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new corpus christi church dedicated in shiloh

Story and photos by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

Before Msgr. James Margason unlocked the doors of the new church, the singing had already begun in the parish center as the congregation — the church — processed to its new home.

Bishop Edward K. Braxton, principal celebrant at the dedication, accepted the plans of the building from White and Borgonini, architects from Carbondale, who designed the new church.

“It was a wonderful celebration,” Msgr. Margason said, “very prayerful and very joyful.”

Although the dedication took almost three hours, Msgr. Margason said parishioners told him it “didn’t seem that long.”
Part of the reason could have been the music that wove all of the parts of the dedication together, from the blessing and sprinkling of water after the baptistry was blessed, through the depositing of relics in the floor of the sanctuary under the altar to the anointing of the altar and the walls of the church.

Each part flowed naturally into the next with the altar and church filled with incense before the altar was cleaned, lighted and prepared for the Eucharist.

Many parishioners participated in the dedication from the young to the more senior members of the parish.
The bishop congratulated the people on dedicating what would become their sacred space.

More than once he told them they could have no better name than Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ, because that is what the people are: the living stones, those who bring their prayer and their celebration of the Eucharist into this new sacred space and then go out into the world to be the Body of Christ.

Msgr. Margason said the parish had been looking forward to the day of dedication for about two years.
The cost of $2 million was contained because of the work done by parishioners and the pastor’s eye for fulfilling a need.

For instance, the pews at Corpus Christi were purchased from Cahokia’s school district. They were originally at St. Catherine Labouré.

Stations of the Cross originally hung in the old St. Joseph Church in East St. Louis and were donated to Corpus Christi and cleaned by a parishioner.

Statues at the rear of the church came from Meredith Memorial Home which is now closed.

A parishioner made the altar, ambo, altar of repose, the Easter candle holder, the presider and deacon chairs.
The sanctuary floor, the baptismal pool and font: all were designed and/or constructed by parishioners. Landscaping was also handled by the people in the parish.

“I invited people to help,” Msgr. Margason said, and the people took him up on his offer.
“I think the people are proud of what they’ve accomplished,” he said.