Amador County – Hundreds of people filled the temporary prayer service area of Amador Catholic Center in Martell Wednesday to hear Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto proclaim the Church’s new name and the patron as Saint Katharine Drexel Catholic Parish in Amador County, and install its Pastor, Father Lawrence Beck.

Hundreds in attendance included parishioners from the six Catholic churches in the county, and many visiting members from the local community, who watched Reverend Soto lead a formal prayer liturgy, during which he let out his decision that the new parish and church would be named after Saint Katharine Drexel, who was the second American-born Catholic to reach Sainthood.

Soto also installed Pastor Lawrence Beck, known to his faithful as Father Larry, and introduced him to the congregation and visitors. He also introduced Parish, and liturgy officials, and the Amador Catholic Pastoral Council. He then instructed Beck to greet his officials.

Church members were polled to find their preference for a name of the church, and the patron saint, and Bishop Soto chose the Saint. Beck, in addressing the gathering, said Holy Cards of Saint Katharine Drexel would be handed out after the liturgy and presentation on Drexel.

Beck thanked members of the county’s six community churches, and Father Liam McCarthy, and noted a quote from Saint Katharine Drexel, which she wrote as she left an Indian School that she had built as a lay person. He said she was overcome with emotion at what to do next. She wrote, upon leaving that school, that what led her was “listening and acting upon a desire God puts into the heart.”

She later entered the church as a nun, and founded Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Black and Native American Peoples,” which built schools for Indians and blacks all around the United States.

Beck said as Saint Katherine Drexel Church starts its revitalization, the next step begins in January, in fund-raising to pay for the facility’s remodel, and building, of the kitchen, nave and other amenities for the church and community center.

Soto said: “May God continue to bless the good work that has been done here.”

Parish Secretary Jeannine Crew said the turnout was great, including from local churches, and members of the Amador County community.

Crew said it was bittersweet, because it was so sad to have Frank Halvorson’s Prospect Motors close, and loss of such a hub of the community. She said: “I was here when they had the big rally.”

She said sales of church lots went to purchase the former dealership. The next step is to raise a fund to build the new Church and Center.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.