St. Lawrence Church broke ground for a church expansion and office renovation on Monday, July 16. The celebration began in the present church building with Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, after which the assembly processed outdoors near the place where construction will soon begin.

After prayers of blessing for the building project and for all who will labor in it, Father Albert Jowdy, pastor of St. Lawrence, and Deacon Patrick Fagan, who is serving as chairman of the parish’s building renovation committee, each turned over a shovelful of dirt accompanied by the enthusiastic applause of the gathered parishioners.

St. Lawrence was the first Catholic community in Gwinnett County, having begun in 1963 as a mission of Holy Cross parish in Chamblee. The present church building, erected in 1987 by a parish consisting of about 500 families, seats 450.

The renovation plan enhances the mission design of the existing church and increases seating to 900 to serve a parish that now numbers almost 3,000 households.

A simultaneous office renovation will provide pastoral offices, parish hall, nursery, restrooms, vestry and meeting space, all surrounding an open-air courtyard.

The parish was assisted in developing the renovation plans by Father David Stachurski, OFM Conv., and Jim Brodi of Ecclesia Liturgical Design, LLC. Stained glass, art and church furnishings are being designed by Martin Erspamer, OSB. The project architect is CDH Partners, Inc. The builder is Lusk Contracting, Inc.

St. Lawrence is located at 319 Grayson Highway.