Progress continues on chapel construction at Trinity Heights

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

Progress continues on the construction of the new chapel at Trinity Heights Queen of Peace Shrine in Sioux City as the future sacred space takes shape.

According to Terry Hegarty, executive director of the diocesan shrine, the 145-seat chapel is modeled after a northern-England/northern-Ireland chapel with a heavy emphasis on the old-world stonework and design.

“It’s really getting exciting. We are starting to see things take shape and get done,” he said.

Hegarty pointed out that it was about two years ago when initial work on the project began. The ground was excavated, architectural plans drawn up and city permits obtained.

“We finally got started with construction a little over a year ago and it’s been steady since then,” he said. “We work with a lot of different contractors so getting them with their schedules and having everyone on the same page is always a challenge.”

The exterior work on the building itself is nearly complete, needing just the finishing touches to the stonework on two windows.

“The only work that will have to go on the exterior is in the window openings Sondra Jonson is going to do something that will be totally unique to this structure,” explained Hegarty.
Jonson, an artist who created several other statues at Trinity Heights, is going to make statues for the six window openings on the outside of the chapel.

“They will be two-dimensional, like the St. John the Baptist statue (located on the grounds),” he said.

These statues, noted Hegarty, will focus on Mary’s life: the annunciation, nativity, pieta, assumption, coronation and Our Lady of the Rosary. One statue will be about 36 inches and three will be about 49 inches. Two of the statues will be about nine feet. 

Another statue of Mary holding baby Jesus will be hung inside the chapel above the votive candles. He anticipates that two of the six outside statues will be completed by this fall when the chapel dedication is held, the rest will be in the future.

“Those are all donor-driven, as this whole chapel has been,” said Hegarty. “We’ve done sections as we have had the funding.”

Work is also moving at a fast pace on the interior of the building as the stonework on the walls of the main body of the chapel is finished along with the ceiling featuring reclaimed oak. The same oak has been used for flooring of an elevated section where the altar will be placed.

“The light fixtures from Corpus Christi in Fort Dodge were hung last week,” said Hegarty, who noted they will be rewired.

Old world look
In the entrance to the chapel, hallway and confessional, cobblestone will adorn the space. The cobblestone work is complete in the vestibule but work in other areas continues.

“It will be like the catacombs – just magnificent,” he said. “The cobblestone was an afterthought from the original design; we were going to do plaster or sheetrock in the hallway but we acquired the funding and decided to do something spectacular.”

After the main elements of the interior are complete, items such as Stations of the Cross and pews will be added. Sconces of hammered bronze that look like torches will be placed between the stations. A crucifix will be suspended in the area above the altar. A huge window on the wall behind the altar provides a view of the Immaculate Heart of Mary statue.

“When you look at the Blessed Mother, you will see the crucifix,” said Hegarty. “If you look at the Blessed Mother, we’ve always said she is welcoming you with her left hand and pointing to her son Jesus with the right. That is exactly the way this will be set up.”
Chapel video
Still to be completed is work to the restrooms, sacristy, confessional, mechanical rooms and various smaller elements of the project such as fixtures and trim.

“One of the big things we still have yet to do is some engraving in the concrete. The floor will be a polished concrete and as you come in through the vestibule, we will have an image of the Holy Spirit etched into the concrete,” explained the executive director. “Then there will be a basketweave pattern up to the middle toward the altar. There we will have the Lamb of God with a staff and right in front of the altar will be the Alpha and the Omega – all engraved in the concrete.”

The imagery etched into the flooring will encompass the father, son and Holy Spirit.
The basketweave pattern will be featured on the outside aisles that will also include the Roman numerals below the Stations of the Cross.

While the exterior of the building is nearly complete, granite pavers and cobblestone will tie in the theme of the chapel to the courtyard.

Designed into the stones of the courtyard, Hegarty said, “There will be a black cross shape going from the parking lot to the chapel and it will intersect across with the Holy Trinity fountain and in the center will be an image of the Holy Trinity. That all has to be completed.”

Still time to help
The faithful, he stressed, have been very generous with donations for this project as they have been with others, however funding efforts continue.

“We are doing all of this as we gain the funds,” he said. “There are still pews available, you can have your name put on a plaque on the back of a pew for a donation – we are still seeking funds to get this accomplished. We want to get this done without any debt. We worked hard to get to a place where we are not burdened by debt and we don’t want to go back to that.”  

To donate to the shrine, go to: trinityheights.com.  For information about donating to a specific part of the building project, contact Hegarty at terry.hegarty@trinityheights.com.

“It has continued to awe everyone who has had the opportunity to see it,” said Hegarty. “We started this design not thinking it would be as intricate and exciting as it is but as we have gone and donations have continued to come in, it has allowed us to do some really neat stuff with the sconces, cobblestone and doors – all of the things that have made this a truly spectacular addition to Trinity Heights.”

As a side note, this diocesan shrine has been named as a pilgrimage site for the Jubilee Year of Hope. The faithful can make a pilgrimage and check out the progress on the chapel.

A date for the dedication and consecration of the chapel has not been set, but more than likely will be in the fall.