Few things are more eye-catching and noble in solid ecclesiastical design than proper use of stone and specifically marble and Rugo Stone (working in collaboration with architects at O'Brien and Keane) recently put in place a very good example of its potentialities for noble liturgical design at St. James Catholic Church in Falls Church, Virginia.
The project was executed in 2023, leading up to the fiftieth anniversary celebrations of the parish in 2024. The project involved a combination of reclaiming and altering some existing parts of the church, re-applying and re-ordering them in new ways, while also introducing some entirely new liturgical elements and furnishings as well.
Rugo Stone provides us with some further details of their particular involvement:The scope included dismantling and relocating the main altar, fabricating and installing a new rear altar in Botticino Classico marble, relocating statues, the tabernacle, and a marble baptismal font, and modifying the altar rail to widen the center gate. Rugo also furnished a new marble ambo and commissioned a hand-carved Madonna statue...The new altar and ambo, produced in Italy, featured ornate carvings, Breccia Aurora marble inlays, and intricate mosaic accents of Verde Issoire, Nero Belgio, and Porfido Rosso... Venetian glass and gold mosaics added to the artistry....
While this certainly could be a part of our before and after series, what we would really like to emphasize here today is the stonework itself, as well as the overall net result that presents a classic sanctuary ordering fitted with solid and noble liturgical appointments, that are in turn made of natural, noble materials.The Madonna statue, carved from Bianco Carrara marble, was developed through clay models, CNC pre-carving, and extensive hand carving, resulting in a life-like figure with refined expression and drapery.Executed on time and within budget, the project exemplifies Rugo Stone’s precision, craftsmanship, and respect for sacred spaces. Through collaboration between client, architect, artisans, and overseas partners, St. James Catholic Church’s sanctuary was renewed with elegance and technical mastery.
THE HIGH ALTAR
We begin, as we ought, with the high altar. The high altar is free-standing and has been set onto a beautiful and traditional predella which allows for celebration of the the liturgical rites from either side of the altar. The altar itself is Italian in its general design inspiration and includes beautiful polychromatic features as well as a mosaic featuring the Pelican in Her Piety -- a Eucharistic symbol for reason that the mother pelican feeds her offspring with her very own flesh and blood.
THE SIDE ALTARS
Side altars can often get lost in projects such as these -- quite literally -- so it was good to see that here a different choice was opted for. Even if these secondary altars may not see regular liturgical usage, it is good that the option exists, particularly for, in this case, devotional occasions related to Our Lady or St. Joseph.
As you will see, the style of the high altar carries over to these secondary altars, which likewise include a predella as well as mosaic images, in these instances, of monograms of Mary and Joseph. Seen here too is the new Madonna statue that Rugo Stone completed.
THE AMBO
We would be remiss to not point out the beautiful new ambo that graces the sanctuary, which in this case features a mosaic of the symbols of the patron of the parish, St. James.
THE ALTAR RAIL
The entire sanctuary has been wrapped in a beautiful altar rail which includes ornamental brass gates with the IHS Christogram. Altars rails not only serve as a practical method for the timely and pious distribution of Holy Communion, they also pick up on the venerable tradition of separating off the presbytery in a church by some form of balustrade -- a tradition found in both Christian East and West throughout the course of the centuries. These things, ironically, have a way not of separating us from the altar and sanctuary, but rather accentuating it and thus drawing us into it.
THE BAPTISMAL FONT
Last but certainly not least, we have the new baptismal font. Here too we see that it has been gated off -- a tradition that can be found in many historical churches, serving as a way to likewise give emphasis to the importance of the Sacrament of Baptism as the point by which we enter into and through the doors of the Church.
The font itself includes a covering topped by a bronze statue of St. John the Baptist, while each side of the font is adorned with symbolic imagery pertinent to the sacrament and its role as a gateway to the other sacraments.
If you are interested in learning more about the work of Rugo Stone, we would invite you to visit their website or to find them on social media. We would also invite you to explore the architectural services of O'Brien and Keane Architects.
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