Parish Activity Center Rededicated

St. Paul Adult Choir sang for rededication of Parish Activity Center

Saint Paul Parish Activity Center, originally constructed in 1957 as a Chapel, was rededicated Sunday following the 9:30 a.m. Mass..

The Saint Paul Adult Choir sang for the re-dedication and also sang for the Mass. Catechetical leader Shelly Hertzig brought Parish School of Religion students on stage for special prayers. They also constructed a

Fr. Thomas gives blessing

timeline for the Apostle, St. Paul. The Feast of the Consecration of St. Paul will be celebrated Tuesday. St. Paul School principal Robert Brodbeck invited parishioners to visit the school to see the advanced technology being used to educate students. He also urged them to attend special events during Catholic Schools Week January 30 through February 4.


The pastor, the Rev. Fr. Ralph Thomas, served as master of ceremonies and said the prayers and gave the blessing for the January 23 rededication.


The old church built in 1920 was not large enough to handle the large number of worshipers, so the Chapel was constructed as an addition to the school and dedicated in 1957 during the pastorate of the Rev Msgr. Clement Boeke. The upper level provided eight new classrooms and the lower level, known as Boeke Hall, provided an area for recreation and dinners. The main floor was the Chapel where many Baptisms, Wedding, Sacraments and Masses were celebrated from 1957 to 2005

When the new church was completed in 2005, there was no longer a need for the Chapel as a place of worship. The oak pews were taken up and given a new home in Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Kentucky. The Chapel was remodeled for use as a multipurpose area. The original sanctuary became the stage for school plays and other presentations.

During the pastorate of the Rev. Fr. Thomas Koegel in the post-Vatican Council years, an elevated area on the north side was constructed for a sanctuary with pews placed in three sections: one facing the sanctuary and one on each side, facing east and west.

In the $60,000 remodeling of the Activity Center in 2010 during the pastorate of the Rev. Fr. Ralph Thomas that elevated area was removed. The old, uneven flooring was replaced, lighting improved and the stage enlarged and remodeled with new sound and lighting. New folding chairs were purchased and kitchen and restroom facilities are being improved.

See more photos on the rededication.