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SAN ANTONIO • After a year-and-a-half of construction, the new church of St. Rose of Lima was dedicated on Dec. 4. Archbishop José H. Gomez, presided at the dedication Mass, concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, Msgr. Juan I. Alfaro, current pastor and founding pastor Msgr. Kevin E. Ryan.
After its establishment in 1981, the parish has grown from an initial 350 families to more than 2,000.
Parishioners had been worshipping in a multipurpose building which was constructed in 1987. That space is now being used as the parish hall.
The new church includes numerous significant design elements taken from churches in Lima associated with the life of St. Rose. The main central round window with the image of St. Rose is a replica of one found in the church of Santo Domingo in Lima. The statue of the Child Jesus, in the church’s Garden of Saints, is a replica of the image in Lima that has numerous miraculous conversations with St. Rose. The statues of St. Rose seen in the Garden of Saints and on the holy water font closely resemble those found in Lima near the tomb of St. Rose.
Two inscriptions on the floor of the church reproduce the inscription found in Lima in the Church of Santo Domingo; before the tabernacle there is a prayer St. Rose used to recite before the Blessed Sacrament. In the Meditation Garden the church has reproduced the adobe house which St. Rose built in her back yard where she used to retire for quiet prayer and meditation. The Stations of the Cross have been carved by a noted sculptor from Lima, Marco Sarti.
However, as a token to parish origins, several fixtures from the previous church building have been placed in the new church. The tabernacle, crucifix and altar of the former day chapel have been moved to the new day chapel. The artistic crucifix donated by local artist McKenna has been placed in the new priests’ sacristy. The crucifix that was once at the back of the previous church building will be placed in the confessional of the new church.
The most striking feature of the new church is the retablo, or altar backdrop, made in Barcelona, Spain, by an internationally known ceramist known as Paulí. His artwork, made specifically for St. Rose of Lima, was shown in a museum and on national television in Spain before being shipped to San Antonio. He visited the church before he started his work to consult with the Parish Pastoral Council and the Parish Building Committee to discover their preferences.
The backdrop has three clear sections that reflect the theology behind the building of the church. The lower section recalls the pre-Christian roots of San Antonio, a city that includes five Old Spanish Missions. In the middle of the retablo there is a depiction of the “Seven Days of Biblical Creation” as taken from the first chapter of the Book of Genesis. The largest part of the retablo contains the “New Creation, Christ and the Saints.” A pantocrator, an image of the Triumphant Christ, occupies the center. It is brightly lit from behind, though it may be dimmed during liturgical celebrations. Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Tepeyac Mountains and St. Juan Diego take their place at the right of Christ. On the left side are saints of the Americas: St. Rose of Lima and her friend and contemporary St. Martin de Porres, St. Katherine Drexel, Mother Cabrini and Kateri Tekawitha. The four corners of the New Creation have the symbols of the four evangelists, inspired in the style of Gaudi, another famous artist from Barcelona.
Other elements also contribute to the uniqueness of the church. The altar, ambo and the baptismal font are made of matching pink granite. The statues of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego found in the Meditation Garden are made of Carrara marble from Italy. The church tabernacle, a bronze sculpture adorned with images of the four evangelists, was obtained from Madrid, Spain. Next to the tabernacle is the Garden of Saints, with statues of the Child Jesus; Our Lady of the Rosary; St. Rose of Lima; St. Martin de Porres; and St. Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of San Antonio.
The stained glass windows of the church contain scenes from the life of Jesus. In the day chapel there is an image of a Triumphant Jesus, Our Lady and St. Joseph. The Meditation Garden on the north side of the church has statues of Our Lady of Guadalupe with Juan Diego and a commemorative walkway lined with donor bricks.
A bell tower with carillon is planned to complete construction.
For more on the dedication Mass at St. Rose of Lima, see the Dec. 23 issue. |