Communications Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 26, 2010
Contact: Patricia M. Chivers
Communications Director
(678) 480-6865
pchivers@archatl.com

Statue of St. Gerard Sees
New Life in Timely Restoration

99-year-old marble statue fully restored by Atlanta master craftsman

Atlanta, Ga., April 27, 2010 – The marble statue of St. Gerard, which was damaged during its 900-mile journey from St. Gerard’s Church in Buffalo, New York, to the Parish of Mary Our Queen in Norcross, Georgia, has been fully restored.

The relocation of 99-year-old St. Gerard’s Church began with the delivery of the 7 ½ foot, 1,600 pound statue of St. Gerard and the Paschal Candle stand to Atlanta on Saturday, April 3. Archbishop of Atlanta Wilton D. Gregory welcomed the statue and the candle stand with a ceremonial blessing on the plaza of the Cathedral of Christ the King. The statue of the patron saint of St. Gerard’s and the candle stand were then delivered to Mary Our Queen, where they were greeted by approximately 125 members of the parish.

During the unveiling, the one-ton marble statue fell from its crate and the head broke at the neck. Mary Our Queen Pastor Father David M. Dye said that the restoration of the statue would be no different than the restoration of life that occurs during the Easter season.

“The relocation of St. Gerard’s Church is about revitalization and new birth. The same holds true for this statue. Anything can be restored. That’s the message of Easter,” Father Dye said.

The statue of St. Gerard was repaired by master craftsman Russell Reel of Antiqueworks (www.antique-works.com). Located near Atlanta, Antiqueworks has provided antique restoration to some of the most prestigious antique dealers and auction houses in the world for more than 20 years.

The restored statue was installed at Mary Our Queen on Sunday, April 18.

For more information about the relocation of St. Gerard’s Church, please visit www.movedbygrace.com.

About St. Gerard’s Church
Designed after the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome, St. Gerard Church was dedicated in 1913 by Bishop Charles H. Colton, fourth bishop of Buffalo. St. Gerard Parish merged into Blessed Trinity Parish in Buffalo following the final Mass in the church on Jan. 6, 2008. The merger was part of the Journey in Faith and Grace, the Diocese of Buffalo’s parish revitalization and reconfiguration process.

About the Parish of Mary Our Queen
Opened as a mission of All Saints Catholic Church in Dunwoody, Georgia, in November 1994, the parish of Mary Our Queen started life humbly in an office building on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in nearby Norcross. Initially, there were 70 registered families. Mass was celebrated on Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. and at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays. Within a few years, the parish added another Mass on Sunday at 11:00 a.m., developed an adult choir, contemporary choir and children’s choir supported by lectors, altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, ushers and a nursery. Today, a 15,000-square-foot temporary church and a 6,000-square-foot educational facility (named the Trinity Building) sit on a 15-acre site at the intersection of The Corners Parkway and Crooked Creek Road in the Peachtree Corners area of Norcross. The sanctuary seats 600, while the Trinity Building houses the church’s school of religion program.

For additional information, please contact
Philip Hauserman / Jennifer Cornelius
The Ledlie Group
(404) 266-8833
Philip.hauserman@theledliegroup.com/ Jennifer.cornelius@theledliegroup.com

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