The Knights of Columbus Color Corps, dressed in rainbow-hued capes and feathered caps, welcomed 1,500 people into the Saint Louis Parish?s new church in Clarksville for the first time Sunday.
The church, fourth in the Orthodox Catholic parish?s history, has been planned for 10 years, and cost about $13 million, in combination with other renovations.
Cardinal William Keeler, the archbishop of Baltimore, led the opening ceremony with prayer, song, and ritual.
“This is a very, very happy morning in the history of this parish,” Keeler said to the crowd, which flowed between the aisles and out of the main sanctuary.
“I am delighted to extend the congratulations of the whole archdiocese for this wonderful location.”
Clergy and Bishops traveled from as far as Haiti to participate in the ceremony.
The airy structure boasts nine stained-glass windows, which originally hung in the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore, the nation?s first cathedral. The windows depict scenes from the Old Testament, the life of Jesus Christ, and the history of Catholicism in America.
The vision for the church came from Monsignor Joseph L. Luca?s 38 pilgrimages to Italy. Luca supervised the design, fundraising and construction of the building.
“He was out there every day of the construction in a hard hat,” said parishioner Mary Helfrick, who helped organize the dedication ceremony.
The Saint Louis Parish is the largest Catholic parish in Howard County, serving over 4,000 families.
History of the stained glass windows now in Saint Louis Church
The nine stained glass windows were created for the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore in 1943-1947. Cardinal Keeler offered them on permanent loan to Saint Louis Church for its new building.
