The 1,000 seat Church is organized on a traditional Latin cross in plan and exterior form, while allowing the interior worship space to wrap around a central thrust Altar. Three prominent ‘thresholds’ in the form of stone walls, define the interior, representing the allegory of faith through the transition of the spaces.
The First Threshold represents the transition from the outside world to the social gathering space for the Church Community – the Narthex.
The Second Threshold represents the transition from the social community to community worship. Entrants passing through the large center doors cross over the recessed baptismal font– a reminder of rebirth.
The Third Threshold located behind the Altar represents the transition from community worship to a more intimate personal worship and contains a large contemporary stained glass window separating the Altar and Chapel of Repose where the tabernacle rests. The stained glass is naturally lit from a high light monitor.
The Communal Worship Space is simple in its expression with sandblasted poured-in-place concrete columns of pink and gray granite aggregate and softly colored wall planes evoking the feminine namesake.
A 52 foot high cupola, located above the altar, allows natural light, warmed by the wood ceiling, to enter the Worship Space and focus attention to the central Altar.
The Fourth Stone Wall of the Church is the concave back wall of the Chapel, curving back towards the main body of the Worship Space – not a threshold, but an embrace. Within this wall are the familiar stained glass windows from the original church.
Photographer: Craig Blackmon, FAIA