On the parish�s feast day, as the setting sun shone through the magnificent stained glass window of St. Catherine, the archbishop presided at a Mass of thanksgiving for the restoration of the church, which had been damaged by an arsonist�s fire in March 2008.

During the Mass, the archbishop also dedicated the Blessed Pope John Paul II Perpetual Adoration Chapel and installed Father Alejandro Rodriguez Artola as pastor. 

He had been named administrator in October 2010, as the community struggled to recover from the fire that made their worship space unusable. They were celebrating Mass in the parish hall, with two thirds of those in attendance usually sitting or standing outside for lack of space. They also had been raising funds to either restore the old worship space or build a new one.

When Father Rodriguez Artola came in, he took the pulse of the community and decided: Restore it � they will come! And he set out to spark not just a physical restoration but a spiritual one as well.

The degree to which he succeeded was evident April 29, as parishioners filled the parking lot by 5:15 for a Mass that would not start until 7 p.m. At the appointed time, representatives of all the ministries processed in with their beautifully prepared banners, followed by 15 concelebrating priests � including St. Catherine�s former pastor, Father Juan Sosa, Father Rodriguez Artola and Archbishop Wenski.

�Today, with the completion of this work, St. Catherine of Siena Parish celebrates a resurrection of sorts,� the archbishop said in his homily. He noted that �I am not just speaking of the building but of the community itself, rising up from the ashes into new life and renewed commitment.� 

�And, of course, this work has been brought to completion through the hard work, the diligent and able leadership of Father Alejandro Rodriguez whom today I will officially install as your pastor. Congratulations, Father Alejandro,� the archbishop said as those present burst into applause and cheers.  

�Father Alejandro has trained you well,� quipped the archbishop. �I�ll let you keep him!�

�There are no words to express what an accomplishment this is for our parish,� said Bianca Yeoman. �With the fire, we had to work so hard as a family and it is so emotional to see our work completed.� 

�I have been a parishioner at St. Catherine for 25 years,� said Arglei Iros. �Father Alejandro is the best. And now with this big accomplishment, he is bringing people back. I pray every day for him.�

The feeling is mutual.

�I am so happy my son is surrounded by his parish family,� said Father Alejandro�s mother, Mercy Artola Rodriguez. �We are grateful to everyone and so full of joy that my son is well-cared for and loved by this community.�