Pastor's Points: Something Beautiful for God

Pastor's Point: Something Beautiful for God

The St. John Fisher Chapel was dedicated by Bishop Luis Rafael on November 20, and we have been using it these last four months. Through the construction of this Chapel, we have done something beautiful for God.

During the first week of using the Chapel, I watched our weekday Mass regulars come in and figure out where they were going to sit for the rest of their lives in the Chapel. We priests had to get used to presiding in a new space. Our weekday sacristans had to adjust to working in a new space. In the end, we figured it all out, and the Chapel has become for us a wonderful new home for weekday liturgies. Also, we have celebrated a small funeral and a small wedding.

When we first began to think about the South Campus Renovations, we knew that we wanted a designated Chapel entrance, and a narthex to separate the space from the rest of the campus. We were able to recreate the entrance of the original St. Thomas More Church, and use the original doors. Above the entrance is the stone seal of the Diocese of Raleigh that was part of the original Church. The cross above the doors matches the cross that is in the Church tower and the front of the lower school. The narthex features an original icon of St John Fisher, and was written by Vivian Imbruglia, an artist in California.

Many people have commented to me about the beauty and simplicity of the St. John Fisher Chapel. The guiding liturgical principle that we employed in the design process was “noble simplicity.” The sacred space that we would create would not be too ornate.  Rather, we would convey the beauty of God  and the beauty of the Church’s liturgy through a simple design that would also give glory to the One Whom we worship.

The common color scheme in the Chapel is grey. We based that on the existing pew cushions that were in use when the Chapel was Aldersgate Church. The carpet, tiles and the bottom of the walls are grey. The ceiling has a bluish tint to it.

The Chapel appointments (altar, ambo, cantor stand, baptismal font and offertory table) were made by local craftsman, John McGuire. John used a two-tone design in creating these appointments. One unique feature of the altar is a drawer that holds the relics of St. John Bosco and St. Maria Goretti. We gave John the challenge of creating a way for the relics to placed—easily but securely—on the day of the dedication. The drawer locked in place once it was closed, and it cannot be opened.

The Stations of the Cross previously hung in the Parish Center along the stairway to the Parish office. They were acquired from the former Washington Theological Union through the generosity of Patricia Maloney, daughter of our parishoners, Jim and Jerry Maloney. I was able to track down the artist, Dr. Deborah Sokolove, as I wanted her to know what happened to the stations. I have invited Dr. Sokolove to come to St. Thomas More on Friday, May 15 at 7:00PM to give a presentation on her sacred art work. Then we will have a chance to pray a reflection that Dr. Sokolove wrote about the Stations. There will be a small reception following.

The focal part of the Chapel is the reredos—the wall behind the sanctuary. This is a recreation of the reredos that was in the original St. Thomas More Church on Gimghoul Road. The reredos was made by Whitaker Mill Works in Raleigh. The crucifix that hangs on the reredos above the tabernacle was the crucifix in the original Church. Hanging on either side of the reredos are images of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, and St. Joseph and the Child Jesus.

The noble simplicity of the St. John Fisher Chapel has proven to be a worthy sacred space for the celebration of the Church’s liturgy. I am grateful to all those who sacrificed to bring our vision for the Chapel and the South Campus to life.

If you have not had a chance to see the Chapel in person, consider coming to a weekday Mass on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday. Come and see how we have done something beautiful for God.