{"id":28867,"date":"2014-01-05T20:56:31","date_gmt":"2014-01-06T01:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=28867"},"modified":"2016-09-30T15:58:39","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T19:58:39","slug":"boom-california-city-builds-first-new-catholic-church-in-45-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2014\/01\/boom-california-city-builds-first-new-catholic-church-in-45-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Boom: California city builds first new Catholic church in 45 years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0 Rendering of church designed by Robert Habiger of Dekker\/Perich\/Sabatini, with revisions by Mark Russell, Radian Design Group. <\/small><\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s happening in Bakersfield\u2014and if this is a sign of the times, the times are full of hope.<\/p>\n

From The Bakersfield Californian:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Bakersfield\u2019s newest Roman Catholic parish and the first centered in the city\u2019s northwest, will begin construction of its first-phase worship center and parish facilities beginning with a groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday.<\/p>\n

For those parishioners who have spent years working and praying for this moment, the event at the northwest corner of Old Farm and Reina roads \u2014 the site of the planned 720-seat worship center \u2014 symbolizes a new beginning, an opportunity to \u201cget in on the ground floor\u201d of a new Catholic parish.<\/p>\n

At an estimated cost of $6.2 million, the facility will also include classrooms, meeting and office space, a children\u2019s center and a kitchen. An even larger worship center is planned in the not-too-distant future as projected growth demands.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a real honor to be asked to do this,\u201d said Monsignor Perry Kavookjian, pastor of St. Elizabeth\u2019s since its formation in April 2008.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t do this on your own,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s through the cooperation of people, their goodness and generosity, that something like this can happen.\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026\u201dThe tough part is over,\u201d said Mark Teissere, who along with his wife, Tina, has been involved with the growing parish from the beginning.<\/p>\n

After living in Houston for several years, the couple returned to Bakersfield in the mid-1990s. Tina had converted to Catholicism from her Baptist background, and brought a bit of the Protestant denomination\u2019s enthusiasm with her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to take what we had in Houston and bring it back to Bakersfield,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

That included an unmistakably welcoming environment, a strong outreach program, a women\u2019s ministry at least as vibrant as the men\u2019s, Bible study and youth activities and education to help secure the parish\u2019s future.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This section is one I found especially heartening:<\/p>\n

For many Catholics in Bakersfield, getting to Mass 20 minutes early on any given Sunday is a must if they want to find a seat. A new church coming to Bakersfield may be one answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe interest is there,\u201d Kavookjian said. \u201cNot only are we gaining people from other parishes, we are also bringing in people who were not attending Mass anymore, some after a lot of years of being away from the church.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that, Kavookjian said, is a wonderful thing.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Amen.<\/p>\n

Read it all.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 Rendering of church designed by Robert Habiger of Dekker\/Perich\/Sabatini, with revisions by Mark Russell, Radian Design Group. It\u2019s happening in Bakersfield\u2014and if this is a sign of the times, the times are full of hope. From The Bakersfield Californian:\u00a0 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Bakersfield\u2019s newest Roman Catholic parish and the first centered in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,45,48],"tags":[181,11168],"class_list":["post-28867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-churches","category-ripped-from-the-headlines","category-the-people-in-the-pews","tag-california","tag-churches"],"yoast_head":"\nBoom: California city builds first new Catholic church in 45 years<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u00a0 Rendering of church designed by Robert Habiger of Dekker\/Perich\/Sabatini, with revisions by Mark Russell, Radian Design Group. 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