Chapel at Night and Crucifix

A local photographer has fallen in love with the Chapel and took these beautiful pictures of the Chapel at night and the newly installed crucifix over the altar.

Bishop Corrada has chosen December 8, at 7:00 PM for the Chapel Dedication Mass.

All are welcome but I have a feeling the Chapel will definitely not be big enough for her first mass!!!!!!! It will be a beautiful celebration of the marvels God's Grace and your generosity has accomplished so come if you can and be part of the crowd!!!!!!!!!

Then and Now

Was looking through the pictures of the Chapel's progress on my Blog and noticed that the one of the dirt work was taken on September 11, 2010. We've come a long way in a year.

We hope to set a dedication date soon and we will get the word out ASAP after a firm date is chosen.

Progress is Showing

Pews and ambo under construction



Altar to the left and Crucifix below

Another view of Altar and Ambo

As you can see the Chapel is coming together pews, altar, ambo and crucifix are being installed. We hope to set a Dedication Mass soon. Thanks for all your support.

Getting Closer

These pictures don't show it too well but lots of progress continues on the interior of the Chapel.

I've also included the artists rendering of the stained glass of the Risen Christ and the 12 apostles over the main altar. The picture doesn't do it justice but hopefully gives you some idea. I'm finding that the stained glass is one of the most challenging elements of the Chapel because it is expensive and such an intricate process but thanks to lots of help we are making good progress.

I thought you would be interested in the following list of items still pending.

1. Exterior Crosses on both ends of the Chapel and exterior statues of Peter and Paul, Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Sacred Heart.

2. Exterior brick screens around a/c units and landscaping

3. Interior statue of Peter and Paul and of the Virgin Mary.

4. Altar, ambo, baptismal font and tabernacle throne.

5. Bronze Crucifix suspended over main altar.

6. Pews and chairs

7. Presider and Deacon chairs and altar servers stools.

8. Stained Glass in the main sanctuary area.

I'll do my best to post pictures of these items as they are installed. Thanks be to God the Chapel is really developing beautifully and all of the elements are fitting together nicely.

Exciting

Various interior views. Just a note to all who donated stained glass..........it is quite a process but we are moving forward. We are hoping to have the main altar window completed for the Dedication of the Chapel but a lot has to happen before that. Our approach is to address the main altar window first and then those in the main sanctuary and over the main entrance doors. Beautiful drawings are under development and with the help of a host of your fellow parishioners we are making good progress. As you can imagine it is an extremely complex process but as a lover of stained glass I am very pleased with all that is developing and I believe all of you will be as well. I look forward to the day (soon I hope) when I can post some of the designs for the windows. They are stunning.

The pictures are of various interior elements of the Chapel. Lots still to do but it is moving along nicely.

To the left a view of one of the sacristies.

To the left a view of the main sanctuary.....you can see a Statue nitch in the center of the photo

To the left a view of one set of main entrance interior doors

To the left a view of one of the Reconciliation Rooms

To the left another view of main sanctuary, left of altar as congregation faces it

To the left a view of the main entrance as seen from the main altar

Close up of a statue nitch.

We have statues ordered to fill these nitches and the exterior statue nitches. They are due to arrive around mid-August.

The transfer of Bishop Corrada took us all by surprise but just to reassure you the Chapel will move forward as scheduled. Bishop Corrada is our Administrator until he takes canonical possession of his new diocese in Puerto Rico on September 12. At that time an Administrator will be chosen to lead the diocese as we await the naming of our 4th bishop. The Administrator will assist us in determing plans for the Dedication of the Chapel.

Let us continue our prayers for the construction of this beautiful worship space and let us pray in a special way for Bishop Corrada and for the man that Pope Benedict will name as the 4th Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler. We won't know who he is for several months but he needs our prayers even now.

More pictures

We continue to make great progress with the Chapel. I know that it is hard to tell from the pictures because the basic structure has been in place for quite a while. It was easier to see the progress when we were looking at walls going up and huge beams being put in place.

It reminds me of our spiritual journey. At least in my experience most of the time we progress spiritually in ways that aren't so obvious and easy to see but as we continue on the path of Christ we do continue to make progress growing in wisdom, age and grace (for sure the age part!!!!!)

God bless and try to stay cool.

Photo Update........Finally

Views to the left and below are looking toward the choir area to the right of the main altar.......from congregations point of view

View of the large window over the main altar area. This is being developed as an image of the Risen Christ with the four evangelists in the bottom portion of the window. The twelve apostles will be in the two windows at either side of the large altar window.

A view of the window over the main doors and a view of the skylight which is in the narthex (vestibule)

The North Facade of the Chapel facing Loop 323

Front Entrance Facade of the Chapel facing South toward the Gorman School campus

Another angle on the North Facade looking at the Chapel coming from Copeland to Paluxy on Loop 323