NORTH KINGSTOWN — The parish of St. Francis de Sales had several reasons to celebrate on Sunday. They recognized their 50th anniversary as a parish, welcomed back two former parish priests as guest celebrants, and unveiled plans for a new church building.
Father Kris Von Maluski and Father Marek Kupka, each former assistant pastors at the parish, returned to St. Francis de Sales as guest celebrants for two 50th anniversary Sunday Masses.
During his homily, Father Kupka reminisced about his time at St. Francis de Sales and thanked the parish for how they embraced him as an assistant pastor. Then he reminded the parish that during any anniversary, it is important to look ahead and prepare for the future.
“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this parish, it is easy to recall many events from the past,” he said. “But the challenge of today is not only to look back, but to look to the future and see what occasions to serve God we have ahead of us.”
The future seems exciting for the parish of St. Francis de Sales, as plans for a new church building have been finalized. Following the Masses, parishioners were invited to a reception in the parish center, where architectural drawings and a model of the new church building were on display.
Father Bertrand Theroux, pastor of St. Francis, explained the concept behind the design of the new church. “We want the new church building to really look like a church, so people in the community will see it as a welcoming place and a place of worship,” he said. “The church building we have now is easy to pass by and doesn’t look like a church from the outside.”
Aside from improving the look of the exterior, there were a number of reasons contributing to the decision to build a new church building. The new church will have the capacity to accommodate the large crowds for special liturgies and holiday celebrations, which have increased in size as the church has gained more members. Religious education space will also be expanded to better accommodate a program which has over 500 participating children. The sanctuary design and choir area will be made more spacious, creating an environment more conducive to worship. Renovating the existing building space was not an option due to the foundation structuring and septic system interference.
The new church building will hold 800 seats, each with an unobstructed view of the altar. It will also have a steeple, stained-glass windows, and a large and centered tabernacle. It will be directly next to the existing church, on what is now a portion of the parish parking lot.
“In the new church, wherever you sit you will have a close-up and clear view of the altar, and this will make it easier to participate and feel more like a community,” explained Father Theroux.
The current church building, which is connected to the parish center, will become an expansion of the center. The main reception room will be enlarged and separate conference rooms and office space are planned. According to Father Theroux, this will facilitate the many different committee meetings and religious education classes which have grown too large for the current space.
Construction on the new church building is set to begin in late March and is expected to last roughly nine months.
