Bishop Steib reminded the people of the history of Our Lady of the Lake, and urged them, even though they are a community of 54 families, to remember that the church is not just a church of convenience for summer tourists in and around Pickwick, but instead a church that should be growing and proclaiming the Catholic faith to all in the area. "May rejoicing in the Lord be your strength. May it always be so. May it always be so."

Though not frequently celebrated, the dedication of a church is a highly symbolic ritual. After the homily, the Bishop anointed the altar with sacred Chrism, so that it would be ready for worship. Fathers Chiawa and Kirk, the current and former pastors, anointed the walls of the church to remind all who gathered that the building is given over entirely to Christian Worship. Shortly after the anointing ritual, incense was burned on the altar and throughout the church symbolizing that the church is a house of prayer. The house of prayer is then dressed with the necessities of worship _ the altar cloth is brought forward by the people, and arrangements of lilies, white roses and baby's breath were carried to places on the altar and candle sticks are placed in appropriate places for celebration awaiting the lighting that will soon take place. Bishop Steib intones the sacred prayer for the lighting of the candles and the deacon then lights candles from the first one blessed by the Bishop. Father Jim Martell, another former pastor, lit the candles that are often attached to the walls of Catholic Churches where the anointings have been made. The altar was ready, the offertory gifts were brought forth, and the Eucharist was celebrated. The House of the House of God _ Our Lady of the Lake _ was ready to be another "light shining on a hill."

Priests Old and New Reflect on Our Lady of the Lake

Special to the West Tennessee Catholic

Father Celestine Pfannenstiel, a Missionary of the Holy Trinity built the first Our Lady of the Lake with his own hands. The first Mass was held in May 1964 and the building at that time consisted of a roof, held up by columns and beams. There were no walls. A final collection from the "summer residents" produced the necessary funds to enclose the building and in 1966 the dedication of the Church took place. Father Celestine is so revered for his work in establishing the community and building the original Church that the current family center at the newly dedicated Our Lady of the Lake Church is named in his honor.

In 1992 the Missionaries of the Holy Trinity were no longer able to staff the parish, and so it was turned over to the diocese. Msgr. Bill Davis was its first diocesan pastor, followed by Father James Martell, Father Tom Kirk and the current pastor, Father Francis Chiawa.

"I'm so proud of the people," Father Chiawa said on the evening of the dedication. "The Church is of one mind and heart, everyone loves to contribute what they can."

Father Tom Kirk, currently the pastor of St. Mary Church in Jackson preceded Father Chiawa. He described the new Church as "fabulous."

"Stones have been brought here from the old church," he noted, "and the new church will do what the Lord is calling it to do in this area to bring folks to the Catholic Church."

Father James Martell, was pastor at Our Lady of the Lake from 1994 through 2000. He said that the current church reminded him of the old church in many ways. "Father Celestine would be proud," the current Holy Rosary pastor said, " The bell was brought with the folks to the new church, there's still an A frame look to the place and most importantly, I see Christ in it."

Father Chiawa who is the current pastor said that he knew everything would be alright in finishing the building at Our Lady of the Lake when the Bishop asked him to come to the parish only a few months ago because, "Father Tom Kirk welcomed me with open arms. He is a man of great thoroughness, and I knew that he had done what was necessary," to bring the new Church building to a successful conclusion.

New Church Mirrors the Past

Special to the West Tennessee Catholic

When a new Church is built, there is a building committee that sees to it that the church fits the needs of the faith community in which the church is being built, follows the designs of the architect and conforms with Diocesan Building and Liturgical demands.

The chairman of the committee for Our Lady of the Lake was Sam Marshall. "The toughest part of this task was finding the land," he said, "There's not a lot of land on the highway up here that isn't already taken."

Ron Poe, a real estate lawyer from Memphis convinced the owners of the property on which the church is now standing to sell the land to the Diocese. "It took a few months," he said, "to convince them it was the right thing to do, but it finally worked."

Sam Marshall notes that one of the best questions he heard asked at a meeting of the parish concerning where to build the church was, "If you're going to start all over, would you build the church here?" The woman asking the question was referring to the former site of the church which was tucked away behind a grocery store. The answer was no, and so the search for a place on the highway, urged by Bishop Steib, was begun. Once the property was found and Joe Wieronski of Memphis was engaged as the architect, the plans fell quickly into shape. The best part of the whole process for Marshall was "putting the finishing touches in _ it puts it all together." Marshall does design and construction work for major groups such as casinos and hotels, so doing the same thing for his own parish was "a labor of love."

There are many features of the old church which have been incorporated into the new one. The stone throughout the building incorporates some of the stone from the old church, and one of the treasures that remained from the first church that was built is a bell that was often rung by the children of the parish after Saturday Mass. The bell was found in the ruins of the old Church, and is preserved in the new, so that new generations of children can ring it to remind people that Mass has concluded and perhaps to remind them it's time for parish religious education.