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St. Stephen Deacon & Martyr Catholic Church P AG E 2 A Place to Inspire Growth in Faith and Service in the Spirit of our Patron, St. Stephen A church building is meant to express the faith and life of a community. The story of St. Stephen’s faith, found in Acts 6 and 7, proclaims the faith that we sought to express in our church building. Stephen’s faith proclaimed the early church’s belief that the meaning of life centered around the death and resurrection of Jesus and that this faith was nourished in the Eucharist. At the center of the church is the altar, where the Eucharist is celebrated. Behind the altar, the central visual symbol in the church a large crucifix and a stained glass window that depicts the life that comes from the risen Lord. The church building combines some traditional elements of church design with an effort to be a fitting place to celebrate the liturgy of the church today. It is above all a place for worship while also being an environment for personal prayer. We invite you to review this brochure that describes our church. P A GE 3 Building A Church St. Stephen parish was formed in November, 1999. Ground was broken in August, 2001 Construction began on October 1, 2001 Early in the design process, four principles were stated: 1. Prayer would be the guide in achieving God’s guidance and will; 2. Our Catholic theology of worship and church would be evident and our needs as a parish would be met within a limited budget; 3. The altar would be the central feature. The Word in Scripture would have a prominent place and the church would provide a fitting setting to celebrate the sacraments; and 4. The church itself would invite all into the presence of God in a sacred setting. The design process began following a questionnaire to all parishioners regarding their desires and expectations for the church. One of the primary concerns was that the design of the church be “traditional”. The rear of the church — that portion which faces the intersection — was designed with two large steeples flanking a large center window. This creates the illusion of a traditional church façade with a center entry. The actual entrance and front of the church face the parking lot and have a more human scale than the more monumental street façade. P AG E 4 Building A Church continued... The church building itself is located on the highest and most prominent part of the site, and as the intent was to have the church building be a landmark in the community without “turning its back” to the neighborhood, the placement of the parking lot was designed not only to allow for efficient use of the parking area, but also allowed the building and landscaping to screen automobiles from the adjacent residential areas. During the design process, the architects were able to completely model the building and its interior spaces with the aid of computers and drawing software. This allowed for a “virtual tour” of the building and site, and aided the design committee in making the many decisions about the form, material and colors. Several old churches in the Archdiocese were closed for a variety of reasons during the time when St. Stephen church was being built. The furnishings and artwork in these churches were offered by the Archdiocese to any parish that could use them. The cost of refurbishing, cleaning or restoring these artifacts is absorbed by the receiving parish. The design committee visited several of these churches and was amazed and grateful that some of the beautiful works of art could be utilized in our new church. This added the dimension of continuity with historic value to our project. “Francis Cardinal On November 24, 2002 – nearly 3 years after the formation of the parish, Francis Cardinal George dedicated the church building, all the statues and furnishings. George dedicated the church building” P A GE 5 Nave As you enter from the outside you come into the narthex, the large gathering area. The main doors of the church lead to the nave, the area of the church where the assembly gathers for Mass. The nave has a vaulted ceiling which is customary in sacred space, with the Gothic arch being the prominent design feature appearing throughout the entire church in the ceiling, doors, pews, altar, the central window and the windows on both transept sides of the church. The transcept windows are in sets of three to remind us of the Trinity; the dimensions (21 ft. tall x 20 ft. wide) allow for an abundance of natural light. Pews The pews (designed by Gunder Church Furniture of Iowa) are made of cherry-stained oak. There is seating for 1,000 people and some pews are indented to allow handicapped seating throughout the church. P AG E 6 Crucifix The most striking visual elements in the church are the crucifix and the stained glass window behind it. Designed by Daprato Regali Studios of Chicago, they represent those actions of Jesus – His death and resurrection – that bring us salvation. We celebrate the life-giving death and resurrection of the Lord every time we celebrate Mass, so these symbols are appropriate for the visual element that catches our eyes as we enter the church, providing the background for the altar. The crucifix is made of rift cut oak. The corpus on the crucifix is made of hand-carved wood in a lighter shade to be clearly visible against the cherry wood of the cross. The crucifix is 15 ft. high, 8ft. wide, weighs 500 lbs. and is supported by two airplane cables attached to steel beams installed specifically for this purpose. Central Stained Glass Window Behind the Crucified Christ is a window that is designed to suggest resurrection and new life. The bold, rich colors of the window, simulating a sunrise, emanate out and suggest life-giving love flowing from the Risen Lord. Images of water, wheat and grapes in the lower half of the window remind us of Baptism and the Eucharist, two of the sacraments by which we receive the life of the Risen Lord. The frame of the window weighs over 4 tons. A pane of clear glass rests on the outside, with the stained glass on the inner part of the frame. The window measures 34 ft. high by 18 ft. wide. P A GE 7 Sanctuary The sanctuary area, where the altar and ambo are located, is accessible by a ramp for wheelchair access. Altar As the place where the Eucharist is celebrated, the altar is the central focus of the church. Designed by Gunder Church Furniture, its size (4 ft. x 8 ft.) ensures that it remains prominent in the large sanctuary. The combination of cherry rift oak and Broughton Moor stone conveys both a sense of the warm communal meal of the Eucharist and the sacrificial dimension of Jesus’ gift of Himself for us on the cross. Ambo The ambo, previously referred to as the pulpit, is located to the left of the altar, and is prominent as the place for God’s Word to be proclaimed. Built of the same wood as the altar, the height of the ambo can be adjusted to enable a wheelchair-bound person or a child to read from it comfortably. It provides a fitting place to affirm the importance of God’s Word in the Bible. P AG E 8 Baptistry The baptistry is built of cherrystained rift oak and stone, and allows both for the pouring of water over the forehead of the child receiving the sacrament, as well as the traditional baptismal pool. The gates installed at the entrance to the baptistry were originally part of the communion rail from St. Catherine of Genoa Church in Chicago. Ambry The Ambry (located behind the baptistry), is a special case for the holy oils used for the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and the anointing of the sick. Stone Towers The idea of building stone towers in churches can be traced back to the Norman Conquest in the Middle Ages. Stone replaced wood as the primary building material, and towers were built in churches as lookout posts to warn of an attack. The idea took hold from physical necessity and then became a tradition in church architecture. The two towers on either side of the altar contain important symbols of our Catholic faith. These towers are seen as the steeple towers on the outside of the church. P A GE 9 Tabernacle The tabernacle, located within the left tower, has been placed so that it is visible within the body of the church. Designed with beveled glass and carved sides (Gunder Church Furniture), it expresses a sense of the sacred as a repository of the Eucharist. The sanctuary lamp, which burns in a Catholic Church whenever the Eucharist is present, hangs above the tabernacle in the tower. Holy Family Statue The Holy Family Statue (designed by Inspired Artisans of Milwaukee) is located within the right tower, and honors both Mary and Joseph with the Child Jesus, while also reflecting the importance of family life. Choir Area The area to the right of the altar and the Holy Family statue is reserved for the choir. It allows ample space for the choir, the piano, organ and sound system. Stations of The Cross The wood carved stations placed around the sides and back of the church were acquired from St. Catherine of Genoa parish upon its closing in 2002. The Stations (refurbished by Daprato-Rigali Studios) are another reminder of the heritage of faith upon which our parish is built. P AG E 1 0 Stained Glass Windows As construction of the church was underway, costs continued to escalate and it became apparent that funds would be unavailable to finish the side (transcept) windows. However, during 2002, several old churches in Chicago were closing. When the design committee visited St. Laurence Church to view the furnishings, our architect (Terry Russell) compared the dimensions of their windows with the drawings for our windows and discovered that they were almost identical. He felt that the Spirit must have been guiding his hand when he was designing the window openings several months before. The St. Laurence windows, made in Germany, were installed in 1920. The windows on the west side of the church represent four of the Joyful mysteries of the rosary, along with Jesus, the Good Shepherd and Jesus Knocking on the Door. On the opposite side of the church are four of the Glorious mysteries along with St. Patrick and St. Dominic. All of these windows were refurbished by Daprato Rigali Studios with the original donors’ names being left intact to retain the integrity of the original design. P AGE 1 1 St. Jude Statue Continuing along the west side at the rear of the church, stands another statue designed by Inspired Artisans, that of St. Jude, Patron of the Impossible. In front of the statue are vigil lights which, by being electric, eliminate the possibility of a fire from traditional wax candles. Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine On the east side of the church in the rear is a shrine to Our Lady of Czestochowa, to whom the beloved Pope John Paul II had a special devotion. The dark face of the Virgin, called sometimes the “Black Madonna”, attests to the thousands of candles burned along with prayers offered by the many pilgrims who have visited the shrine at Czestochowa for over 600 years. Narthex The narthex, formerly referred to as the vestibule, can be entered through any of the four doors from the parking lot. This large gathering place is separated from the nave by a set of doors and glass walls. Initially this was the gathering place for catechumens who were not yet admitted into the main body of the church during mass. On the east side of the narthex is a picture of the Virgin Mary with Child, a gift from the people of St. Emeric, our sharing parish. On the west side of the narthex is a picture of the Cardinal Bernardin School, along with a small statue of St. Joseph, patron of the school which we share with three other parishes. P AG E 1 2 St. Stephen Statue St. Stephen is the patron saint of our parish and his statue (also designed by Inspired Artisans) has been placed on a pedestal in front of the daily chapel. Its location makes it easily visible when exiting the church. Daily Chapel The chapel, which seats approximately 50 people, is a place for private prayer and devotion. There is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every Wednesday following the 8am mass until benediction at 6:30pm. Reconciliation Room Formerly referred to as a confessional, the reconciliation room provides a private, inviting place for reception of the sacrament of Penance. Parishioners may choose the traditional method of reconciliation or the face-to-face method, according to their own wishes. The reconciliation room is located in the west side of the nave of the church. P AGE 1 3 Sacristy The sacristy on the east side of the building can be accessed from an entry way off the narthex. There is also direct access into the nave from the sacristy. Parish Offices Also on the east side of the narthex is the wing that contains various parish offices, kitchen and a conference room. Education Wing The wing on the west side of the building contains 19 meeting rooms and offices for the religious education staff. In the center of this wing are six rooms with folding, moveable walls that open the area up to a large meeting room used for various functions in parish life. The cornerstone on the outside of the St. Stephen church. P AG E 1 4 OUTDOOR DESIGNS Memorial Brick Gardens The memorial brick gardens are at the entrance of the church, on either side of the courtyard. The memorial bricks surround each statue, with the Blessed Virgin on the west and St. Joseph with the Child Jesus on the east. These statues became available with the closing of St. Leo Church in Chicago, and reflect the history and tradition of that church. Flower Boxes Flanking the walkways into the church are 20 flower boxes. The boxes were designed to cover the concrete foundations (footings) which will be used in the future to support a stone canopy to cover the walkways. The main entrance to the building was designed to include the walkway and will define the formal courtyard with the Daily Chapel acting as the focal point of the courtyard. P AGE 1 5 Our Lady of Grace Grotto At the southern end of the church property is a statue of Our Lady of Grace (designed by Inspired Artisans). The quiet, restful site includes a bench to invite reflection and prayer. Stations of The Cross The mosaic stations which surround the statue were removed from St. Leo parish upon its closing. They are arranged in a semi-circle, and have been encased in glass as a protection from the elements. St. Francis Statue Located at the far southwestern end of the church property is a statue dedicated to St. Francis, patron saint of animals. Also designed by Inspired Artisans, it has a bench for private reflection and prayer. This area is also used for the blessing of pets on the feast of St. Francis in October. St. Stephen, Deacon & Martyr Catholic Church A Place to Inspire Growth in Faith and Service in the Spirit of our Patron, St. Stephen St. Stephen church was financed by the Archdiocese of Chicago on the commitment of the parish to a Stewardship program. All parish expenses, both operating and mortgage expenses, are paid from the regular Sunday collection. No pledge drive was held for the church. Donations to assist in the payment of the mortgage on the church are most welcome. Memorial donations to remember a loved one or for a specific memorial are available. Memorials are remembered or engraved in metal plaques on the east side of the narthex. For information, call the parish office at 708.342.2400. 17500 South 84th Avenue Tinley Park, IL 60487 Phone: 708-342-2400 Fax: 708-342-1545 www.ststephentinley.com Published—September 2006