Dream of new church realized in Oxford VIEW GALLERY (use keyboard arrow keys to navigate)
OXFORD — It sprinkled off and on Wednesday, Oct. 8, but that did not dampen the spirits of the people gathered for the 3 p.m. blessing and dedication of the new St. John the Evangelist Church.
“This is a happy day for people here in Oxford,” said Father Joe Tonos, pastor, who said the idea for a new church building spawned in the 1970s. “This is the day they have been waiting for. On my first day here we held a meeting at 9 a.m. of the building committee.”
It was a happy day for long-time parishioner Joan Cleary. “It is wonderful to have a new church. Father Tonos was sent here to build a church and he has. Only through his perseverence do we have it.”Different people said the idea of building a new church started between 20 - 25 years go and a “rainy-day” fund was started.
Over the years building committees were formed, fund-raisers were held, the project was moved to a back-burner and later returned to front-and-center, designs changed, costs climbed, hurricanes happened.
After the old church, built in 1942, was torn down in 2005 for three years the parishioners celebrated Mass in a nearby auditorium and later in the Paris-Yates Chapel on the University of Mississippi campus, also closeby.
“This has been so many years in the making,” said Paul Behrndt, project director for the church building. “I am absolutely happy.”
In his homily Bishop Joseph Latino said the new church was a “magnificent reality” that would belong to the parishioners from the “cradle to the grave.” He said the beauty of their faith mattered more than the beauty of the church.
As the St. John parish family grows, the new building can comfortably seat 455 people whereas the old church could only seat about 180, said Father Tonos. The new church costs $3.5 million.
A two-story structure, the ground floor beneath the main interior of the church is the parish center which includes a nursery and kitchen. Each story measures 7,600 square feet.
Parking begins on the left side of the church and stretches around the back.
The woodwork in the church — altar, ambo, lectern and pews — has images of the vine and branches carved into them. The crucifix hangs above the altar with Christ between images of his mother Mary and St. John the Evangelist.
During the Liturgy Bishop Latino placed relics from St. Francis Xavier Seelos and St. John the Baptist de la Salle in the altar.
