Most Blessed Sacrament holds topping-off ceremony

 On Tuesday, June 20, Most Blessed Sacrament in Franklin Lakes and Donnelly Construction participated in a “topping-out” ceremony, a significant milestone in the building of the new church.

On June 7, the last two steel beams of the new church were set in place after being signed by the students of the Academy of the Most Blessed Sacrament. 

The topping-out ceremony consisted of placing a tree branch with green leaves on the top of the last steel beam which was inserted into place in the new church’s highest point. In the construction trade, this Scandinavian-rooted ritual signifies that the construction project has reached the sky without injury, and it bodes well for the future inhabitants of the building. 

Church officials and the faithful have been hopeful as the new church is built after the original church was burnt down on Dec. 12, 2019, due to arson. Church officials broke ground on a new church in September 2022. 

There is still much to do in the construction of the new church. Nevertheless, the topping-out ceremony celebrates a job well done thus far and prefigures a successful completion in the spring of 2024. 

Luca Guarino, who will be entering the eighth grade at the Academy of the Most Blessed Sacrament shared his reflection: “With loss comes triumph. These words seem incredibly associated with our new church. The old church will forever hold a place in my heart, but the change that the new church brings will be good for everyone. I appreciate everything the construction workers have done, and it’s not just me, it’s our whole community.” 

Father John Job, the Pastor, echoes Luca’s thoughts when he stated the following: “The Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament is grateful to the many who are working so hard on this project and that we have reached such a significant milestone. May our new church be a beacon of light and hope as it stands to be a witness of God’s love in the world for the people of today and the generations of tomorrow.”