Rebuilt Franklin Lakes church celebrates grand opening 5 years after devastating fire
Five years after a fire destroyed its church building, the parish community of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Franklin Lakes celebrated the grand opening of its newly reconstructed church on Sept. 17 with a Mass of Dedication led by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark.
Hundreds of parishioners filled the pristine building to attend the Mass exactly two years after construction officially began. During the liturgy, Cardinal Tobin anointed the church walls after being ceremonially presented with the building plans. He also commended the parish community for its resilience in the face of adversity. Despite the devastating fire and various construction delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said they always remembered the Church is built on Peter’s faith, with Jesus as its capstone.
“The joy of this community and its enduring perseverance is a great contribution to the Archdiocese,” Cardinal Tobin said. “You kept on keeping on, whatever the disappointments… God bless you for your faith, your trust, and your welcome.”
The new church was designed by Foresight Architects and LAN Associates in consultation with parish committees. It features a circular layout like the original structure, though the new building features a stone exterior and a state-of-the-art HVAC system, lighting, and multimedia technology. It also includes a community gathering hall with a kitchen; a chapel that seats 90; and multiple rooms for children’s liturgies, bridal preparations, and other functions.
Inside the main sanctuary — which has a 700-person capacity — is a baptismal font made with Italian mosaic tiles, stained-glass windows salvaged from the shuttered Sacred Heart Church in Jersey City, and a carved sapele altar. Sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter created the eight-foot-long crucifix above the altar, and the Peragallo Pipe Organ Co. built the organ. Additionally, the Marist Brothers donated several marble statues, and Ramsey’s St. Paul Church provided the tabernacle.
“This new church building is the result of God’s grace working through a shared vision of the people who came together to study, reflect, and pray for the creative guidance of the Holy Spirit,” said Father John R. Job, Most Blessed Sacrament’s pastor, who thanked the parish community for their many prayers and financial contributions that made the rebuilding possible. “We, as a parish community, encountered challenges and setbacks, but we never gave up hope. We persevered and, together, we relied on patient endurance, leading us to this most solemn and joyful day.”
To learn more about the reconstruction of the Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament, visit www.mostblessedsacrament.ws/mbs-rebuilds.
Photos courtesy of the Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Featured image: Hundreds of parishioners filled Franklin Lakes’ newly reconstructed Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament for the parish’s Mass of Dedication on September 17, 2024. (Photo courtesy of the Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament)
