Bishop Oscar A. Solis blesses the new Adoration chapel at St. George Catholic Church during a celebration on May 9. Courtesy photoST. GEORGE — A new Adoration chapel has been added to Saint George Catholic Church, brought about by the dream of one man, which became another’s vision and yet another man’s inspiration.Don Drake, the parish’s business/finance manager, shared with parish officials his dream of creating a chapel in a small unused area of the church just outside the doors of the sacristy. Reid Callister, the parish’s construction and maintenance manager, immediately embraced the concept. With the approval of Father David Bittmenn, pastor, the project was begun last August.  
Originally, although the area had a sign identifying it as a chapel, within the iron gates a concrete floor containing a statue of Saint Patrick on one side and a statue of the Sacred Heart on another was all that it contained.  
Converting the space into a usable chapel required months of concrete removal, wall reconstruction, installation of heating and cooling, construction of the ceiling and floor and sound proofing. The renovation endured hours of interruption to accommodate unexpected parish needs, but the work continued.  
Months prior to this dream project, Reid had seen a beautiful piece of blue marble and knew there had to be a special place for it. As his vision of the chapel project expanded, he remembered the marble, and as God would have it, the marble was still available for the chapel altar.  
As the project continued, Deacon Dan Weber of St. Paul Catholic Center in Hurricane was inspired to portray the Blessed Mother, Lady of Grace and Our Lady of Guadalupe, to adorn the chapel’s walls.  
The finishing touches – hanging the crucifix, positioning the candelabra and monstrance, installing the ceiling lights, placing the kneelers and chairs – were done just in time for the arrival of Bishop Oscar A. Solis, who celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation at the parish on May 9.
During that visit, Bishop Solis also presided at the blessing of the Adoration chapel at Saint George Catholic Church.  
In his blessing Bishop Solis prayed: “Send your blessing we pray, O Lord, on this Adoration chapel, which you have permitted us to build and grant us all the faithful assembled here … may know the presence of Jesus Christ, who promised to be in the midst of all who are gathered in his name, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit.”
He also prayed for God to bless “all who come here to consider prayerfully the work of their salvation. May Our Lord, present in the Eucharist, be the inexhaustible fountain of living water.”
Carole Drake is the pastoral assistant of St. George Parish. 
Intermountain Catholic reporter Linda Petersen contributed to this story.