By Tim Wenzl

Diocesan Archivist

INGALLS - St. Stanislaus Parishioners concluded their Thanksgiving weekend and began the new liturgical year in a new worship space. Bishop Ronald M. Gilmore dedicated the addition and renovation of the congregation’s 72-year-old church on the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 30, 2003.

Concelebrating the liturgy with Bishop Gilmore were Father Joseph Bahr, pastor; Father Francis Jordan, in residence; former pastors: Fathers Dermot Tighe and Dennis Reed; former parochial vicars, Fathers Francis Khoi Nguyen and Gregory LeBlanc, and other diocesan priests: Fathers Robert Schremmer, V.G., Gilbert Herrman and James Baker. Father Austin Herrmann, C.PP.S., represented the Society of the Precious Blood that served the parish for 58 years. Masters of ceremony were Msgr. Brian Moore and Father Henry Hildebrandt.

Bishop Gilmore spoke to the parishioners about the special obligation they have to reflect on the Church in their daily lives. "You have a duty to be a people of the Word," he said. "A duty to recognize Jesus Christ for what he is - the personification of the Word of the Father. Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of the Father and we have a duty to stay close to that Word. He is the only foundation - there simply is no other.

"I urge you today to be close to the Word, to me and the Holy Father. This is a parish church, a diocesan church, and a universal Church all one at the same time. Be always fully Catholic in all you do here."

At the conclusion of the liturgy, Father Bahr paid tribute to the parishioners and those involved in the project. "In an article in the Catholic Advance dated Oct. 29, 1910, this place was called the ‘little church on the hill.’ It has grown a bit.

"Today, Nov. 30, 2003 will go down along with Oct. 6, 1910 and Dec. 1, 1931 as very important dates for this parish. These are the days when churches were dedicated on this hill.

"We like what we have done. But we wonder if we have done the right thing. We so wanted to build a space worthy of what this place is for and yet be responsible stewards.

"To help us in our project, we surrounded ourselves with people with the best of minds and skills and artistic abilities.

"We recognize Randal Steiner, our architect, who so patiently and carefully directed our sometime hesitating steps to this day. A man who so respects the treasures of the past and melds it with the best of today.

"What a fortunate day it was when D & D Construction Company was chosen to be the general contractor. We think D & D sent us their best men to get the job done. Mike Wagner as supervisor is a man of keen insight and great skill at solving all matter of problems, and Ed Bard, the project manager, a gentleman who exudes confidence and follows it up with performance in all matters of construction."

Father Bahr went on to acknowledge the artists and craftsmen who participated in the project and to express his gratitude for those parishioners who gave many hours serving on the renovation committees.

"It remains now for the Lord to work his will with us," Father Bahr concluded.

A steak banquet, catered by Jennifer and Kevin Irsik of the Ingalls Cafe, was held in the parish center.

St. Stanislaus Parishioners enter their church much the same as they always have. The entrances to the east and north are the same, but once inside the worship space is larger and new. The "new," however, is full of tradition and sacred symbols.

"The motif of the quatrefoil is found in many locations of the original building, including the original pew ends," said Randal Steiner, the project architect. "The renovation design used the quatrefoil, a woven pattern in the windows and Stations of the Cross, and the spiral columns of the portal (limestone doorway) as design elements to unify the new and old work."

St. Stanislaus Church has a distinctive rose window depicting a female pelican feeding her young with her own blood. In religious art, the pelican is a symbol of Jesus, the Eucharist and charity. The frame encasing this window is a variation of the quatrefoil geometry.

"Quatrefoils are seen in Church architecture of the early Renaissance designs," Steiner continued. "Floor plans of high Renaissance churches were sometimes executed in the quatrefoil shape with an apse at each side.

"The geometry of an overlapping square and circle does suggest a cross shape and can be understood to reference the four gospels and the truth of the Christian message.

"The sanctuary floor in a quatrefoil shape at the west end was designed to complement the quatrefoil of the east wall pelican window and continue the motif. The Italian marble was selected for the complementary colors and to appropriately define the area around the altar with special high-quality materials.

"Marble is a metamorphic rock that is created by limestone that is subject to heat and pressure within the earth. When polished it provides reflections of light and objects beyond. In the sense that it is a transformed material, it is very appropriate for the altar area. The most attractive marbles come from Italy and have certainly been a traditional material throughout the history of the Church.

"The wood and glass screen behind the altar flows both toward and away from the Tabernacle to enfold the Sanctuary and the Faithful. It offers a translucent definition of space for both the Sanctuary and the adjacent Eucharistic Reservation/Adoration Chapel. Visually it is apparent there is an interesting place beyond. The substantial skylight above the curved back wall of the Chapel offers daylight for the chapel. Natural light reflected along the curved wall backlights and enhances the presentation of the Tabernacle. At night the skylight is artificially lit and is visible to the Ingalls community." Artisans and craftsmen with proven ability came to the project.

Charlie Kolsky and his daughter Rachel from Arbor House in Dodge City worked from the architect's designs to craft all the church furnishings. These include the altar, tabernacle tower, frames for the glass altar screen, ambo, cantor stand, candlesticks, processional cross, credence table, hospitality table, kneelers in the meditation chapel, presider's chair and ambry.

Sandy Hendrickson from Blue Moon Studio in Dodge City did the glass work in the altar screen. Amber glass from the original windows in the 1931 church was used in the design.

Robert Elliot from Art Effects of Wichita repaired the statues, stenciled the border of the walls, painted the gospel shrine and did the faux finish on the pillars. He also applied the gold gilding to the cross over the bell tower and to the quatrefoil shapes in the new church furnishings.

Stan Dietrixhe of Hays performed glass repairs and reinstallation on the historic glass.

Lowell Tasset of Dodge City did the brass work on the candle sticks, the votive light holders and the design on the back of the tabernacle that is visible from the Eucharistic mediation chapel.

"Successful projects begin with an informed client, in this case a Pastor and Building Committee," said Steiner. "Their multiple talents in creating, visualizing, affirming material and color selections, liturgical training, and managing the project are key to its apparent success. The St. Stanislaus community is blessed to have such capable leadership at this time of renewal.

"It was known from the beginning that our ideas for this project would require a capable and experienced contractor with talented individuals to implement the plans. D&D has met this expectation. Ed Barb and Mike Wagner are to be commended for their commitment to the project and attention to detail.

"I have had the opportunity to work with the wonderful people of the St. Stanislaus community and the Ingalls - Dodge - Garden area. This collaboration has yielded some great ideas and these ideas have been implemented with great skill. Only with consensus and team spirit is a project of this depth possible."