The team at Rohn & Associates Design was deeply encouraged by the enthusiastic response we received at the 2018 Conference on Catholic Facility Management (CCFM) in Austin, Texas. It was a privilege to gather with pastors, diocesan leaders, architects, and parish building committees who share a commitment to strengthening the liturgical life of the Church through thoughtful liturgical design, church master planning, and sacred art.
Our mission is to help parishes and dioceses create worship spaces that are beautiful, faithful to Catholic teaching, and designed to support the celebration of the Mass and the sacramental life of the Church. Drawing on decades of experience in Catholic church renovation, new church construction, and sanctuary design, we bring together liturgical planning, sacred art, and furnishings to help parishes shape churches that express the faith and serve the needs of worship.
One highlight of the conference was the remarkable turnout for the tour of our recently completed work at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Austin, Texas, a newly constructed 37,000-square-foot parish church. Rohn Design provided the complete liturgical design and custom sacred art, working closely with the parish and project team to coordinate the many elements required in the planning of a modern Catholic church.
The project included custom marble liturgical furnishings, patterned sanctuary flooring, a monumental carved crucifix, intricate mosaic work, and a comprehensive sanctuary design that expressed the church’s theological theme, “Trinity through the Cross.” At the heart of the design was an extraordinary 72-foot mosaic dome, composed of more than 10 million hand-chiseled tiles, making it one of the largest mosaic domes in the United States.
Overlooking the sanctuary and congregation, the dome presents a sweeping biblical narrative that unites Eucharistic symbolism, Trinitarian theology, and the heavenly kingdom. During the tour, Rolf Rohn discussed the church’s liturgical design and sacred art, highlighting the dome’s imagery and religious significance. He also explained how a liturgical designer coordinates the work of architects, engineers, parish building committees, clergy, artists, and artisans to bring a unified vision to life. Successful church construction and renovation require this collaboration to ensure that the finished church reflects Catholic liturgical tradition and serves the needs of worship.
A qualified liturgical designer helps ensure that every aspect of a church—from the altar, ambo, and crucifix to the sanctuary layout, sacred art program, and overall spatial planning—works together harmoniously. This integrated approach is essential whether a parish is undertaking new church construction, sanctuary renovation, historic restoration, or long-range church master planning.
