Melrose parish blesses site of new church

Father Marvin Enneking, pastor of St. Mary Parish, blesses the land and a cross that is placed where the baptismal font will be located in the new building.

The outdoor Mass was held under a tent on land near the parish cemetery where the new church will be built.

Members of the parish choir sing during the Mass.

During the homily, Father Marvin Enneking encouraged parishioners to listen to each other during the building process. "If we continue to trust and continue to gather at this table and listen to Jesus' words, we can be assured that God is going to take us to a good place," he said. "That's what we pray for and celebrate today." Behind Father Enneking are a statue of Mary that was damaged in the fire and a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Carlos Hernandez prays during the Mass.

Parishioners were encouraged to write their prayers for the St. Mary's community on slips of paper before Mass. During the site blessing, they were invited to put the slips of paper into the ground. Here, Courtney Ellering, 6, places her prayers with the others.

Jesus Hernandez, left, and Harvey Keller fill in the the hole, planting the prayers so they become part of the new space.