Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinar y Time
July 10, 2011
Upon This Rock...
Personal Thoughts and Reflections on Our New Church
'Back in the day', my family of eight traveled the long way to
Sacred Heart Church in downtown Tampa. Each Sunday we
climbed the marble steps and journeyed through the tall marbled columns where we joined others in the carved wooden
pews and enjoyed the luxury of worshiping in a beautiful
church. We genuflected in the presence of our Lord in the
ornate gold tabernacle. We listened to the music of the high
school choir and the melodies of the pipe organ that filled the
church. As we left mass each Sunday, we passed through
the heavy, beautifully carved wooden doors having felt the
presence of God.
We were able to have this rich spiritual experience because those who came before us had
brought that beautiful church into being. Since my childhood there have been many other
churches we had the pleasure of enjoying because of the many families before us who brought
these places of worship into being through their generous gifts.
St. Mark has been a place where my family has grown. It has helped us to become a part of
the community around us. True, the church is the people, not the building. It is also a place
where the community comes together, not only to worship, but also to meet, to learn, and to
pass on their faith to each other and to the community in which we live and work.
As more families at St. Mark have become active, it is clear that we are literally bursting at the
seams. We are serving the poor, preparing for the worship service with song and music, meeting in our Small Christian Communities, teaching our faith to our children, building community,
(Boy Scouts, CRHP, SMARTS, K of C and many more). As we answer God's call to Prayer,
Service and Sharing, it is evident space is needed. Having the new church opens up our current worship center to be what it was designed to be…a facility where the members of the
church can grow in their knowledge, their fellowship and their service. By building a new church
we will have a worship area that is "centered on the Eucharist".
My husband and I feel strongly that we need a new worship center that will indeed be a gift to
all. We believe in the importance of having a worship area that is a space that allows us to feel
the presence of our Eucharistic Lord. We feel a new worship space will help us grow in welcoming each other and worshiping with each other as a community. And finally, we need the
freed space of our current worship area to accommodate the growing activities of a growing
faith community.
Some of us may not even be here when this new church is finally completed. Should that be
the case for my husband and me, we are happy to give as the Lord has blessed us so those
who will be here will feel the love of God in the worship space that has been prepared through
our gifts.
Bert and Pauline McCollum
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