By Mike Pound
mpound@joplinglobe.comLAMAR, Mo. — Before the groundbreaking, the bishop said a few words.
Bishop James Johnston Jr. seemed like a good man, and I liked what he had to say.
What Johnston said is that the Catholic Church in Lamar is made up of a lot of things, but the most important part is the people who attend Mass in the church.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lamar, Johnston said, “was a sign of what has been going on here in Lamar for many, many generations.”
I liked that.
The bishop was in Lamar on Thursday to take part in groundbreaking ceremonies for the new St. Mary’s, which will be built pretty much in the same location as the old church.
The old church was destroyed by a fire Feb. 8, 2009.
I went to the groundbreaking because Pat Williamson asked me to attend. Pat, whose full name is Patricia Ann Margaret Marie (how Catholic is that?), thought I would like to take part in the groundbreaking.
Pat was correct.
I visited the church last year, the morning after the fire, and walked through the charred remains with Junior Johnson, who helps out around the church. I saw Junior at the groundbreaking Thursday. He told me he is happy that the church is going to be rebuilt. He showed me the architect's design for the new church. I like it.
I also ran into Terry Riegel, president of the parish council, with whom I also spoke the day after the fire. Terry told me that day that the members of the church were planning to rebuild. At the time, he had no idea how they would rebuild or, more importantly, how they would pay to rebuild. He just knew that they would.
And he was right.
On Thursday, I asked Terry if he thought about the legacy that he and the rest of the members of the parish would leave for their children and grandchildren. I asked if he spent any time thinking about the fact that 100 years from now, folks would still be gathering in the church that his parish built.
“That’s our intention,” he said. “That’s our hope, that our children and grandchildren will develop the same appreciation for the new church as we did for the old church.”
It has been a long haul, Terry said, to get the parish to the point where it could hold a groundbreaking ceremony. A lot of money has been raised, and a lot more money still needs to be raised.
Maria O’Sullivan heads up the financial end of the drive to rebuild the church. She is confident that the money will be raised. She told me how folks in Lamar and from around the country have opened up their hearts and wallets for the church. She also told me how other churches in Lamar have opened up their hearts, wallets and buildings, too.
I think that’s why Maria is confident that the money will be raised. I think Maria has seen a lot of good in a lot of people.
(If you would like to help out, you can mail a donation to St. Mary’s Catholic Church Building Fund in care of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, P.O. Box 89, Lamar, MO 64759, or visit www.stmarysfirelamar.com.)
Pat told me that the church will be holding a fish fry from 6 to 8:30 p.m. March 19 at Lamar Memorial Hall to raise money for the building fund. Folks will be serving fish, fried potatoes and onions, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, hush puppies, cornbread, drinks and dessert. Food to go may be ordered by dialing 417-682-5432.
And while I’m on the subject, I’ll mention that the nice folks with the Father Harter Knights of Columbus in Joplin are holding their own fish fries from 5 to 7 p.m. every Friday through Lent. The location is the Knights of Columbus Hall, 720 S. Byers Ave.
By all accounts, the new Catholic Church in Lamar is going to be a stunner, but what will make it special is the same thing that makes most churches special: the people.
As I was getting ready to leave, Pat told me that when the new church is finished, she would invite me to the dedication.
I told her I would like that very much.
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