Bishop James P. Powers presided at the Mass marking the 75th anniversary of St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Land O’ Lakes. Concelebrating with him were nine priests; following Mass, the celebration continued with a procession and banquet. (Submitted photo)
On Sunday, June 9, St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Land O’ Lakes celebrated the 75th year of the original church dedication.
Bishop James P. Powers presided at the Mass, which was concelebrated by St. Albert pastor Fr. Ron Serrao and nine other priests, including retired Fr. Robert Kaczmarek and Fr. Patrick McConnell (now pastor at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Medford), both past parish pastors. Also in attendance were two previous parish directors, Patricia Pintens and Michele Rein.
St. Albert Church was filled for Bishop Powers’ celebration of the Eucharist. During his homily, he examined the history of the church. Nineteen years before the church was constructed, the Land O’ Lakes area received their sacraments from two Norbertine priest in Eagle River. In 1939, fundraising started for a local church and by 1949, St. Albert Church was completed and dedicated. Bishop Powers reminded those in attendance that while we gather in our churches for spiritual growth, our mission is still the same – to live a life of example outside the walls of our churches.
After distribution of the Eucharist, Bishop Powers exposed the Blessed Sacrament and a Eucharistic procession left the church, passed the local fire department, made its way to the town hall, and returned to the church. All able parishioners followed the procession and returned to the church. The Land O’ Lakes community witnessed the procession.
Following the procession, a meal and fellowship followed at the Snowflake community center. A highlight of the meal was a large cake with the words, “Sharing the Light of Christ for 75 Years!”
