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HAMBURG — The long journey of Hamburg’s Holy Spirit Church from ramshackle structure to an 8,000-square-foot complex culminated with the building’s dedication Mass Oct. 13.
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor concelebrated with pastor Father Theophilus Okpara and former pastor Father Vic Subb, GHM.
“While the sacraments can be celebrated anywhere, the proper place for their celebration is in the church,” Bishop Taylor said. “That is, the Church as the community of believers and the church as the consecrated building in which God dwells in a special way through the sacraments and in the tabernacle. Which is why every Catholic church is a house of God and not merely a ‘worship center.’”
The bilingual, Spanish-dominant ceremony began outside with prayers. Darrel Odom, the Little Rock architect in charge of the project, handed over the drawings by which the workers of Simmons Construction transformed the former Firestone tire store and mechanic shop into a church. Marcelino Navarrete, parish council president, then handed the keys to the building to Bishop Taylor who in turn handed them to Father Okpara. A ribbon was cut and the front doors were flung open wide.
Under the gaze of a large statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and welcomed by a 13-member choir and musicians, parishioners packed the darkened sanctuary with overflow seating filling the vestibule. After opening prayers, Bishop Taylor blessed water which he liberally applied to the walls and the people.
Following his homily, Bishop Taylor anointed the altar with chrism, as Father Okpara anointed the walls at four points, representing the four Gospels. The altar was then incensed and dressed by parishioners bearing linens, candles and flowers. At last, the candles were lit and the lights came up for the remainder of Mass.
Longtime parishioners could not help but contrast the clean, spacious new building — which also includes a parish hall/classrooms and a kitchen, parish office, confessional, restrooms and storage — to the 100-seat former church that was previously a home the diocese bought in 1985.
“The thinking was it would last them 15 years,” said Jim Driedric, diocesan manager of property service. “It turned out to be 28 years.”
Father Okpara celebrates a Sunday afternoon Mass in Spanish for about 125 people.
Driedric said the search for a new church had been in the works for some time, with the first intention being to buy land and build from the ground up. After several failed attempts, the current building was identified along South Main Street, across from the high school.
The property was bought in August 2012 for $180,000 and renovation costs ran just under $500,000. Odom pointed out project managers kept such a firm rein on spending, the finished church was completed at a cost of just $50 per square foot.
In July 2012 Catholic Extension, a Chicago-based fundraising organization for poorer dioceses, brought 12 young adults to Arkansas to educate them on missions and traveled to Hamburg to see the building the diocese was hoping to buy. Shortly after the visit by Extension president Father Jack Wall and others, the organization committed a $150,000 grant for renovations. Because it was a challenge grant, the parish was tasked with raising funds on its own, which it did through food sales after Mass and lunches sold to field workers during harvest totaling $40,000.
The degree to which Hamburg’s sister parishes, Our Lady of the Lake Church in Lake Village and Holy Cross Church in Crossett, participated was impressive. Church organizations and congregants from both communities donated money, furnishings and sacramental items as if to their own because, thanks to a remarkable sense of community among the three Delta parishes, many of them consider Holy Spirit Church to be just that.
“Our biggest donors came from Crossett and Lake Village,” Father Okpara said. “I had a meeting with the parish council in Lake Village and they were all talking about how excited they were about ‘our’ beautiful new church.”
The work to renovate the space was completed in a breakneck seven months. Along the way, project chiefs noticed challenges large and small were being met in the most serendipitous manner. For instance, the music director at the local Baptist church voluntarily hooked up the sound system and the donated pews, rescued from an out-of-state source, fit the sanctuary perfectly upon arrival.
“Toward the end, I got to where I didn’t even worry about anything on this project,” Driedric said. “I realized it was the Holy Spirit taking care of his namesake church.”
Before dismissing the congregation to the adjoining social hall where the air hung thick with the smell of homemade carnitas and warm tortillas, Father Okpara thanked Bishop Taylor for celebrating the Mass.
“Lake Village, Crossett and of course, Hamburg, are the best parishes you have in the diocese. I am happy to be among them. I will give all I have to serve them,” he said, then turning to the faithful, added, “We are one. We might be three churches, but we are one family.”
