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| Artistic Vision of St. Pius Tenth Catholic Church |
On New Year’s Day in 2015, a fire devastated St. Pius Tenth Catholic Church in Rochester, NY. That triggered the tight-knit community, parish leadership, and diocesan officials to begin the daunting task of rebuilding this treasured
church.
As the parish Rebuild Committee, Diocese of Rochester
Committee, and Bishop Salvatore Matano faced this tragedy, they turned to Liturgical Designer Rolf Rohn of Rohn & Associates Design, Inc. Knowing Rolf was the best choice to design a new church that honored the tradition of the old building while adhering to budgets and requirements, they also trusted him to ensure harmony and liturgical correctness
in accordance with Universal Church and USCCB guidelines outlined in
the document 'Built of Living Stones:
Art, Architecture and Worship.'
With over half a century of experience
working with parishes, Rolf and his team have developed a proven strategy of using workshops
to engage parish leadership and the community in developing a holistic sacred
environment design plan. This approach promotes the Catholic faith and fosters a renewed spirit.
"Focusing design from the altar out is really how it
starts," said committee chairman Brian Porter, a St. Pius
parishioner since the early 1970s. "We came a long way around on how to
build a church. Every other building in construction, you build walls and see
how you fit everything else in there. We do just the opposite with this."
The parish committees aimed to preserve their rich
history in the new design, maintaining a connection to the past while preparing
for the future. Their ultimate goal is to strengthen their Catholic
identity and nurture the diverse community, focusing on new generations. This includes satisfying local building codes and ensuring the building is ADA compliant.
After a series of three three-day town hall meetings with the building committee, Rolf and his team developed conceptual designs of the
space to help parish leaders address the economic challenges of the capital
campaign. Their compelling fundraising materials enabled the leaders to secure three million dollars in early pledges.
The transition from their contemporary semi-circle space to a
more traditional rectangular architecture created a greater sense of gathering
around the altar table. Additionally, the design introduced new spacious elements, accommodating seating for over 750 people with clear sightlines to enhance liturgical participation. It also includes space for the music ministry, a chapel for
private prayer, a covered portico, and an open garden and gathering area.
Rohn Custom Studio was awarded the interior design portion of the project, which included developing the liturgical furniture (including an
inspiring marble altar), flooring, interior finishes, artwork, stained glass, a
new crucifix, liturgical appointments, and the restoration of two treasured
legacy statues that survived the fire.
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