St. Paul Catholic Church Update

In four months, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westerville, Ohio will be completed.  Dedication is scheduled for the end of June.  Here's how the church looks so far.

View looking at choir loft



View from choir loft looking at alter



St. Paul's Interior Architecture

We are in the final weeks of exterior construction on St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westerville, Ohio.  

As winter months settle in, the focus will be on interior construction and finishes.  Much thought and meaning goes into interior architecture and material selection for a church, as liturgical architecture can enhance ones religious experience through the narration of religious stories interpreted in the form and ornamentation of a building.

Dr. Denis McNamara, in his book Catholic Church Architecture and the Spirit of the Liturgy, offers tremendous insight on how liturgical art and architecture should reflect heaven and earth united. 

He writes-
"Liturgical art and architecture are about the conveying of information about God and humanity's relationship to him in the sacred liturgy.  Central to this relationship is God's sharing of his divine life with his creation, and so liturgical architecture works as the image of heavenly realities: all is glorified, all is restored, all is radiant with grace.  Styles, movements, and fads in architecture are relevant only to the degree that the theological content which they express is made clear."

Through Dr. McNamara's teaching, we understand and believe interior architecture should reflect "not nature as it exists today, in its fallen condition, but nature as it will exist at the end of time - when it's completely restored and glorified." 

Based on this belief, below are some of the custom interior designs which symbolize the man the church was named after - St. Paul the Apostle. 

This is a mock-up of the large and small custom column capitals which will be used throughout the church.  The sword found in the capital is a symbol of St. Paul taking his faith around the world and conquering ignorance.  The book symbolizes St. Paul as a great author of biblical letters.  





Below is the custom pew end design including a tripartite window motif, which is a holy trinity symbol. 

This is the mock-up of the custom church pew end.

 

The above ceiling design represents that even creation will be glorified at the end of time.  The stars are not portrayed as timid, but rather most radiant and glorious.  The orderly geometric pattern of the stars speaks of their glorification and represents proportion and order.

 

A 3D rendering of what the interior will look like upon completion.

 

 

St Paul's YouTube Video

St. Paul's Status

Latest job site photo's from St. Paul's in Westerville, Ohio.  The crew is on target to have the exterior completed by November so Winter months can be spent working on the interior. 

St. Paul's Progress

Here's the latest activity from St. Paul's in Westerville. 

St. Paul's Site Visit

Here are some photos from our site visit today at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Westerville, Ohio.

Raising of the Cross

Our family usually attends mass every Sunday at St. John the Baptist Italian Catholic Church in Columbus Italian Village - near downtown.  But today was special as St. Paul the Apostle Church in Westerville, Ohio, scheduled to raise the cross for their new church. 

Surrounded by what seemed over 100 parishioners, construction company Corna Kokosing slowly lifted the 20 foot cross by crane, resting it ever so gently atop what will be a new 1200 seat church in the Columbus suburb.

We all watched in silence as the church choir sang hymns.  It was truly a site to see.  It took maybe 5 minutes for the cross to reach it's final destination.  I asked David if all churches place their cross this way, he said this was a first for him.  It's the biggest he's designed.

Even more special for me - this is my sister's parish.  She and her family were there and took this picture of us.  Thanks Monica!

Road to the Top

Utah

A 20 ft. cross designed by architect David B. Meleca for St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church is enroute from Salt Lake City, Utah to Westerville, Ohio.  The latin style symbol will adorn the top of the new 1200 seat Catholic church.  It will take several days for cross-towing-truck to deliver the gold leafed symbol.  Crafted by Munns Manufacturing of Salt Lake, St. Paul's new church, for the largest congregation in the Columbus Diocese, is on target to be dedicated in 2011.