Statue returns to Blessed Sacrament

Published March 15, 2019

On Feb. 26, the Sacred Heart of Jesus statute, installed first in 1933, was reinstalled on a pedestal in front of the new Blessed Sacrament Church in Jonesboro as well as a time capsule.

The old Blessed Sacrament Church, built in 1933 on 614 S. Church Street, was decommissioned and demolished in 2017. The new church was dedicated on Jan. 13 on East Highland Drive.

Pastor Father Alphonse Gollapalli said the 7-foot-tall statue, with arms stretched out by 7 feet, was installed by then-pastor Father W.J. Kordsmeier, who served as pastor from 1925 to 1945 and built the old church. The statue was in memory of his parents.

Students and faculty from Blessed Sacrament School attended the installation. A time capsule was also placed under the statue, which contained the “Parish on the Ridge” book; a narration on the transition between the old and new churches as well as transcripts used for previews on the new church; a photo album of old and new church photos, including those from the dedication Mass in January; and a rosary made by Ira Brown from the Rosary Guild.

Blessed Sacrament principal Mary Kay Jones also said the capsule included a student and faculty signed class roster, Benedictine medal and a decal of the new school crest.