GLADE MILLS - When members of Holy Sepulcher Roman Catholic parish leave church on Sunday, they will walk in a procession from the building on Cruikshank Road to a newly built church nearby.

The procession will conclude with a dedication Mass for the new church, which has been under construction since June 2004.

As of Tuesday, the hum of construction could still be heard as contractors bustled to wrap up the project. Paint was being rolled onto walls in the sanctuary and marble components of the baptismal font were lying in pieces as plumbing work was finalized.

Despite the chaos of last-minute work, stone, wood and stained glass helped to create a homey feel in the $2.5 million building, which will hold more than 700 people compared to about 280 at the current site.

Because of the larger space, a warm feel was factored into the building design, said the Rev. Daniel Maurer, pastor of Holy Sepulcher.

To perpetuate an air of intimacy, Maurer said the new design includes a wider, more shallow seating area so all parishioners can be seated within a cozy range of the altar.

The baptismal font is located near the entrance of the church instead of at the altar, also allowing a closer proximity to the pews.

Because of the increased seating, Maurer said fewer Sunday Masses are planned - allowing the church's 3,300 members to also become more acquainted with each other, since they will be less likely to attend church on alternate schedules.

"We actually have five Masses on Sunday right now," Maurer said, explaining Mass will now be offered twice on Sunday. "A goal of the church is to bring as many people together as possible."

Unlike in the old building, a large entryway will allow people to linger and visit after Mass, he said.

"It's going to be an adjustment," he said. "A lot of people grew up in that building. … We're on our second and third generation in families, so there's a lot of history."

"I was born and baptized in that church," said Hutchinson, chairwoman of the dedication committee. "My parents are members.

"The thing that's nice is knowing that it's not going to be torn down....There are a lot of memories in the building - but it's more the people ... and we're all moving."

The original building, partially underground, was designed as a temporary church that would someday serve as a basement for a more permanent one. But as time went on, a larger building was needed, Maurer said.Josie Monteleone, 69, of Penn Township said her parents, now deceased, were among the church's original members and among the three couples who in 1944 requested a mission church be formed in the area."They took a petition signed by 41 families - that was 150 people - 77 children and 73 adults," she said of the Catholics in the area who had been traveling to Mars for Mass."On Christmas Day of that year, the diocese sent a mission priest to say the first Mass in the back of Leuthart's grocery store on Route 8. That was the first Mass. We were a mission until 1955," she said.The original building was constructed two years later."It served its purpose, and we've outgrown it," she said. "It's just exciting. I'm so looking forward to Sunday."

Monteleone said many of her relatives are traveling to Glade Mills to attend the last Mass in the old church, which will precede the procession on Sunday. The Mass will be dedicated to Monteleone's parents."It's very meaningful to all of us," she said.The original church will be maintained as a multi-purpose space to accommodate social events and activities for the Holy Sepulcher school, which serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade on the same property, Maurer said.The Rev. Donald Wuerl, bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, will be the main celebrant of the dedication Mass, which will also include Maurer and other priests.Following the Mass, which is set for noon, members will celebrate with a picnic on the church grounds.Tours of the new church will be offered until 2 p.m.