Our Lady of the Church opens

They’re prayers have been answered!
When members of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Morson broke ground for a new church last summer, they did not have all the money needed to complete the project.
Fortunately, the “pay as they went” motto worked itself out and the official blessing and dedication of the completed church was held Sunday.
The land, located just off Lakewood Drive and overlooking Eleanor Bay on Lake of the Woods, was purchased and donated by parishioners Tom and Joan Ryan.
Then a major fundraising effort began. In about a year, the congregation had raised $70,000 and decided to begin building.
Believing that their prayers would be answered, they constructed the church and donations began flowing in. The $90,000 church is now completed and has been holding mass since the long weekend in May.
On Sunday, more than 100 people attended the official blessing and dedication conducted by Thunder Bay Bishop Frederick Colli. Before he began, Rose Bernardi outlined the history of the church in the Morson area.
She began in the early to mid part of the century, when most of the Catholicism in that area involved missionary work on the Big Grassy reserve. But in the 1960s, a group of residents decided the area needed a church.
Mr. and Mrs. Swen Swenson donated land and a church was built. It served the parish for 35 years but was becoming decrepit.
Now it has been replaced with a brand new building that features a cathedral ceiling decorated with knotty pine. The altar is centered in front of an octagonal window that overlooks the bay.
Bernardi noted some of the largest contributors and thanked them. She also thanked God for the overwhelming generosity of the 42 individuals who, for the most part, made the funding of the project happen.
Bishop Colli then gave the invocation and sprinkled holy water throughout the church, on people, and on the walls. He also gave a homily that talked about how the people are the church, not the building.
He spoke of how the act of baptism links all of God’s people together and that they together are the church of God.
With that in mind, Bishop Colli said the new church is a testament to their faith, and thanked the building committee and Fr. James Panikulam for all their hard work.
Communion was offered and taken by many in attendance. After dismissal, the crowd enjoyed a fish fry at the Morson Hall.