New Westerville church rises in hard times | The Columbus Dispatch

This is just a symbol of why I'm not longer Catholic. Idolatry through gold on the dome, and untold resources spent on themselves and the priests.

Shame on the Church and it's current and past abuses in so many areas and topics. A distorted view of the teachings of God. Self serving and circular reasoning are well represented in the Dome.

It's not a new church --- it's a new church building. Big difference....but most people don't understand this.

No longer Catholic wrote:

This is just a symbol of why I'm not longer Catholic. Idolatry through gold on the dome, and untold resources spent on themselves and the priests.
Shame on the Church and it's current and past abuses in so many areas and topics. A distorted view of the teachings of God. Self serving and circular reasoning are well represented in the Dome.

Don't feel bad. You'd never make it as a politician either.

front Page wrote:

It's hard to appreciate Meredith Hagney's snarky undertone. Did she stack the deck to write such a misleading premise as to why (exactly) this new building was needed? Of course she did. That's the way this person thinks -- just like a negative-minded reporter. Meredith Hagney there have always been people out of work and people will always find themselves in a pinch. It doesn't mean they stop going to church. What these parishiners have constatrnyl found thmsleves (for the past 10+ years) is stacked five-deep stand-room only on Holy Days and holidays with traditional large turnouts. That parish has had to have at least 2 Masses celebrated concurrently on weekends for at least that long. Instead you make this article an economic issue pitting the the haves and have nots. Typical media bias! You missed the big picture meredith Hagney. Totally missed it and you should be ashamed for the shabby reporting.

I agree with your assessment of Meredith Heagney's story. She missed the big point of why this church was needed. St Paul's is a gigantic congregation. She ignored the volume of masses each weekend, where you can see people standing even at the 7:30 in the morning mass. She ignored the fact that on holy days, there can be three (3) masses going on in different locations at the same time, with multiple masses planned.

St Paul Church in Westerville, was started in 1913 in a rented room above where Graeter's Ice Cream now operates in Uptown. The church now has over 4,400 FAMILIES (we are not talking individuals here).

The parishioners have sacrificed to help build this church. Some could only offer small monetary amounts, while others were able to offer larger amounts. Even the parish children helped. This was a true parish-wide effort complete with many prayers that built this church with the future in mind. It reminds me of the effort put forth by my great-great grandparents to build some of the first Catholic churches in Columbus that still stand today. The parishioners of St. Paul give and do so much for the Ohio community, so let us enjoy the results of all the sacrifices that we have made to make this project a reality. All we really wanted was to be able to practice our faith together and now we can.

If the local mosque were building a new dome, Hijab Heagney would be hyperventilating.

I was frankly shocked at the church myself when I saw it rising up so high above the school and the old church..but the parish must be very proud of their new place of worship, the church is not a building but a community and hopefully they have many ministries for the congregation to be involved with in the Columbus area and beyond

Yuk

Hey-if it keeps them busy and they don't blow themselves up or fly planes into buildings, I'm all for building new churches.

May those who criticize, please come and seek the truth of all the charity of St. Paul parish...not only to the Westerville community but within the inner city and to missionary needs in other countries and more. All will be amazed!! As we bless, we are blessed. So we sing "All glory, praise and honor be yours O Sovereign Lord...Send forth your light and lead us..." from "O God Beyond All Praising". We pray St. Paul parish continue to be a reflection of God's love for all.

Pfff wrote:

That church is certainly impressive. And while they definitely needed a bigger space to congregate, I think it's a little ostentatious considering the current economic climate. But if they want to spend their money that way, who am I to criticize?

Note that the fundraising began 7 years ago, well before the recession began. It's not like the money was raised in the last two years. A lot of donations were pledges spread out over 4 or 5 years, so people could give a little bit each month if they wanted to contribute but were struggling financially.

And it wasn't just about the church. The school also needed to be updated. This project shows the dedication of the parishioners of St. Paul and their willingness to give to something that will benefit everyone in the parish and the school for years to come. The people of St. Paul are continuously generous to charities and to those in need, more so than any other parish in Central Ohio.

I went to Africa a couple of months ago and was astonished by the churches and how beautiful the buildings were all while the rest of the country lived in poverty. The catholic church is and will always be one of the richest organizations in the world.