THE HISTORIC
GROUNDBREAKING
for the
CHESTER COUNTY
BANK BARN
at
ST. PETER'S CHURCH IN THE GREAT VALLEY
April 17, 2005

Photographs courtesy of Roger Thorne   

On a gorgeous mid-April Sunday morning, St. Peter's moving and very spiritual groundbreaking ceremony for their new worship, outreach, education and fellowship building was celebrated. Hundreds of parishioners and others gathered in the north churchyard to begin the trek down to the site where the Chester County Bank Barn will be erected atop this highest elevation within the Great Valley.

 The ceremony began with parishioner Anne Reid praying aloud the prayer that she wrote early in the planning of this project:

Stretch us Lord, for you call us to grow.
Stretch our arms to embrace all who come to our doors.
Stretch our minds to grow in wisdom and faith as we plan and build and work together.
Stretch our resources and our giving to abundantly meet the needs of your plan.
Stretch our imaginations to create a beautiful, peaceful, sacred place to sing your praise and cherish one another.
Watch over us, your people of St. Peter's in the Great Valley,
and help us to grow in dignity, grace, and love.
Amen.

Then, to the skirl of the bagpipe, the procession of clergy, choirs, parishioners and friends was underway down the hill to the construction site.  Once underway, the ceremony included much wonderful music by the Choirs of St. Peter's and the Ring & Sing Choir, and Scripture readings by one of St. Peter's 'most senior' members, Mrs. Connie Braendel.

Finally our Rector, Fr. John, standing at the site where the Holy Table will be situated, and with shovel in hand, announced:

Since the faithful people desire to build a house of prayer, dedicated to the glory of God, on this ground, now marked with the symbol of Christ, I break ground for this building in the name of the Father . . . .

Then our Associate Rector Jill Wilson, and our Priest Associate the Rev. James Birney, also took shovelfuls of earth to complete this dedication:

. . . . and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May the Gospel be preached, the Sacraments administered, and prayers and praise offered in this place from generation to generation. Amen

Each member of the congregation, and especially our children, then symbolically broke ground with the number of ceremonial trowels to truly prepare the site for all that is to come.

 Click on each of these thumbnail photos to recall this memorable day in our parish:

Finally, Fr. John dismisses the people with the familiar  challenge and reminder:

Let us go forth rejoicing in the power of the Spirit! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

If construction proceeds as we expect, the new building should be completed during the first quarter of 2006. This is what we hope to see by early next year:

View from the southwest looking up the hill

View from the hilltop looking southeast

Interior, looking east toward the altar

Earlier in the Spring of 2005, Fr. John reflected on what we as a parish are truly undertaking. It is worth a re-reading:

   An Historic Moment for an Historic Church