Led by the Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr, Archbishop of the Diocese of Cincinnati, nearly 1,000 parishioners of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church gathered Saturday, Jan. 19, to dedicate their new worship space.

With the ritual-filled celebration beginning in the former church, Archbishop Schnurr along with the Rev. Bernard Weldishofer, pastor of St. Francis, and a dozen additional priests, led parishioners outdoors on the unseasonably mild January day in procession to the closed doors of the new church.

There, parishioners Don Hinkel, building contractor, and Jeff Mitchell presented the building to the Archbishop on behalf of the parish community. From there, Archbishop Schnurr called upon Rev. Weldishofer to open the door, and invited those gathered to enter the new church.

The two-hour Mass included the blessing and sprinkling of water on the assembled, the walls of the church and its altar, the anointing of the walls and altar with Sacred Chrism and the incensing of the altar and church.

In his sermon, Archbishop Schnurr noted that that the rituals associated with the dedication of a new church are symbolic of a living church.

The blessing and sprinkling of water are a reminder that “we are to live our Baptism daily.” The anointing of the walls and altar with Sacred Chrism is a reminder that as the anointed children of God, “we cannot simply stand around and watch.

“All that we do today in this dedication is in vain if we do not commit to a closer relationship with Jesus Christ,” he said.

“I congratulate Father Bernie and all of you on this magnificent achievement,” Archbishop Schnurr said.

Construction of the new church began a little more than a year ago following a groundbreaking November 2011.

Features of the 700-seat worship space include stained glass windows, the majority of which were obtained from the closed St. Pius X Church in Cincinnati and the 14 Stations of the Cross, each cast in plaster relief and obtained from a church in Boston. The new church and its furnishings cost about $4 million.