Liturgical Designer Rolf Rohn has been collaborating with
the building committee of the newly constructed USC Caruso Center in Los
Angeles. The University of Southern California is one of the world’s leading
private universities, and the new Catholic community center and church were
designed to more than double the size of the original center and unify the school’s growing Catholic population. Father Lawrence Seyer declared that “with
this new design, the church will be the heart and soul of the center. And that
is clearly what our students and community need and deserve.” At a time when
young people have little time to think about faith, God, and the Sacraments, it
was a vital early step of the project to gild the simple yet elegant cross at
the top of the church and illuminate it in such a way that it is an
unmistakable sign of Christianity being a strong part of the University's identity.
A Catholic church must have a cross on it, usually in a
prominent place atop a steeple or bell tower. It is the instrument of
suffering upon which Christ died and redeemed the world. It also stands for
whatever pain or endurance that a Christian voluntarily accepts in order to be joined with Christ and cooperate in the salvation of souls: "If anyone
wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross
and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). The Mystery of the Cross is one of the
principal themes of St. Paul's writings (Romans 5:8, Corinthians 1:17, Galatians 4:16, and Philippians 2:6–11). It is raised up to show God's gift to
the world: salvation for anyone who will
call upon Jesus and accept his gift because he offers to take away our sins and
suffer for us (on the cross). In return, all we have to do is accept Him.
That's the enduring love he has for us.
Rolf donated both the gold leaf and the gilding. The prominent cross is now visible to much of the
campus and is a beacon for worshippers—an indication of safe haven and a
place to be close to God. This cross speaks loudly to passersby,
encouraging them to enter this place of worship and pray, think, celebrate, or
just remember loved ones. The newly gilded cross, either glowing in the hot
California sun or reflecting subtle golden sunset tones, now beckons both students and worshippers alike into the church to remind them that
it is here that Christ resides and we can affirm our Catholic identity. Gold leafing the cross is just one way that Rolf has helped the project take on a harmonious Catholic identity.
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