On Christmas Eve the Sacristy at Calvary Church re-opened and a collective sigh of relief was heard by everyone that the construction was completed in time! The pictures above, taken with my phone, do not do the space justice, but for now they will have to suffice. Shortly, I will launch my new website where you will be able to see the space through the lens of a professional photographer. His photographs do a beautiful job of illustrating the tremendous transformation of the space, so please check back once the site is launched.
In an earlier post I mentioned that the goal for the project was to create a space that would be used by the altar guild to prepare for church services, while at the same time serving as a place for the minister to store his vestments and prepare himself for church services. The minister’s vision was for the Sacristy to have the feel of a men’s dressing room — not an easy feat when you are charged with placing two sinks and a faucet! To that end, the cabinetry underneath the stained glass window was designed to resemble a campaign chest, with recessed pulls and corner straps to evoke a fine piece of furniture similar to what historically would be found in a dressing room.
Part of my responsibility was to preserve the integrity of this church, which was built more than 100 years ago. If you look closely, you’ll notice that a Celtic cross is carved into the upper cabinet doors. This image is repeated throughout the church and is a part of its history. In addition, the bannister which leads from the altar into the Sacristy was re-built, and its design is an exact replica of the original bannister across the church. Much thought was put into this effort to preserve the architecture of this exceptionally beautiful church, and details such as the Celtic cross and handrail are among many examples of this effort.
Once my new website is up and running, I will post photos of the Sacristy that are far superior to those taken with my phone. For now, these will have to do!