New altar at Swartswood church

SWARTSWOOD  Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish (OLMC) here July 24 where he celebrated Mass for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time and consecrated the church’s new altar — part of an extensive renovation of its worship space.

During the 11 a.m. Mass, Bishop Serratelli consecrated the new altar, made of wood and marble. The major refurbishments to the church’s worship space included installation of a new crucifix above the altar, a new tile floor, a new ambo stand and a new tabernacle stand.

Started earlier this year, the project also included the repainting the walls in the worship space and the repositioning of the statues of Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, the furniture on the altar and the tabernacle, now at the center of the altar, said Father Abuchi Nwosu, OLMC’s newly named pastor.

Concelebrating the Mass with Bishop Serratelli were Father Nwosu; Father Richard Bay, pastor of St. Simon the Apostle Parish, Green Pond; and Father Peter Oddo, one of the parish’s weekend assistants. During the Mass, the Bishop also announced to the congregation that he had named Father Nwosu as pastor of OLMC. Father Nwosu had been serving as OLMC’s administrator since last summer.