Growing flock celebrates last Mass at mission
Doraville church moving to larger building in Lilburn

By SHELIA M. POOLE and JENNIFER SUTCLIFFE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 06/19/06

Where does one go when there's not enough room in the house of God?

For some members of Our Lady of the Americas Catholic Mission, it's the front hall. For others, it's the parking lot or next to the door at the side of the building.

As Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory celebrated the last confirmation and Mass at the church's current location in Doraville on Sunday afternoon, families listened from a hot, crowded room outside the overflowing sanctuary. Parents fanned their tired children while wiping their own sweaty brows. Between short naps, older men stared at a screen that showed what was happening inside.

In a sanctuary built to seat about 400, a typical Mass at the church on New Peachtree Road might easily double that number, forcing some members out of the pews.

But Sunday would be the last service anyone from this Hispanic congregation would have to watch on a television.

The Rev. Fernando Molina-Restrepo of the church said the mission has bought a former Assembly of God church at 4603 Lawrenceville Highway in Lilburn, using a $4 million advance from the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

"It's the realization of a dream that our parishioners have had for a long time," the Colombia-born Molina-Restrepo said. "There was always this desire for a new church so we could celebrate our faith."

Along with the church building itself, he said the mission will have about 8 acres to expand.

Maureen Harty, administrative assistant at the mission, said Molina-Restrepo has raised $1 million in the past nine months to compensate for the archdiocese's purchase.

"We couldn't get the money [ourselves] that quickly," Harty said.

But the mission will continue to raise funds to pay off the mortgage through a project called "Our Legacy of Faith," Harty said.

The first Mass at the church's new Gwinnett County home will be Friday.

The Doraville mission's expansion has in fact mirrored the hyper growth of metro Atlanta's Hispanic community. More than 381,190 Hispanics live in the metro area, according to 2004 census figures.

The census reported more than 105,000 Hispanic residents in Gwinnett.

And most are likely Catholic.

According to the Washington-based United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 39 percent of Catholics in this country are Hispanic. Additionally, about 4,000 U.S. parishes have Hispanic ministries; and more than a fifth of all U.S. parishes have mostly Hispanic members.

Our Lady of the Americas Catholic Mission plays a critical role in the Latino community, offering programs to aid the homeless and provide religious education and English classes, church officials said.

The mission is named in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Americas, who is believed to have appeared to Mexican peasant Juan Diego on Dec. 12, 1531, and inspired millions of Latinos to convert to Christianity. Juan Diego was later beatified. A chapel in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome has been dedicated in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Molina-Restrepo has said that he thinks the connection has drawn many Hispanics to the mission.

He hopes to work out a deal with local transportation companies to provide service to the church in Lilburn. The Doraville site is close to a MARTA station.

"It will be a little bit challenging, but people will come," he said.

Standing at the edge of the church's small front parking lot, Darlene Zet, 25, of Doraville said she plans to remain a member. But she added that the distance will make it more difficult for some.

"My husband can drive us, but a lot of people I know walk here," Zet said.

Sonia Sagredo, 31, who lives in Doraville and is originally from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, has been a member of the mission for three years.

Despite the crowding, she said she was sad to hear about the move.

"I would never change [congregations], though," she added in Spanish. "I will always come here."

Molina-Restrepo said the mission had hoped to stay in the area, but the land costs were too high. He said some work needs to be done on the Gwinnett church and worshippers have readily pitched in to do landscaping and cleaning.

All the Masses now are in Spanish(emphasis added), but Molina-Restrepo hopes to include at least one English Mass in the future as well as education programs.

He also wants to add stained glass to make the church more traditional.

Children danced and mariachi music played as members of the congregation celebrated the move in the back of the old mission after Sunday's Mass.

"We're so happy. We're going to have a real church," Molina-Restrepo said. "I'd like to say we feel blessed to be here."

And he expects the church will grow even more.

But after all the effort to find a larger church, he hopes that growth spurt won't come too soon.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/met...gwxchurch.html