Honoring our past with a legacy for our future...
For Such a Time as ThisEsther 4:14
Welcome!
We have just celebrated the history of our Parish Church and its People of Faith over the last 125 years. Now, we turn our gaze forward and introduce a bold and beautiful vision to add to our marvelous story, as we step into the next 125 years. Our strong sense of care and responsibility for this incredible structure drives us to honor this sacred place’s future as well as its past. For here as people have come, so they will continue to come, to encounter the Risen Christ … to have their hearts transformed by his Sacred Heart of love for them. And, just as all those who have prepared this place for our spiritual walk with the Lord, “for such a time as this” we must now do our part for those yet to make their journey.
We hope to execute this magnificent vision over the next several years, to be fully completed by the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the founding of our Parish, February 28, 2030. The interior work is planned to be completed in two phases. Phase 1 will include the work on lighting and supporting electrical systems, the sound system, the repair of the plaster and the flat and artistic painting. Phase 2 will address the flooring, pews, and several liturgical items in the sanctuary. This later work will be supported by a capital campaign. The information below details how we got to where we are, and where we hope to go from here. You are also welcome to sign up to tour the Design Room and go a little deeper in to the overall vision.
Yours in Christ Risen,
Very Reverend John T. Howren
Rector/Pastor
Learn more:
“My house shall be called a house of prayer.”
“The prayer of our Lord for unity and oneness must necessarily some time be fulfilled. Then shall be one-fold, and one shepherd. You can aid with willing minds in the great work; it cannot be done in diversity; it must be done by prayer, and by removing inborn prejudices.
Personally you can advance the cause of Christ by aiding in the erection of this church in the honor of the sacred heart of our Lord.”
Bishop Thomas A. Becker, D.D. (November 22, 1897-Laying of the Cornerstone)
While the Bishop’s prayer was prayed in 1897, his prayer is just as appropriate today and as we look forward to our future.
Just as the term Church refers to the living temple, God’s People, the term church also has been used to describe “the building in which the Christian community gathers to hear the word of God, to pray together, to receive the sacraments, and to celebrate the eucharist. The building is both the house of God on earth (domus Dei) and a house fit for the prayers of the saints (domus ecclesiae). Such a house of prayer must be expressive of the presence of God and suited for the celebration of the sacrifice of Christ, as well as reflective of the community that celebrates there.
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a shining example of Romanesque architectural style. The round arches, barrel vaulted ceiling and the pillared triforium define this style. Harmonizing with the architecture, the decoration has been influenced by Romanesque painting in both color and subject matter. Many of the existing elements in the current state of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart do follow the Romanesque style in subject matter, however the style in which they are currently painted is more modern. Harkening to the original painted decoration of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, painted faux stone treatments to the walls, columns and arches have been brought back. The faux stone painting, along with its strong foundational appearance, also has liturgical symbolism as the congregation of the Church are seen as the building blocks of the church building itself.
The vision for the redecoration of our church was developed after much prayer, contemplation and reflection. Assisting us in forming our vision, have been acclaimed artists who demonstrate a “spiritualty of artistic service.” They have brought the breadth of imagination necessary to communicate deep meaning and powerful religious sentiment with grace and sensitivity. In addition to their suggestions, we have been influenced by “Built on Living Stones – Art, Architecture, and Worship – The Guidelines of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.” Several of USCCB’s precepts are provided below:
The altar is ”the center of thanksgiving that the Eucharist accomplishes” and the point around which the other rites are in some manner arrayed. Since the Church teaches that “the altar is Christ,” its composition should reflect the nobility, beauty, strength, and simplicity of the One it represents. There should be only one altar so that it “signifies to the assembly of the faithful the one Chris and the one Eucharist of the Church.”
The altar should be “freestanding to allow the priest to walk around it easily and Mass to be celebrated facing the people.” It should be fixed (with the base affixed to the floor) and with a table or mensa made of natural stone, since it represents Christ Jesus, the Living Stone. The altar should be centrally located in the sanctuary and the center of attention in the church.
Careful planning is needed when determining where to place the tabernacle in the sanctuary. The placement of the tabernacle should not draw the attention of the faithful away from the eucharistic celebration and its components. In addition, the placement must allow for a focus on the tabernacle for those periods of quiet prayer outside the celebration of the Eucharist.
Authentic art is integral to the Church at prayer because these objects and actions are “signs and symbols of the supernatural world” and expressions of the divine presence. Quality art draws the beholder to the Creator, who stands behind the artist sharing his own creative power, for the “divine Artist passes on to the human artist a spark of is own surpassing wisdom.” The integrity and energy of a piece of art, produced individually by the labor of an artist, is always preferred above objects that are mass-produced. The appropriateness of a work of art for church is demonstrated by the work’s ability to bear the weight of mystery, awe, reverence, and wonder that the liturgical action expresses and by the way it serves and does not interrupt the ritual actions that have their own structure, rhythm, and movement. Since art is revelatory, a gift from God, a truly beautiful object stretches “beyond what the senses perceive and, reaching beneath reality’s surface, strives to interpret its hidden mystery.”
As we celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Dedication of our Church, we remember all who have come before us and their many efforts to make our church a place for “Worthy Worship.” As we conclude our celebration, we turn and look forward to the 150th Anniversary of the founding of our parish in 1880. Now, we pour our energies into continuing the legacy of providing a church for Worthy Worship for the generations to come.
….. For Such a Time as This (Es.4:14)
Through the years…
For such a time as this…The church’s interior design and decor evolved between 1898 and the 1960’s reflecting the trends of the times, but since has remained mostly static. As we look toward the 150th anniversary of the founding of our parish, we want to recapture and respect the building’s original architectural intent and to maintain the prayerful and inviting warmth of our sacred space.
The Reimagined Apse
The Sanctuary Dome depicts a golden glow of Heaven, and Christ is standing on the earth to present that he is the Salvator Mundi (Savior of the World) surrounded by angels in Adoration. The ceiling of the sanctuary shows the Holy Spirit descending from Heaven, surrounded by stars and crosses on a rich field of blue, reminiscent of the mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy.
Moving visually from the ceiling into the sanctuary, the upper walls show motifs of three blooming flowers. Each of these flowers are symbolic of Christ’s Crucifixion. The Thistle, with its own thorns, has long been representative of Christ’s Crown of Thorns. The Red Anemone, symbolizing Christ’s Blood shed at the Crucifixion, is said to have grown at Golgotha, blooming as it does in Spring. Lastly the Passionflower, named for Christ’s Passion, bears many representations to its namesake: ten petals and sepals for the ten apostles true to Christ in his Crucifixion, five anthers for His Five Wounds, three stigma for the Trinity and nectary that symbolize His Crown of Thorns.
Below this section between the windows are two medallions depicting the symbols of the Alpha and Omega. Behind the tabernacle in the ambulatory, the diaper pattern depicts crosses on a red field symbolic of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in keeping with many iterations of decorative design there through the years.
The Triumphal Arch
Triumphant Saints All with a Special Meaning to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In the re-unified Triumphal Arch, we are greeted by Saints Kateri Tekakwitha, Damien of Molokai, Theresa of Calcutta, Frances Xavier Cabrini, Peter Chanel and Gertrude the Great. The lower foundational level of the triumphal arch features St. Peter and St. Paul, not only foundation stones of the Church, but are also the original Patrons of our Parish from 1880 to 1898. The painting style here returns our Triumphal Arch to both its architectural purpose and the style it possessed from 1917 to 1940.
Saints Peter and Paul – The first name given to our parish church. Their stories are well known.
Venerable Augustus Tolton (picture coming soon). An exciting update! We have received word from the Apostolic Nunciature that having an image of Venerable Augustus Tolton in our sanctuary is permissible, and so we will add a Venerable Augustus Tolton medallion to the Triumphal Arch.
Tolton was the first black Catholic priest in the United States.
Tolton was ordained in Rome in 1886. Assigned to the Diocese of Alton (now the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois). Tolton first ministered at his home parish in Quincy, Illinois before opposition from local White Catholics and Black protestants caused discord. Reassigned to Chicago, Tolton led the development and construction of St. Monica’s Catholic Church as a Black “national parish” completed in 1893 at 36th and Dearborn Streets on Chicago’s South Side. Soon after, he died of a heat stroke at the age of 43 in 1897.
Tolton’s cause for canonization was opened in 2010, and he was declared Venerable by Pope Franics in June 2019.
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha – is the first Native American to be canonized a saint by the Church. Algonquin by birth but raised by the Mohawks, she is also known as the Lilly of the Mohawks. She is associated with outsiders, exiles, orphans, and people ridiculed for their beliefs. She is also patroness of Indigenous people, patroness of ecology and ecologists.
Saint Damien of Molokai – was a priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Ordained in the Cathedral of Honolulu in 1864, he was eventually sent to minister on the Island of Molokai, where the government had established its Leper Colony. He helped to raise the residents up from their physical sufferings, while making them aware of their worth as beloved children of God. St. Damien contracted Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy) himself and died intimately united to those for whom he had spent his life. He is considered patron of those with leprosy, those suffering from HIV/AIDS, those who are bullied, and all those cast out by society.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta – once said, “By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.” By an act of Congress, she was granted Honorary Citizenship in the United States in 1996 (one of only 8 so honored, two of whom were granted it while still living – the other being Winston Churchill). On June 12, 1995, while visiting Atlanta for the opening of the gift of Grace House, where her Sisters, to this day, minister to homeless women with HIV/AIDS within our parish boundaries, Mother Teresa attended Mass and spoke here at the Basilica. She is the patroness of World Youth Day and the Missionaries of Charity.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini – is the first United States citizen to be canonized. In 1897, she was made Prioress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. At the urging of Pope Leo XIII, Frances traveled with six sisters to New York City to work with the thousands of Italian immigrants. In 35 years, Mother Cabrini founded 67 institutions dedicated to caring for the poor, the abandoned, the uneducated and the sick. She is the patroness of immigrants.
Saint Gertrude the Great – a German Benedictine Nun, Abbess, Theologian and Mystic of the 13th century, lived her spiritual life in deep personal union with Jesus and his Sacred Heart. Once, in deep prayer, she had a mystical vision on the Feast of John the Evangelist: as she rested her head near Jesus’ wounded side, she could hear the beating of his heart. She then asked St. John if he too, felt the beating of Jesus’ Divine Heart on the night of the Last Supper when he had laid his head against Jesus’ chest. He told her he was saving this revelation for a time when the world needed it to rekindle its love. To distinguish her from another Abbess and Saint by the same name, Pope Benedict XIV gave her the title, “the Great,” making her the only woman saint to be so-called.
The Paint Finish
Example of work being done by CSS Muralists:
St. Charles Borromeo-Hartland,WI
Mural for The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist -Savannah, GA
St. Mary of the Lake Phase 1-Chicago, IL
St. Patricks-Janesville,WI
Mural for The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist -Savannah, GA
CSS Hand painted stencils and faux marble finish examples:
The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist-Savannah, GA
All stone finishes are hand-painted directly onto the plaster by CSS Artists using commercial paints. Cleaning to be the same materials and techniques used to clean any painted plaster surface. Minor repairs can be made by local painters. The totality of the colors and finishes illustrated in the CSS interior design rendering are specifically designed to accentuate the numerous architectural details within the Basilica, which will actually make the space appear larger.
INTERIOR FINISHES NOTES
FAUX STONE BLOCKS
- All of the stone finishes are hand-painted on the plaster by CSS Artists.
- The faux grout lines are hand-painted by CSS Artists with the use of stencils.
FAUX STONES COLUMNS
- All faux stone finishes are hand-painted on the plaster by CSS Artists.
FIGURAL MURALS: (8) AT PROSCENIUM ARCH AND (1) IN THE SANCTUARY CEILING
- All figural murals are designed by CSS Mural Designers at CSS.
- All figural murals are hand-painted by CSS Muralists on canvas at CSS.
- Completed murals are shipped to the job site by CSS Muralists.
STENCILS
- Stencils are tools used by artists to paint by hand elaborate design work such as that illustrated in the CSS design rendering between the proscenium arch medallion murals.
NOTE: The term “printed” is artist jargon for applying the colors to the walls by hand using the stencils.
The video below is of a CSS muralist working on hand-painted murals at Conrad Schmitt Studios, Inc. in New Berlin, Wisconsin.
Lighting
A multi-layered lighting solution was developed to bring flexible illumination to the interior environment of the Basilica. It is a dynamic lighting system comprised of three major elements: reading light for the congregation; architectural light making the Basilica more inviting while creating a sense of ascendancy; accent lights enabling the congregation to better see the celebrant in person and via live stream. The new lighting system has preset scenes for various liturgies such as daily Mass, Sunday Mass and weddings.
An important part of the overall lighting solution is the renovation of the existing lanterns which Rambusch Lighting Co. developed in the 1930’s. This new lighting system will not only help the congregation worship and participate; it will also bring the grandeur of the Basilica alive.
Underlying the lighting system is the electrical system in the nave, vintage 1930s. This system will be remediated to bring the “new” system up to “code.”
Liturgical items in the Sanctuary and other details
The floors here are presented as terrazzo. On the floor in front of the Our Lady’s Shrine is inlaid the Marist Coat of Arms, in honor of the religious order who came to Atlanta in 1897 to build and staff this parish church. On the floor in front of St. Joseph’s Shrine is the Coat of Arms for Pope Benedict XVI, who was baptized Joseph, and who elevated the parish to a Minor Basilica on Feb. 22, 2010. At front and center of the nave floor is inlaid our Coat of Arms as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
New pews in the center first three rows will be shortened to provide more floorspace for liturgical celebrations, such as the Rites of Initiation, Rite of Marriage, Masses of Christian Burial; and otherwise, the space is made available for wheelchair accessible seating.
The Tabernacle stands tall within the Sanctuary, placed upon a marble pedestal and housed within the center of the three (trinitarian) arches which are once again revealed as intended by the Romanesque architecture. The Tabernacle’s proximity to the Altar creates a less cluttered sanctuary which allows for a desired visual distinction between Altar, Ambo, Presidential Chair, Tabernacle and Processional Cross.
The Altar, around which we gather for the celebration of Eucharist, has primary focus within the Sanctuary. It too will be marble, finally affixed to the floor, and designed to bring together the colors within the sanctuary and the styles of the Mary and Joseph Shrines.
Audio and Visual
After several meetings and demos, we expect to decide on the Audio/Visual system for the Sacristy, Nave, and Choir Loft. Assisting us in this decision-making have been John Prevost (Hearts on Fire), Rene Olivera (Hispanic Music Group), James Brown (parishioner with sound system expertise), and Mike Wazlavek (former editor/producer at CNN). I thank them for their service. The congregation’s ability to “hear” the word is going to be vastly improved. A new upgraded sound system will be designed and installed. The system will include new microphones on the altar and for the celebrants and lectors There will also be congregational microphones to broadcast responses from the congregation on live stream and on videos.
There will be four small column speakers in the nave. Originally, the plan was for two, but the test group determined it would be better to spread the sound out so that each speaker was closer together and quieter to reduce reverberation. The speakers are slim in design and will be tucked into a niche in the inner columns just above the decorative collars. They will provide synchronized sound coverage from the front to the back of the nave. They will be attached close to the wall and will not be obtrusive. The existing speakers along the walls will be removed.
Compact monitoring screens will be used to provide the production team with a crisp clear view of all the cameras reducing back and forth neck fatigue and also reducing the footprint of visible monitors from the congregational view.
With multiple cameras being used and often moved, the provided control workstation makes it very easy for both new and experienced operators to run!
Saint Peter Chanel Adoration Chapel
Another recurring suggestion from the Design Studio sessions is the request to create an Adoration Chapel. The space behind St. Joseph’s Shrine, sometimes referred to as “the bishop’s chapel,” has become, in recent years, a storage area for band-related equipment. The space was once outfitted to be a place for adoration, so design work is underway to have an Adoration Chapel once again in that space. That Chapel will be named the St Peter Chanel Chapel in honor of this Marist Saint and in recognition of the many years of the Marist Order’s service to our parish. The chapel will eventually be the place where we keep and use the pew St. Theresa of Calcutta prayed in, and will enshrine a medallion of St Peter Chanel, the current altar of wood and faux marble, and the best of the original brass Marist prie-dieus to be refurbished.
Evan Markley and Lucas Misra (members of our Young Adult group and architects with Historical Concepts) taking measurements in preparation for the design of the St. Peter Chanel Adoration Chapel.
Saint Peter Chanel – joined the newly formed Society of Mary, (or Marists) in 1831. He eventually went on mission to Western Oceania, and settled on Futuna Island near Fiji. There he struggled with the language but mastered it, making the difficult adjustment to life with whalers, traders, and warring natives. Despite little apparent success and severe want, he maintained a serene and gentle spirit, endless patience and courage. A few natives had been baptized, a few more were being instructed. When the chieftain’s son asked to be baptized, persecution by the chieftain reached a climax. Father Chanel was clubbed to death. But within two years after his death, the whole island became Catholic and has remained so. St. Peter Chanel is the first martyr of Oceania and its patron. The Marists came to Atlanta in 1897 as missionaries to build and staff this church, remaining here until 1965.
“Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”
(Esther 4:14)
The future is in God’s hands. We ask the Lord to take our feeble attempts and transform them by divine power. With your prayers and financial support, the restoration of our magnificent church will serve to preserve our worship space for generations to come. All donations are tax deductible, as provided for by law, and will be acknowledged in writing.
If you have any questions, please contact the parish office at 404.522.6800
