Florida Catholic | Hall Of Saints Growing At Holy Spirit Parish

Hall of saints growing at Holy Spirit Parish

New statues of Sts. Peter and Paul move Lantana parish nearer to its goal of 50 shrines.

BENNET BOLTON | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 08.02.08

Leonita Jempty takes a close look at the fiberglass statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. Father Ron Schulz, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, said that the two statues – Peter holding in his right hand a book of Scripture and Paul holding a sword – will be taken to the All Saints Hall, with many more saintly images to come.
LINDA REEVES | FC

LANTANA | St. Peter and St. Paul have moved into Holy Spirit Parish – in the form of two statues shipped from Colombia to become part of a growing hall of saints.

“We already have the image of St. Lorenzo, the first Filipino saint canonized,” said Father Ron Schulz, pastor. “Our parish has a large number of Catholics from the Philippines, so this was appropriate. Also, we have shrines to St. Joseph and St. Patrick. My ambition is to add as many as 50 saints with shrines, although maybe that is too much of a goal.”

Late last year, Father Schulz decided that the parish hall across the parking lot on the Lantana church grounds should be called All Saints Hall. He began a process of having statues, paintings and other images of saints installed as shrines in their honor.

“The statues of Peter and Paul are beautiful,” parishioner Leonita Jempty said of the 33-inch fiberglass figures. “They are very detailed.”

The arrival timing of the new St. Paul statue is perfect because parishes throughout the Diocese of Palm Beach are honoring the 2,000th anniversary of St. Paul’s birth. The worldwide Pauline commemoration runs from June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009, in Catholic churches everywhere.

“Both of these apostles were executed by the emperor Nero. The same emperor fiddled while Rome burned,” Father Shultz said about the stories surrounding the saints’ martyrdoms.

“Peter was the rock on whom the church was built and Paul was the apostle to all the nations. Peter was crucified upside down at his own request because he felt unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as Christ,” he said. Paul, as a Roman citizen, was beheaded.

“Those two represent the new Rome. They are to this day the powerhouses of the church. They represent the unity of the church.”

Father Schulz said that the two statues – Peter holding in his right hand a book of Scripture and Paul holding a sword – will be taken to the All Saints Hall, with many more saintly images to come.

“I think they are very lovely,” said Myriam Rivera, as she finished a silent prayer before the new statues. “They are very beautiful.”

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