Featured Renovation Projects

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings, MN began an ambitious renovation project with a desire to dramatically rearrange the church interior by infilling and flattening the sloped seating, removing a choir from behind the sanctuary to the rear of the nave, and reorienting the seating to face a single direction towards a larger, more impressively appointed sanctuary. Anchoring the new arrangement is a classically-inspired reredos, drawing from Greek revival themes related to the Greek-cross plan and adapted to house its Beuronese-styled artwork. The central mural by Markell Studios is Christ as priest-prophet-king, flanked by angels. A suspended rood shield with crucifixion scene by ALBL Oberammergau establishes a vertical axis above the altar while allowing an unobstructed view of the mural. Marble furnishings and floors adorn the sanctuary, including custom medallions featuring the alpha and omega. Future murals featuring the communion of saints are planned for the adjacent walls.

The new sanctuary is complemented and framed by large walk-in votive shrines for the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, which serves to personalize and scale down the otherwise voluminous interior to a more intimate setting for devotional prayer outside of liturgies. New pews and custom pendant light fixtures throughout the nave offer an upgraded aesthetic, along with a full replacement of the audio system. A raised choral ‘loft’ provides the sacred musicians ample space for their ministry. New flooring was also carried into the baptistry, which will receive additional artistic enhancement in a later phase. A new set of confessionals will also be a component of the planned completion.

Dedicated September 14, 2025

“Words cannot express how grateful we are to the team at Studio io for the work they did on our church renovation. For many years, there was a desire among the parishioners to make our worship space feel and look more like a Catholic church. Our dilemma was that we did not know what it could look like or if it was even possible. Studio io was able to give us a design that was far beyond anything we could imagine. They not only gave us the design but managed the project to its completion. Throughout the whole project, they answered all of our questions and concerns. When there was an issue with the budget, Studio io always presented us with many options while at the same time never compromising on beauty. 

When visitors come to our parish to worship, the most frequent comment we get is that it is stunning. The parishioners love to worship and pray in our renovated worship space. We have experienced families coming back to the parish after seeking other churches which were more beautiful. It truly is a place where we give glory to God. I would encourage anyone who is considering a renovation to work with Studio io. Their love of the Catholic Church and their pursuit of beauty makes them the ideal team for this type of endeavor.”

– Rev. David Hennen, Pastor, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church