By Rocio Granados - La Voz Catolica

Photography: ROCIO GRANADOS | LVC

MIAMI | What began some time ago as Father Giovanni Peña’s dream of building a chapel at Prince of Peace Church has become a reality thanks to the prayers of his parishioners, as well as their donations.

"All the parishes in the surrounding area — Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Divine Providence, St. Agatha, St. Brendan, Mother of Christ — had prayer chapels except Prince of Peace," Father Peña recalled thinking.

Two years later, during the Mass and blessing of the new chapel, dedicated to St. Joseph on his feast day, March 19, Father Peña said, "This new chapel is a gift from God to you because it belongs to the Prince of Peace community through St. Joseph."

Archbishop Thomas Wenski presided at the Mass of dedication with several archdiocesan priests and dozens of parishioners participating.

"Today we bless a sacred space dedicated to prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. A privileged place to intercede for the needs of the world, in the midst of the anguish caused by the pandemic, by the unstable economic situation, or by the pain shared in the face of unjust war, with its terrible consequences of suffering and death," said the archbishop during his homily.

After the Mass, the Blessed Sacrament was taken in procession to the new chapel, which is located on one side of the church, previously a space used as a kitchen and storeroom.

"Lord, Holy Father, who invites us to pray, who has given to men the true bread of heaven, deign to bless us and this newly built chapel, and may all who come here find refuge in this place and comfort in your true presence. May this parish community of Prince of Peace adore your presence in this chapel," prayed the archbishop during the blessing.

 

PRAYERS AND DONATIONS

The chapel, of modest design, is made of marble. It can fit 25 people and will be open for adoration every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

It is a very simple space, "there is nothing in front of it; the center is the Eucharist,” Father Peña explained. In one corner stands the only image, that of St. Joseph, donated by a family from the parish. There is also a crucifix and a picture of Our Lady of Bethlehem, also donated, and the stained-glass windows, which were purchased.

The estimated cost of the chapel is between $50,000 to $70,000, Father Peña said, adding that it was made possible "through the many prayers of the parishioners," their work and their donations. "Thank God, this is a very, very generous community. Most of the materials and construction work were donated, or almost all of it; 95 percent were donations," he said.

Active parishioners donated materials such as marble, labor, the electrical system, and their time. Others donated money, including people from outside the community who, upon hearing the announcements, wanted to collaborate. And for those who could not help financially, "I asked them to pray, because God listens to them and provides. Everyone added their grain of sand," the priest noted.

Construction took almost two and a half years. It started before the pandemic, but getting permits was a problem, Father Peña said.

"Although it was something simple, it has been one of the most difficult projects we’ve had. When it's about God's things, they put a lot of obstacles in your way: permits, plans, everything," said Rogelio Tenorio, a parishioner and owner of R2CV Services construction company. He donated the labor to build the new chapel.

"I feel blessed to have such a big responsibility. This is from the heart, it is very different from any other project we have done," said Tenorio at the end of the blessing ceremony.

Tenorio, who has been in the field for several years, said it was the first time he has done construction for the Church. First, he built the Padre Pio monument located inside the church, then the chapel, and now he is renovating the altar, which is expected to be completed for this year's Holy Week celebrations.

 

STEWARDSHIP

Nury Feria, an interior designer for 43 years, donated the design of the chapel, her fifth. She previously designed chapels for. Louis Church in Pinecrest; Holy Rosary-St. Richard in Miami; and for the Servants St of the Living Christ and the Charismatic Renewal movements.

"This is my ministry, this is my stewardship," Feria said. About the Prince of Peace chapel, she said, "We designed it with what we had." Her husband, Jose Feito, also donated the technical drawings.

When he heard they were going to build the adoration chapel, Ivan Figueroa, a parishioner for seven years and owner of Dynamic Design & Services, told Father Peña that he was interested in helping, and donated the marble.

He did so "because I belong to this parish, I live nearby and I know Father (Peña). Also, because there was no Blessed Sacrament. Now (with the chapel) many more people will come and that will awaken people's faith. Even if it is something small, it moves people. You don't know how something simple is going to help," said Figueroa.

The approximate value of the marble donation for the chapel is $40,000. Figueroa also donated marble for the altar floor and is donating marble to St. Benedict Church in Hialeah.

"We have worked hard, and thankfully it (the chapel) is finished, for the glory of God, and it is something that will remain for the whole community," said an excited Jesus Marquez, Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus at Prince of Peace.

The Knights of Columbus donated the electrical installation, said Marquez, a Prince of Peace parishioner for 25 years. He added that after 25 years, "we finally have it."

Heridia Caminero, extraordinary minister of Communion and a parishioner for 17 years, said the chapel "was a gift from the Lord. From the beginning and little by little, we placed stone by stone, hope, faith, constancy, trust, certainty, and the truth, the devotion that Father Giovanni transmitted to each one of us."

Prince of Peace Parish was established by Archbishop Edward McCarthy in June 1987. "It's a beautiful, small, very family-oriented community. Everyone knows each other and that has also been one of my goals," said Father Peña, who has led the parish for six years.

The community is entirely made up of bilingual Hispanics. There are Nicaraguans, Colombians, Venezuelans, but the majority are Cubans and Nicaraguans. Cubans are the grandparents, those who arrived in Miami many years ago and are now in their third generation, said Father Peña.

The chapel is dedicated to St. Joseph because he is the custodian of the Church, the first custodian of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus, who took care of them and protected them. "For me it is a very special vocation. St. Joseph is a very miraculous saint, and we tend to ignore him because he is always present at the altar. He is a saint who listens, who is always attentive to all of us," Father Peña said, while also asking for prayers for all priests.