AZ Republic Story

The Arizona Republic did a story in last Sunday's paper and you may read it here: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/04/19/20090419cancerchapel0419.html

LANDSCAPE DESIGN IDEAS

Landscape Ideas

Now that construction is nearing completion, the team has been discussing the final plan for the landscape around the chapel. Initially, the idea was to have some type of cross pattern made up of the engraved bricks in a path leading up to the doors of the chapel. We have since come to realize that a cross pattern may not be the best solution. First, the location of the chapel doors is perpendicular to the walkway to the main church. No matter which way we looked at it, it could be perceived as facing the wrong way. Was West or South the right way? Secondly, we wanted to tie the landscape plan of the chapel into a new master plan for the landscape of the entire campus. We know that we want to continue to offer the engraved bricks to people to memorialize someone they love and/or show their support after the chapel is built so after thinking, researching, sketching, and standing in the space and thinking some more, we came up with an alternate plan. With the idea that cancer is a journey, we came up with a design featuring a curved garden path. We discovered several advantages to the pathway: 1. More bricks could be added than the cross pattern and the blank bricks would be easier to remove and replace with engraved ones. 2. It encourages people to walk the path and use it as a mediation and metaphor for their own journeys. 3. It helps people to be a part of the garden - rather than just an outsider looking in. 4. The path will curve around and also lead to the main church. 5. There will be benches and grassy areas so that people can socialize or find a quiet place to sit. 6. We are going to place a substantial crucifix in the chapel and it seemed like we were using the cross motif too many times in a very small area (in the pathway, on the dome, on the exterior walls of the chapel, on an interior door in the church, on the interior walls, and then a very large crucifix on the wall inside).
As we revised the path, we also looked very carefully at the plants. Except for the small areas of grass, all of the plants that we chose were listed as drought tolerant - low water use plants so that we can conserve water. We chose plants that were easy to maintain, had low litter, smelled good, and looked pretty. We have an area on the west side of the chapel reserved for a Native American garden. This will be designed with the input of the American Indian tribes in Arizona. There is a huge need for cancer support in their communities and we want them to feel comfortable coming to us if they need us. Take a look at the designs and let us know what you think. We even added a pot of Chocolate Flowers near the chapel doors so that people wouldn't have to bend over to smell their chocolate scent. (And yes, it is true - there really is a flower called the Chocolate Flower - and it really does smell like chocolate - and it is native to Arizona!) (If you are not familiar with the other design idea - the cross design - you can view it at www.cancershrine.org

The cross went on the chapel this morning as scheduled and the gold metal for the dome was placed shortly after. Workers hoisted the 8ft cross with a crane and fastened it to a specially constructed steel plate at the top of the dome.

Big Day Tomorrow

We got word earlier today that the 8ft gold cross will be placed on the top of the chapel tomorrow. The crane will arrive at 7am and the cross will be placed atop the dome sometime before 8am. The gold metal on the dome will be placed sometime tomorrow after the cross is placed. It is an exciting development as tomorrow is Good Friday. Such an appropriate day to add such an incredible symbol of our faith.

April 6, 2009 Photos

It is a beautiful day in Mesa today. The sky is blue and the air is slightly breezy. I walked over to the chapel today and marvelled at how amazing it is to be involved in such a great project. I see it sitting solidly on consecrated ground and imagine that it is waiting patiently for the opportunity to serve.

Stained Glass

There are four stained glass windows planned for the chapel: St. Padre Pio, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Philomena/St. John Vianney, and St. Luke. I will go into more detail on the lives of the saints and why they were chosen in future blogs. The stained glass is being custom-made by Utopian Studios in Mesa, AZ. We are blessed to be able to have one of the finest stained glass artists in the country, J.R. Lupkin (shown in picture), design and paint the glass. He started his work in stained glass art and fabrication in 1959 and graciously agreed to come out of retirement to work on our windows. His work can be seen online at http://www.utopianstudios.com/ as well as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Tucson and St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Phoenix (voted best church interior by the Arizona Republic in 2008). The picture shows Mr. Lupkin next to the scale drawing of our St. Padre Pio window. We wanted the windows designed with meaningful images and symbolism. For example, when you see each window, there will be an element of water in each one, symbolizing the cleansing water of baptism. The top of each window will have the cross and Eucharist to symbolize that healing comes through the body of Christ. Only one of the saints was verified to be a martyr and that window will be the only one with clouds in it. It is exciting to see the windows "come to life". Mr. Lupkin and Utopian Studios are very precise in their work and we have no doubt that the windows will be exquisite. (If are interested in donating towards a window, please contact me at melissav@ctk-catholic.org )

Pews

The search for pews has been an adventure and quite an education. Did you know that simple wood pews can cost in excess of $1,500 per 4ft of bench? And that does not include kneelers ,book racks, installation, or delivery! It has been suggested that we obtain discarded pews from churches that are remodeling and use them to save money. We definitely looked into that option but the results were discouraging. It seems that many churches are discarding used upholstered pews. They are moving away from upholstered pews because of the cost of upkeep and often poor quality of the materials underneath the padding. According to pew manufacturers, padded pews have cheaper wood underneath the padding because it won't be seen. We have selected unpadded pews so that we will not have the cost and worry of cleaning and maintaining padded pews. In addition, the solid wood pew has the potential to last the entire life of the chapel whereas the padded pew or its fabric may need to be replaced in time. The solid wood pews will be easier to keep clean for the many visitors that may have compromised immune systems. If we find that visitors would like some extra padding, we can provide individual seat pillows for people to borrow. When we found discarded solid wood pews, the cost of refinishing them was quite high and often times the style did not fit the architecture of our chapel. The decision was made to take the time to raise the money for the pews, find a furniture maker that could give us the best price, and do it right the first time. If you know anyone that would like to donate for the pews, let us know! You can email melissav@ctk-catholic.org or call us at 480-964-1719.

April Update

As you can see by the pictures, it is getting exciting! The first picture is a view from the main entrance - just as you enter the chapel. A bathroom will be on the left and an office on the right. The other doors are for electrical and plumbing areas. The next interior views is from the sanctuary. The domed area will be directly above the altar. The third interior photo shows the view from the altar looking out through the double sets of doors to the entrance. The final photo shows the exterior of the chapel and workers constructing the cross decorations. We are trying to finish construction by Easter. This means that the structure will be complete and the chapel will be a safe building. This does not mean, however that we will be ready for visitors. There will not be any pews, stained glass, statuary, altar, woodwork or other furnishings in the chapel. Church furnishings are quite expensive and we still need donations to pay for them. We are searching out the most cost effective solutions but do not have the funds to pay for all of them. I will discuss specific items in future postings.