When my family arrived to Augusta on April 26th, 1991, we moved into a small apartment on Davant Street right on the Richmond and Columbia county line. I attended Martinez Elementary on Flowing Wells Road for just three short weeks before the school year ended.
Every Sunday morning it took my family less than five minutes to walk to Saint Teresa of Avila Parish on Pleasant Home Road. We only had to cross Davant Street onto a path that connected the parish rectory to the church parking lot. Father Walter DiFrancesco lived across the street from us in a white house.
After settling into the apartment, my parents invited Father Di to bless the apartment and our car. I remember we ate ravioli that evening, we chose ravioli since we knew he had an Italian last name.
We lived in this apartment behind Saint Teresa for only three months. That summer we moved to a house and only attended Mass at Saint Teresa occasionally.
Yesterday I had the blessing to participate in the dedication of the new church that Saint Teresa of Avila Parish has built, now in a different location. Over 1,600 people attended the Mass, the music was wonderful and the excitement palpable. This is an exciting time for the Catholic Church in the South where parishes are expanding, growing and being strengthened. I thank my sister Fernanda Aldredge and Father Mariusz Fuks for the pictures.