Faith builds a Catholic church

[JPUSC]

Faith builds a Catholic church in Mecca, Calif.

By David Kelly
December 7, 2008

Reporting from Mecca, Calif. – When the ceiling began to collapse at Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the impoverished desert town of Mecca, Father Eliseo Lucas sprang into action.

With 5,000 parishioners and no money for a new church, he had a huge plastic tent erected in the parking lot.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the poorest Catholic congregation in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and one of the poorest in the state, church officials said. It is made up largely of Latino farmworkers often living in ramshackle trailer parks dotting the eastern Coachella Valley. There is also a large contingent of Purepechas, indigenous people from the Mexican state of Michoacan, who attend.

Despite the poverty, Lucas launched an ambitious fundraising effort two years ago for a new church.

The church raised nearly $300,000. Other Catholic parishes chipped in with large additional donations, along with the Diocese of San Bernardino. Ultimately about $1 million was collected.

The new church consists of a large dome made of Kevlar-like material, causing some to dub it the “balloon church.” In the years ahead, finances permitting, a more traditional wood and stone structure will replace it.

Parishioners decorated the inside like any other Catholic church. They made the chandeliers themselves, hammering out metal rings and fitting each with 36 lights. Candlesticks and icons were donated. Altar chairs were bought at a local thrift store.

“These are things that seem out of place for Mecca – chandeliers, stained glass, a granite altar top,” Lucas said, noting that the granite was also donated.

The priest seemed profoundly moved by it all. “We suffered two years of heat and cold, strong winds and dust,” he said a few minutes before starting the evening Mass.

“Many of us have moved to a state of despair and hopelessness, and these people could have moved the same way,” he said later. "But their community’s resilience and trust in God shows.

latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mecca7-2008dec07,0,6802947.story

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-11/43624419.jpg

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-11/43624418.jpg

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-11/43624417.jpg

The Church looks great, especially those handmade chandeliers.