Our third complete year of business was one that most of us will not soon forget. In light of the difficulties, losses, and struggles endured by so many, we once again take the opportunity to reflect on the blessings this year has also brought, and to express our tremendous gratitude for the opportunity to continue to bring beauty to Catholic worship, building up the body of Christ in the world where it is needed most.
While 2019 saw many travels and project completions, 2020 – busy in its own way – has been a year of quiet progress largely made via remote communication and collaboration. Although economic uncertainty and lockdowns took a toll on giving in many parishes and indefinitely halted progress on several projects, we did see some big efforts receive a nod of approval to proceed.
The new church design for St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, TX has been developing for almost a year with our friends at BRW Architects, and the planning is nearing completion with hopes for a potential spring groundbreaking. The 1,500-seat, Neo-Romanesque structure forges strong ties to the history of traditional Texas Catholic architecture, making powerfully present the invisible realities of the liturgy and evangelizing through beauty and a sacramental encounter. We are grateful to St. Mary’s and the Diocese of Austin for their commitment to the exciting vision of this project and reliance on the Lord’s guidance and provision.
Conceptual rendering of the St. Mary’s interior
During the spring, work commenced on a large statuary and furnishings package for Church of the Visitation in Westphalia, TX, an historic church that burned to the ground last summer. Albl Oberammergau is making great progress on a total of 24 hand-carved and painted statues, stations of the cross, and hand-carved reredos and side shrines along with matching principal sanctuary furnishings. Albl also delivered a replacement Nativity just in time for Christmas.
Last spring, St. Leo the Great in Demopolis, AL began planning an interior remodel of their historic church, on which construction began immediately following Thanksgiving. We are partnered with Murals by Jericho and New Holland Furnishings on the exciting renovation, with an expected mid-March re-dedication.
Conceptual Rendering of St. Leo the Great
Conceptual design for the new seminary chapel
In the midwest, multiple new projects also came online this year. St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, MN asked us to partner with local architect Finn Daniels to reimagine a chapel and residence addition initially conceived a few years prior. The chapel will seat around 200 people and provide accommodation for daily devotional prayer and Liturgy of the Hours. The building addition is designed in a Beaux-Arts revival style to complement the surrounding university campus buildings and other significant historic Catholic architecture in the Twin Cities. Exterior mosaic installations are planned to address a new monumental public entrance and adjacent major traffic and pedestrian thoroughfares.
Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Medford, WI undertook planning for several campus projects, the centerpiece of which will be an interior renovation of the 1960s church. The focus will primarily result in a beautified and re-shaped sanctuary, including a new period-sensitive, mid-century-inspired reredos with central tabernacle, suspended crucifix below an existing skylight with new stained glass insert. Additional project components include new ecclesiastical pendant lighting, decorative paint featuring the mysteries of the Rosary, new reservation chapel for Eucharistic Exposition, and renovated narthex to add devotional elements, enhance the baptistry, and improve use by families with young children.
Michael and Hannah following their engagement
Michael Raia and his fiancée Hannah got engaged over the summer and, God-willing, will be married at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Austin in September. The two were busy during the second half of the year with wedding planning and sending out Save the Dates before the end of the year – difficult tasks with the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic! Nonetheless, all planning at this time is a wonderful opportunity to trust in the Lord’s timing and provision, and the coming months also offer time to prepare for the grace of the sacrament of matrimony.
Michael and Hannah were able to attend a beautiful marriage preparation retreat with the JPII Healing Center in the fall, and spent the Advent and Christmas seasons in prayerful preparation for the coming months and the joy of the holy union to come. They are deeply grateful for the loving support of their family and friends!
Michael continues his post-graduate studies in Sacred Arts and had the opportunity for two graduate-level guest lectures: St. Joseph’s College in Maine hosted an online Q&A for their MA in Theology students regarding liturgy and sacred architecture, and shortly thereafter, he presented on liturgy to MA in Sacred Music students at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Both courses are being taught by good friends from his time at the Liturgical Institute, Brandon Harvey and Alexis Kutarna.
Katie Torvinen and boyfriend Jerome
In May, Katie Torvinen traveled to Austin for the ordination of Deacon Callan Sweeney to the transitional diaconate for the Diocese of Austin and the Archdiocese for Military Services, joined by mutual friends who were married later in the year. Deacon Callan attended the youth ministry at Emmaus Catholic Parish in Lakeway, TX, where Michael served on staff and volunteered for many years, and the two remained in touch during Callan’s college years. Following a three-year waiting period to begin seminary while in the military, he finally began his formation for the priesthood. During a Confirmation retreat for Emmaus where the two were speaking to the students, they discussed Studio io, and it was then that Callan brought up Katie’s name as a potential team member – the rest is history. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the gift of these wonderful connections in Christ! We continue to pray for Deacon Callan as he prepares for his priestly ordination in a few months.
Katie and Deacon Callan Sweeney with mutual friends following the ordination.
Mike Tamara and his wife Lauren and their three children moved into a beautiful new home in upstate New Jersey and welcomed their new dog Cooper to the family as well. A basement finish-out afforded Mike the space for a comfortable new office, which came at a great time given the amount of remote work (and at-home schooling) that was done this year!
Mike’s wife Lauren recently began a new job as Project Hope Clinical Team Leader for an agency called Access: Supports for Living, serving residents of Orange County, NY. She uses her background in bereavement counseling to help those affected by the pandemic and its ongoing effects, including those who have had Covid-19 themselves, lost loved ones or friends to the virus, or have been otherwise psychologically, spiritually, and/or economically impacted in adverse ways by the sociopolitical response.
Mike’s new home, ready for Christmas season
Cooper’s first encounter with snow.
Elsa, Jeremy, and Natalia on Easter Sunday
Elsa Kosegarten and her husband Jeremy celebrated their daughter Natalia’s second birthday. They will be preparing to leave Texas later this year to move to Kansas, where Jeremy will be starting a new position as Assistant Professor of Biology at Benedictine College in Atchison. We are very grateful to Elsa for her valuable contributions to our team this year, juggling full-time mom duties.
Several exciting new projects are lining up for 2021 that are sure to bring us the blessing of more professional and personal growth as we strive to bring beauty to these bright spots in the Church amidst some very challenging times. Please join us in prayer for the Church and for all of these parishes, dioceses, priests, and bishops represented by our work. We also greatly appreciate your prayers for us, that we may continue to be formed and transformed as we strive to remain docile to the will of the Father and the work of the Holy Spirit in the Body of Christ.
Thank you for your enthusiasm for our mission and our work – our clients have sacrificed a great deal to undertake the difficult work of renewal by investing in beauty and formation. We pray that it may enrich all sacramental life and ministerial work, and that it may inspire each person who is affected by the work we do to be a faithful disciple and servant of Jesus Christ.