Sep 8, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The Catholic faith community of St. Isidore Parish in rural but still-developing Milford Township, Pennsylvania, are enjoying their new and much-needed church that was six years in the making.
The new structure is nearly three times the size of their old structure, which was located in nearby Quakertown. The old church accommodated 400 people; the new building, which sits on about 46 acres, can hold up to 1,000.
The pastor, Fr. Fred Riegler, told The Intelligencer that the old church was no longer large enough for the rapidly growing congregation. In 1998, the parish had 6,000 members; that number is now above 8,000.
While St. Isidore's school remains at the old church campus, and the old church is still being used for various activities, Fr. Riegler told the newspaper that eventually all parish activities would be moved to the new campus.
The new church cost more than $5 million, and parishioners raised most of it. Parishioners were also involved in the design of the new church. They asked that most of the new building's statues and artwork, even its stained glass windows, come from the old church. As well, one parishioner made the cross that hangs behind the altar.
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