Jun 8, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Ten years ago, St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Woodstock, Georgia had 300 families worshipping out of a gymnasium in a recreation center. Today, the parish's 2,100 families worship in a 750-seat sanctuary, located on a 35-acre church property. And with an average of six to eight new families joining the parish per week, the growth spurt is hardly over.
There are seven weekend masses-500 worship at a Spanish-language mass on Sunday afternoons-1,200 students in religious education classes; a preschool filled to capacity with 120 children; daily masses; and a 72-hour adoration each week, reported the Journal-Constitution.
The parish campus includes 18 classrooms, conference rooms, a kitchen and a multipurpose room and offices. A chapel can accommodate 65, and a parish hall can accommodate community gatherings.
A new rectory is being built on a wooded area of the church campus. As well, a new prayer garden, where outdoor masses can be held, is being planted. The first mass at the new campus was celebrated in January 1999.