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Diocese to Dedicate New Pastoral Center

August 15, 2000
Following nearly a year of construction, the Diocese of Gaylord will officially dedicate its new Pastoral Center on Sunday, August 20. A Holy Hour focusing on the gift of Eucharist will begin at 4:00 p.m. in St. Mary Cathedral which will be followed by the Dedication of the new Diocesan Pastoral Center. The public is invited. Pope John Paul II has proclaimed the year 2000 to be an intensely eucharistic year. Roman Catholic dioceses and parishes worldwide have been invited to convene special eucharistic celebrations as a part of the focus for the Jubilee year. Catholics are also called to "Open Wide the Doors to Christ." For the Diocese of Gaylord, this Sunday will be a day where the two major focuses of the Jubilee year converge. "First we will give special thanks and praise for the gift of the Eucharist which is the source and summit of our church life," said Candace Neff, Diocesan Director of Communications. "Through Eucharist, we become one with Jesus Christ and are strengthened to proclaim His message. One of our tools in sharing that Good News is our new Pastoral Center." The Holy Hour will be a time of prayer with spiritual reflections by Rev. Gerard Austin, O.P. Fr. Austin is a former professor of Liturgy at Notre Dame University and the Catholic University of America. He currently serves as professor of liturgy and sacraments at the Blessed Edmund Rice School for Pastoral Ministry in the Diocese of Venice, Florida. Following the Holy Hour, the Dedication Ceremony for the new Diocesan Pastoral Center will begin in the Conference Center, just across the parking lot from St. Mary Cathedral. Participants will be invited to process through the building as the various areas are blessed with Holy Water. After the Dedication Ceremony, refreshments will be served, and those in attendance may wander through the building at their leisure or be guided by Diocesan and Cathedral staff members. The new building houses a large conference area, the Rose Resource Center, a distance learning classroom, radio and video production facilities, as well as several meeting rooms of various sizes. "We are really pleased with our new building and we are hopeful many will be able to join us as we dedicate it to serve in ministry throughout Northern Michigan." Neff said. The Diocese of Gaylord encompasses the 21 most northern counties of Michigan's lower peninsula and serves 81 parishes and 21 schools.