The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
St. Joseph's hosts Dedication Liturgy
PUBLISHED: February 28, 2008
St. Joseph Catholic Parish in Dexter is proud to announce the formal Dedication Liturgy of their new place of worship at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 15. The new church is located at 6085 Mast Road in Webster Township. The Most Rev. Carl F. Mengeling, Bishop of the Diocese of Lansing, will preside over the Liturgy and join parish Pastor Fr. Brendan J. Walsh, parishioners, former pastors, and other community guests in celebration of the opening of the new St. Joseph Church.
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For eight years, St. Joseph Parish has planned and prepared for the construction of the new worship space. The decision to move from the present church location was made in 2000, when it became apparent that the church building on Fourth and Dover Streets in Dexter Village, built in 1872, could no longer accommodate the increasing population of Dexter and the surrounding area.
In early 2002, the parish purchased 46 acres of land at the southwest corner of North Territorial and Mast Roads as the location of the new St. Joseph campus to better serve the Catholic community of the Dexter area. Shortly thereafter, a group of parishioners convened to form the "Stairway to the Future" planning committee. This committee developed the master plans for the new parish property and worked with Architect, David Swanson, and Liturgical Design Consultant, Christine Reinhart, to design the new worship space.
The new St. Joseph Catholic Church will seat 750-plus people at the present time, with the ability to be expanded to 900 and then 1,100 seats as the need arises. It has been designed to incorporate the best features of the old St. Joseph gothic church building including a brick exterior, arched windows, a prominent steeple, and the original bell.
The bell, which was named "Eugene" when originally purchased in 1885, has been refurbished and hung in the new steeple. The interior worship space features a full-immersion baptismal font, Eucharistic Chapel, gathering space, and traditional pews as well as flexible seating, making it accessible to all.
Certain sacred furnishings and artwork presented in the new church have been designed by parishioners, including the altar, Stations of the Cross, and medallions over the entrances. As a distinctive focal point in the worship space, the crucifix hanging above the altar is made, in part, of ash wood harvested from trees grown on the church property.
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