by Stacy Smith Rogers
Thomas Extra College
Half 67 of our collection, “Retrospect and Vista II”: Thomas Extra School/College, 1971-2021
Pricey Readers of the Northern Kentucky Tribune,
As Thomas Extra College prepares to rejoice the Tenth Anniversary of the Dedication of its Mary Seat of Knowledge Chapel, I invite your complete group to turn into acquainted with this splendid piece of artwork and structure. We have now assembled a variety of gadgets written on the time of the dedication offering details about varied points of the constructing and its ornamentation for many who have been current for the ceremonies. In sharing this materials with you, I hope you’ll come to understand what a gem we now have as our campus worship area and will want to go to the Chapel personally. It’s open each day from 7 a.m. till 10 p.m. The meditation area is all the time open.
— Rev. Msgr. Gerald E. Twaddell, D. Phil., KCHS Rector
Mary, Seat of Knowledge Chapel Opens its Doorways
On December 9, 2012, Mary Seat of Knowledge Chapel opened its doorways and have become a campus and group landmark, and an emblem of the college’s id as a Catholic academic and cultural establishment. It now serves because the bodily point of interest and religious coronary heart of the Thomas Extra School campus, with the bell tower chiming on the hour as a reminder of this sacred area. Greater than 300 college students, employees, college, alumni and supporters of the School attended the dedication ceremony, which was celebrated by The Most Reverend Rogers J. Foys., D.D., bishop of the Diocese of Covington and chancellor of Thomas Extra School. Quite a few college students, employees, college, alumni and supporters of the School participated in diversified roles in the course of the service.
Panoramic view of the chapel inside. (TMU Archives)
For the reason that dedication, the chapel has welcomed a whole lot via its doorways and ushered in a real sense of group and faith-inspired spirit. Thomas Extra School President Sr. Margaret Stallmeyer, C.D.P., shared her ideas, “The chapel is a spot the place, college students inform me, they really feel comfy. As we proceed to nurture them alongside their journey right here at Thomas Extra, I envision the chapel serving an vital function within the religious improvement of our college students and serving as a welcoming surroundings for our Northern Kentucky group.”
Bishop Foys provided his sentiments in regards to the new chapel, “In years to return could all those that go to Mary, Seat of Knowledge Chapel keep in mind those that have gone earlier than them who’ve supplied them with this excellent home of the Lord. It’s really an important reward to our Thomas Extra School group in addition to for the group at massive.”
Seating was at capability because the devoted raised their voices on this new place of worship. TMU Archives
The groundbreaking of the $4.2 million Mary, Seat of Knowledge Chapel came about in August of 2011. The 8,500 sq. foot chapel seats greater than 300 folks. Joseph Hayes, Robert Ehmet Hayes & Associates in Fort Mitchell, was the lead architect on the chapel design, which was really conceived in partnership along with his late father, Robert Ehmet Hayes, in 2000. Klenco Building managed the development, led by President Chris Klensch and longtime Vice Presidents David Middendorf and Mark Baumann. The late Jay Guenther supplied day-to-day supervision on the location, managing a staff of devoted discipline staff.
Measuring as excessive as 35 toes, the stained-glass home windows are a real point of interest, and are merely beautiful. A middle window options Mary together with her Divine Son (the supply of knowledge) sitting upon her lap, illuminating the chosen patroness for the chapel and ushering in colourful mild inside the sanctuary. Sr. Emmanuel Pieper, St. Walburg Monastery in Villa Hills, designed the stained-glass home windows. Pieper labored intently with stained-glass artist David Duff, Classical Glass, in Cincinnati, whose staff helped deliver her designs to life.
The altar furnishings was constructed and donated by Joseph R. Kohrs, a former member of the Thomas Extra School Board of Trustees and an alumnus of 1982. Reminiscent Herb Farm Nursery and Landscaping, owned by Dick Jansen and Stephanie Renaker-Jansen, landscaped the chapel exterior.
Bishop Foys shakes arms with Mark Baumann of Klenco Building in the course of the Dedication Ceremony. (TMU Archives)
Mary, Seat of Knowledge Chapel features a meditation chapel that’s open 24 hours a day, serving as a welcoming place for religious reflection for college students, employees, college, alumni and pals of Thomas Extra School. The chapel’s exterior lighting presents it as a beacon for passersby and its quite a few sidewalks usher folks coming and going from varied components of campus. Housed inside Mary, Seat of Knowledge Chapel is the School’s Workplace of Campus Ministry. Bob Shearn, director of Campus Ministry, shared his perception on how Mary, Seat of Knowledge has impacted college students. “Mary, Seat of Knowledge Chapel is actually a home of prayer, and a dwelling place the place the presence and the love of God might be felt and shared — and seekers of all stripes have responded. The prayerful angle, religion and reverence of those that come to the chapel appear to suffuse this stunning area, evoking a strong sense of the sacred. It’s palpable. It’s stunning, and it lives on the coronary heart of the Thomas Extra group.”
Furnishing a Home of Worship
Alumnus Joe Kohrs ’82 combines ardour for furnishings making with ardour for TMC. The altar furnishings was constructed by Joseph R. Kohrs, a previous chair of the Thomas Extra School Board of Trustees and an alumnus of 1982. Joe is president of Kohrs, Lonnemann and Heil Engineers and engineered the mechanical and electrical system for the chapel. He builds furnishings as a interest, and determined to volunteer his time, supplies and expertise to construct the altar furnishings. The wooden used for the chapel furnishings is cherry and got here from Boone and Kenton Counties. Joe personally felled the bushes and milled roughly half the lumber; the opposite half was donated by Joseph Hayes.
The altar furnishings venture contains roughly 20 items and took 9 months to construct. Joe credit his spouse, Cindy, for having endurance with him as he frolicked on the venture. His long-standing service to the School stems from having been a recipient of a diocesan scholarship, which made attending Thomas Extra School potential for him. “I’ve felt a deep dedication to return that reward as usually as I used to be ready,” he mentioned. Joe served six years on the Buildings and Grounds Committee and 9 years on the Board of Trustees. Two of his sons, Brandon ’10 and Nick ’15, have attended TMC. “I’ve a deep sense of pleasure in with the ability to present such a present to TMC. The enjoyment has been all mine.”
Architects Ehmet and Joseph Hayes. (TMU Archives)
Philosophy of a Chapel
Robert Ehmet Hayes & Associates PLLC Architects Assertion: As a campus point of interest and a bodily embodiment of the faith-based religious mission for Thomas Extra School, the Chapel design emphasizes each the vertical connection to God and the horizontal connection to the campus and group. Primarily based upon radiating circles, like ripples in a pond, the design facilities on the altar, representing Christ’s sacrifice and marking the religious coronary heart of the campus. The radiating circles suggest the affect of Christ outward into the group via the Thomas Extra college students. The ceiling soars to a excessive level over the altar with radiating seating focusing towards the altar. The Chapel was oriented for max north mild to permit worshipers to have the ability to have a visible reference to the sky and surrounding panorama. On the entrance to the Chapel, a bell tower faces the open garden and calls upon the custom of each church buildings and school campuses to mark an vital place with the sound of bells, held excessive to transmit throughout the campus. On the peak of the bell tower, a 15-foot-tall cross highlights the tower and identifies the Chapel as a spot of worship. The Chapel’s supplies have been chosen for heat and longevity, utilizing uncovered brick and wooden to narrate to the Thomas Extra campus. With seating for 310, the Chapel supplies an intimate setting for particular person prayer and reflection, group worship, in addition to weddings. The heating and cooling system incorporates an vitality environment friendly geothermal system. An exterior amphitheater supplies an off-the-cuff gathering place for college students and employees. This Chapel would be the place to recollect and rejoice the mission and ministry of Thomas Extra School.
Chapel Home windows Invite Additional Reflection
Sr. Emmanuel Pieper, St. Walburg Monastery, designed the stained-glass home windows in Mary, Seat of Knowledge Chapel. Sr. Emmanuel is a contract artist and is recurrently commissioned by people and companies for her art work. She holds a grasp’s diploma in advantageous arts from the College of Notre Dame and beforehand taught artwork at Villa Madonna Academy for 41 years. “I like tasks like this. Once I’m engaged on one thing, if I’ve a view of it in my thoughts, it’s often too grandiose. Finally, it seems to be a little bit nearer to earth,” she mentioned. Her collaborator on the venture, David Duff, has been creating architectural artwork glass for Classical Glass in Cincinnati since 1974. He has studied underneath famend glass masters Roger Darricarier in Chartes, France and Narcissus Quagualata in Mexico Metropolis. David has executed commissions for personal collections in Paris, France, Amman, Jordan and Seoul, Korea, and his work will also be seen in quite a few places in Better Cincinnati.
The Kohrs’ household: Cindy, Mitch, Joe, Nick, Brandon and Kevin (seated). (TMU Archives)
Sr. Emmanuel described the expertise of watching her small-scale drawings turn into bigger than life. “I noticed lots of the components, going to David’s studio. And, all of them regarded good in items. However you need to get all of them collectively to get a full view. While you do one thing like this you recognize it’s going to be there for an extended, very long time. You don’t need to make any errors, and also you need to be very cautious in alternative in every part,” she mentioned.
“I’m grateful for the belief and imaginative and prescient Sister Margaret and Sister Emmanuel had in my capacity to execute this venture and am grateful to have been chosen to remodel Sister Emmanuel’s artwork into stained glass. Her magnificent artwork has translated fantastically right into a stained-glass wall that may encourage all who see it,” Duff mentioned.
Sr. Emmanuel Pieper explains her ideas behind the Home windows. . .
The Christian Life
This window is dominated by an angel with a big brazier of incense. Within the Christian religion, incense is obtainable to God alone. Via the decrease a part of the window, move the waters of baptism interspersed with the signal of the cross, symbols that set up our Christian dedication. Within the Eucharist, symbolized by the grapes and wheat, the Christ-life begun at baptism is sustained in us and made fruitful within the Church and the world.
Sr. Emmanuel Pieper (TMU Archives)
Mary, Seat of Knowledge
Mary as Seat of Knowledge is the chosen patroness for this chapel. On this titular window, Mary together with her Divine Son, the supply of knowledge, sits able to dispense that grace to those that sincerely ask it of her. Different symbols from the Litany of the Blessed Virgin adorn the window: Star of the Sea of Life, Queen of Peace, Mystical Rose and Tower of Ivory.
Tutorial Studying
On this window, an angel holds aloft the flame of studying, the essence of the existence of this school, the explanation for the dedication of its educating employees and the hope of scholars in attendance right here. The diamond-shaped symbols symbolize the main parts of a liberal arts schooling—humanities, pure sciences, social sciences and the professions.
Sanctuary – Flames
Flames of fireside have symbolized many issues within the historical past of the humanities: love, knowledge, studying, creativity and within the New Testomony, the items of the Spirit. Within the window above the altar, the collection of flames invitations the viewer to meditate on this image in his or her private life: the flame of affection, deep and true, the flame of studying, in life-changing mild, and the flame of the Spirit enhancing the God-life within the soul. The image of flame speaks to all of us in diversified methods.
Further home windows discovered within the chapel.
One portrays a youthful Thomas Extra engrossed in his research. It was his dedication to the seek for reality, goodness and justice that coloured his future life as chancellor of England underneath Henry VIII and finally led to martyrdom for his ideas. Corridor panels mirror the early days of the faculty and its founding non secular communities, the Benedictine Sisters, the Sisters of Divine Windfall and the Sisters of Notre Dame. And, a last window within the meditation chapel showcases Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount,” the place He offers instructions for life, a lifetime of blessing, a life that may advance the aim of this good earth and all God’s folks.
Stacy Smith Rogers served as Director of School Communications and Public Relations at Thomas Extra School.
Rev. Gerald E. Twaddell, D. Phil., is a fulltime member of the Division of Philosophy at Thomas Extra College and serves as Chaplain of the establishment. He attended St. Pius X Seminary for his B.A. and has since attended College of Strasbourg (Dipl. E.F.M.), the College of Cincinnati (M.A.), and the Catholic College of Paris (S.T.B., Lic. Phil, M. Phil. & Habilitation, and D. Phil) to finish his schooling.
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