In the case of St. Scholastica, located in Erie, Colorado, we certainly are dealing with a small parish -- almost what one would think of as a 'country parish.' The scale of the parish is perhaps best seen by an outdoor look at the church.
St. Scholastica engaged Baker Architects (now also operating under the banner of Mythodium), an architectural firm located in Lafayette, Colorado, for the project. Baker describes their involvement as follows:
Like many of our beautification projects, St. Scholastica was looking to add on to their existing church. They had an old reredos that needed restoration and wanted an ambo and new altar to elevate the space. Mythodium restored the old pieces as well as built matching new furnishings to tie the whole scene together.
Now before we dive too deep into what they did, let's look at what existed before. As you will see, the space was aesthetically quite minimal, offering little in the way of visual inspiration or edification. It was a functional liturgical space for certain, but not one characterized by its particular character or beauty.
BEFORE
However, as we turn to the 'after', we can see the beautiful new altar and ambo that were designed and installed by Baker Architects, along with the restored reredos, the addition of saints shrines (in the form of gothic niches), as well as the new flooring that fortunately didn't neglect the installation of the predella for the altar -- an always important (but often neglected) inclusion in my own estimation.
Make no mistake, the parish still retains its simple, 'country' charm and character, not trying to be something that it is isn't, but that simple, rustic charm is now further characterized by a greater sense of order, nobility and beauty.
AFTER
If you would be interested in learning more about possibilities like this for your own parish, we'd invite you to visit of the website of either Baker Architects or Mythodium.
-------
