Church Features & Symbolism
The Altar
The new altar design brings the tabernacle to the center of the sanctuary.
The Tabernacle
The tabernacle design is based on the historic Ark of the Covenant which housed the original Ten Commandments. A Catholic tabernacle houses the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus Christ as the new Covenant in Eucharistic form. This one is silk-lined and hand-crafted from acacia wood by artist Gianfranco Tassara of Milwaukee. It is located in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel which is reminiscent of the “Holy of Holies” in the Temple of the Old Testament. A red sanctuary lamp marks the presence of the Eucharist. The table supporting the tabernacle projects from the chapel wall and is topped with rare white limestone. Tabernacle doors are embossed with diamonds and flanked by brass panels, one depicting the Biblical raining of manna in the desert and the other representing the hosts and wheat of the Eucharist. Poles across the top of the tabernacle represent the tools with which the Ark of the Covenant was carried and the molding around the top is designed to reflect the concentric circles of the complimenting candlesticks. Resting atop of the tabernacle are hand-carved Ecuadorian angels posturing adoration.
Baptismal Font
The altar design conveys multiple meanings. The chosen material, Rosa of Salome marble, is solid, polished rock, strong enough to be an “altar of sacrifice”. The marble was excavated in Italy especially for this church project and was selected for its reddish brown streaks, calling to mind the blood of the sacrificial Lamb. The base is shaped like a cross while the top represents the table at the Last Supper where Christ initiated his own incarnation in the Eucharist. There are five crosses carved into the altar surface.
Positioned in the entryway, the baptismal font serves as a central location for holy water as well as a reminder of the baptismal sacrament. The upper bowl shape is reminiscent of Noah’s Ark and the vessel which carried Moses safely down the river. The white marble symbolizes purification. The lower font is made of earthy sandstone, setting off the white of the marble rising from it. Water taken from the upper font would be used to baptize a person standing down in the sandstone, with the person subsequently rising “up out of the water” (cf. Romans: 3-6) after baptism. The overall circular design symbolizes the all-encompassing love of God with no beginning or end. The brass spokes on the wheel-shaped base are engraved with the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Three upper font plates are engraved with the three virtues flowing from baptism: faith, hope and charity.
The Ceiling of Prayers
Over 100 volunteers hand-painted 2600 acoustical tiles to complete the 10,000 square foot ceiling artwork. The re wrapping process prevented the original intent of having names and prayers written on the backs of tiles as they face up to God, but many silent prayers helped shape the ceiling project. Each tile was spray-painted gold, then repackaged and delivered to a design site in the pastor’s house behind the church. Parishioners then sponge- painted crimson, violet, purple, and emerald liturgical colors onto the tiles, making each one unique and yet integral to an overall design by artist Susan Marie Pieri. Approximately 35% of the tiles had to be measured and hand-cut to fit the final grid. Each golden diamond pattern measures four feet by 2 feet, the same dimensions as each tablet containing the Ten Commandments.
