Franklin Lakes Parish Breaks Ground on New Church

FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ – Three years after a fire destroyed its church and COVID-19 delayed its rebuilding process, the parish community of Most Blessed Sacrament in Franklin Lakes officially broke ground on the construction of its new church building during a Sept. 17 ceremony.

Standing before a large gathering of parishioners, Father John R. Job, Most Blessed Sacrament’s pastor, acknowledged the parish’s resilience in overcoming so many obstacles. He also reminded everyone that God was the one who blessed them with the ability to rebuild the church, and they should acknowledge that gift as a sign of positive things to come.

“Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, is a day for both joy and gratitude,” Father Job said in a statement. “Joy because in God’s providence, He has brought us to this day to mark the beginning of the construction of our new church building. Gratitude because we have been blessed with the support and encouragement of so many who have brought us to this occasion… We are sharing in a grace-filled opportunity to build a beautiful church. May it serve as a beacon of faith, hope, and love for many years to come.”

Bishop Michael A. Saporito, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, also praised Most Blessed Sacrament’s parishioners for their faith and determination before blessing the construction site with holy water. Finally, a contingent of parish stakeholders — including Bishop John W. Flesey, pastor emeritus; Frank Bivona, building committee chairman and Franklin Lakes mayor; and several young parishioners — dug the first shovelfuls of dirt to symbolically launch the church’s reconstruction.

The $18 million reconstruction of the church will take approximately 15 to 18 months to complete. Once it is finished, parishioners will be able to enjoy a significantly larger sanctuary in addition to education rooms, a chapel, and a community gathering space. The parish’s bells, which were among the few objects to survive the fire, will also be reinstalled after they are refurbished and updated with electromagnetic strikers.

For more information on the Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament’s rebuilding process, visit https://mostblessedsacrament.ws/mbs-rebuilds.