January 3, 2010: LAST MASS CELEBRATED AT ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH BEFORE RESTORATION

Yesterday was a bitter-sweet day for the parish family of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Waterloo, IN. Our last Mass there was celebrated by Fr. Dave. The restoration of our 90 year old church (130 yr. old parish community) has been long anticipated and longed for. The high altar is topped by the statue of our patron, St. Michael the Archangel.

After the last Mass, Fr. Dave processed out of the church carrying the Eucharist. The parishioners followed him outside, in silence (which is pretty good for our "gabby" parish).

Father stood outside in the bitter cold as the folks passed him and the Eucharist.

A very poignant moment for our church.

Next week we meet at a community center about 5 miles or so away from our beloeved church. We will probably be there for about 6 months to celebrate our Feast.

Now the work begins. We have to empty the church: the statues are going to live with Father (he'll really have a house full of old friends) (the statue of St. Michael atop the altar should be a challange to get down), the benches are to be taken apart and sent to Chicago to be refinished. And then some trailers will pull up outside the church and we'll begin putting the boxes and boxes of "stuff" (ie. music, books, etc.) in those for storage. Then the "destruction" of the inside begins. We are all eager for this....