 St. Ignatius Church Honored with Design Award
With the external renovation of St. Ignatius Church complete, artists and architects have turned their attention toward the Church’s interior as part of the process of “keeping church and parish alive,” said Fr. Tom Lucas, S.J., chair of the USF fine and performing arts department and curator of the Thacher Gallery.
Renovations made to the Donor Chapel of St. Ignatius, the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary (renamed the Del Santo Chapel in honor of the deceased wife of USF Trustee Larry Del Santo) were recently recognized with a “Best of the Bay” California Honor Award by a jury of architects commissioned by the San Francisco Chronicle. Renovation of the Fontana chapel, the former church baptistry, should be complete by the end of summer.
“Despite classical flourishes, these are very still, clear designs and the conjunction of modern design and new furnishings against classical motifs echo the Catholic church’s long-standing fascination with new art,” the jury said of the projects.
Brayton & Hughes Design Studio is leading the renovations, which includes the artistry of Fr. Lucas, and others. Fr. Lucas designed several pieces of stained glass for chapels, including the Guadalupe Chapel, which celebrates of the Catholic and multicultural heritage of the university, he said.
“It’s a great challenge for me as a designer and a liturgist working within the classical framework of this great San Francisco building. The new work must both honor that context as it speaks to the hopes and expectations of believers of the 21st century,” Fr. Lucas said. “We're combining what's old and what's new in respectful yet energetic ways.”
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