Plans for a new house of worship have taken a giant step for St. Mary Magdalene Church with the announcement that they have selected an architect and builder for the project.

Gene Barrington of Barker, Cunningham, Barrington PC of Buford was selected as architect, and Group IV of Peachtree City, headed by Jim Pace, was chosen as builder/contractor.

Father Dan Fleming, pastor of St. Mary Magdalene, said that the undertaking is the fruit of many prayers. “This has been a moment our entire parish has been praying for and the start of our effort to build a church for this growing faith community here in Sharpsburg.”

St. Mary Magdalene’s property of 40 acres is located on Lower Fayetteville Road, near the intersection of State Road 154. Less than three years ago, parishioners began celebrating Mass at Thomas Crossroads School, as a mission of Holy Trinity Church in Peachtree City.

The growing group of worshippers then moved to Coke’s United Methodist Chapel, their neighbor on Lower Fayetteville Road. The increasing numbers in the parish necessitated that both weekend liturgies are now celebrated in East Coweta High School, Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. Some special services are still held at Coke’s Chapel, and others are held in St. Mary Magdalene’s tin barn.

Heading the present phase of the building effort is Lloyd Forshee, assisted by Bill Underwood. The plans for the new church will progress in a unique “design/build” approach, which pairs both the architect and the builder from the beginning of the creative phase, ensuring a more realistic budgetary process.

Steve Larkin of the archdiocese’s Catholic Construction Services further explained the “design/build” concept, saying that it is a “method of designing a facility to meet the program needs and to assure that the project will be completed per that design with an established budget, determined at the point of contract execution.”

Father Fleming said he is excited for the progress in his parish.  “Our efforts to build the kingdom of God here are well on their way.”