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Evolution: St. Benedict the African, West

Press the arrow to play.
Move the button to see individual frames.
  • The assembly changes from audience to antiphonal.
  • The presider joins the assembly.
  • The Altar moves into the assembly's midst.
  • The Ambo faces the assembly and Altar.

        • The entry wall creates a journey.
        • The Baptismal Font becomes the journey's first encounter.
        • Reconciliation is its next.
        • The Tabernacle moves on axis.

        • The journey wall moves to bring the Font into the assembly.
        • The Repository Chapel screen rotates to increase the assembly's size.

        • The celebrations are active.

        Press the arrow to play.
        Move the button to see individual frames.

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        The animations shown on this page are part of a 28-minute video that we created to communicate and excite the whole parish with the ideas developed by the collaborative work of the committee, pastor, administrators, and John C. Voosen Architects. Although promised funds failed to appear, 90% of the parish's desires were accomplished with creativity and entirely from the community's own pockets. Their celebrations are the richer. Feel free to use your mouse on the controller at the bottom of the animation to move about the animiation.

        Clip 1 shows the rearrangement of the seating (with existing pews) from a traditional audience/stage relationship to the more participatory, antiphonal relationships where the assembly enfolds the centers of focus. The Presider's Chair becomes a part of the assembly while maintaining its presiding function. The Altar and Ambo move from the stage into the midst of the assembly. Their platforms move and are reshaped to add presence.

        The first half of Clip 2 shows how entering and leaving the church has been changed from simply opening a door into a journey where each person encounters the Rites of Initiation - Baptism and Reconciliation.

        In 1975, following the guidlelines of Vatican II, the Tabernacle was moved from the main Altar to an alcove of Reservation. Now that the Altar is in the midst of the assembly and the Tabernacle moves from its alcove to its original geographic location in the church - on the main axis and on the wall.

        Not only people move in this design (Clip 3). Two sets of walls can also move. A part of the entry-journey wall can move to bring the Baptismal Font into the assembly room. The artistic screen that creates the Tabernacle devotional space can also move to increase the size of the assembly.

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