At the newly constructed St. Paul’s Catholic Newman Center, sacred art and liturgical furnishings come together through a carefully orchestrated design program that integrates faith, craftsmanship, and enduring beauty. Serving the Catholic campus ministry at North Dakota State University, this chapel was envisioned as a place where students encounter Christ through worship and the sacraments in a spiritually enriching environment that supports formation and vocation.
While divine murals and mosaics establish the chapel’s visual theology, it is the liturgical furniture that gives that vision a tangible, lived expression in the Mass. Designed by Rolf Rohn of Rohn & Associates with the university parish building committee and executed by his team together with local and Italian artisans, each piece was created to complement the chapel’s sacred art and architecture while serving its unique role within the space.
The Altar, Tabernacle Throne, and Tabernacle: Christ at the Center
At the heart of the chapel stands the main altar, accompanied by the matching tabernacle throne and tabernacle. These consecrated furnishings draw the eye and heart to the Eucharist, inviting all who enter to prayer. The apse, adorned with a radiant smalti mosaic centered on the tabernacle and its throne, highlights the Eucharist as the source and summit of Catholic life. The Holy Rood, featuring Christ crucified with St. John and the Blessed Mother, separates the altar area from the Reserved Eucharist.
The altar, salvaged from a closed church, is crafted from light-toned marble accented with green and anchored by stone columns. Priceless carved angels stand beneath it, honoring the holiness of the centerpiece and the Mass celebrated above. Two columns are delicately engraved with ornamental detail, while the remaining pair gracefully spiral heavenward.
Beneath the mensa, an inlaid inscription from First Corinthians calls the faithful to remembrance, showing that the altar is not just a place of sacrifice, but an ongoing invitation to live Eucharistically. A gold monstrance crowns the tabernacle, its brilliance reinforcing the importance of adoration and devotion within the chapel’s spiritual life.
Restored Carrara Marble Pulpit: Patrimony Reclaimed
One of the most meaningful furnishings in the chapel is a restored white marble pulpit, reclaimed like the altar. Recognizing its beauty and importance, Rolf carefully selected, refurbished, and integrated the pulpit into the new space—an act of patrimony reuse that honors the Church’s living tradition.
The pulpit features finely carved representations of the Four Evangelists, each accompanied by their traditional symbols, executed with remarkable depth and artistry. Stone columns were added to harmonize it with the altar and tabernacle throne, reinforcing the sacred character of the sanctuary. Carefully cleaned, fitted into the steps, and finished with side rails and a sculpted marble lectern, the pulpit now once again serves to proclaim the Word of God.
Baptismal Font: Theology in Stone and Water
The circular baptismal font, crafted from light marble with mottled green columns, establishes a strong visual and theological dialogue with the sanctuary. Its proportions and detailing complement the altar, pulpit, and tabernacle, while the font visually connects to the mosaic flooring beneath it, reinforcing continuity between sacrament and the movement of the space.
An inlaid gold cross rests at the center of the basin, symbolizing baptism as participation in Christ’s death and resurrection, calling the baptized to new life as members of His Body. Beneath the basin, carved waves flow outward, evoking both the living waters of rebirth and the Jordan River.
Gold-accented relief carvings depict Christ and scenes of baptism by the river, referencing the baptism of Jesus by St. John the Baptist—the moment that sanctified the waters and inaugurated Christ’s public ministry. Together, these images catechize silently, reminding students and worshippers that baptism is not merely symbolic, but transformational.
A Unified Sacred Interior
The liturgical furniture at St. Paul’s Newman Center is complemented by newly installed stained glass windows, which depict saints whose lives offer comfort, courage, and inspiration to students discerning their paths. Their sky-blue backgrounds visually echo the star-filled ceiling above, where gold-leaf constellations surround the image of Christ Pantocrator.
Dark wood pews anchor the nave, providing warmth and stability while allowing the marble, mosaic, and gold accents to shine. Throughout the space, every material choice—stone, wood, glass, and metal—was chosen to support and uphold the sacred hierarchy of the liturgy
The new chapel provides students, parishioners, and the wider Catholic community a sacred place to encounter Christ through prayer and worship. It stands as an example for Newman Centers, parishes, chapels, and Catholic institutions seeking to build or renew spaces that inspire devotion, support the Mass, and honor the richness of the Catholic faith.
Check out newly added images and view the complete project here.
