Parishioners Celebrate New Exterior Mosaic at St. Joachim Catholic Church

The exterior of a Catholic church should reflect the sacredness within: a house of God adorned with enduring and high-quality sacred art that embodies our faith. When the prominent exterior mosaic at St. Joachim Church in Madera, CA, collapsed during a storm, the church leadership turned to Liturgical Designer Rolf Rohn of Rohn & Associates Design to recreate and enhance the massive image of the church’s namesake saint. Rolf’s expertise was crucial in the complex installation process, which had to ensure protection from earthquakes and windstorms to prevent future damage, making it a lasting symbol of welcome for the close-knit community.

Rolf began by conducting an on-site review to determine the causes of the structural failure. He then developed a meticulous installation plan and collaborated with renowned Italian mosaic artisans, who have practiced this sacred tradition for generations, to craft the new image with the highest quality of workmanship and glass smalti mosaics. These skilled artisans created the antique Venetian-style image of St. Joachim using a vast palette of over 1,800 hues. They hand-cut small pieces called tesserae (some only 3/8" x 3/8") into the desired shapes and sizes, which were then assembled to fit the design.

Each careful placement of subtle color variations added depth and texture to the image’s complexion, garment, and background. During this process, the church’s pastor, Father John Warburton, traveled with Rolf to the mosaic studio in Pietrasanta, Italy, to inspect the progress of the masterpiece. Under the artisans' masterful instruction, Father Warburton even contributed to the work, adding a personal touch to the completed piece of art. The mosaic was fabricated in reverse on top of a carefully hand-rendered artist’s cartoon, which was removed after installation to reveal the correct image.

A team of thirteen people—ten for the substructure and three for the mosaic—installed the sacred image under Rolf’s careful direction. They used semi-porous contemporary binding agents on the structure, which was sandblasted to create a rough surface for better adhesion and to prevent future failure. A diamond mesh grid with spacers was added half an inch from the substructure. Expansion joints were incorporated to minimize movement of the mosaics against the existing structure, crucial in earthquake-prone areas. Workers applied waterproof cement grout over the mosaic's surface, followed by a waterproof color wash and wax to enhance joint longevity and emphasize the mosaic colors, adding a subtle warmth to the piece. The installation, completed just in time for Christmas, took nearly a month.

The parishioners, who closely followed this journey, celebrated their new symbol of faith with countless words of gratitude.