St. Julie Billiart Church Sanctuary Renovation

Henninger's was contacted by Fr. George Vrabel, Pastor of St. Julie Billiart Church in North Ridgeville, Ohio, to make his sanctuary larger and to complement the existing architectural elements in his Church.  Fr. George's main problem was a sanctuary platform that was too small, giving the priest little room to move behind the Altar and en route to the mismatched Ambo.

In addition to the issues on the sanctuary platform, the areas to the side of the sanctuary were outdated and impractical.  The tabernacle was too small for the space and the beautiful hand-carved wood statues of Mary and Joseph were not highlighted on the wall.  Neither area matched the greater aesthetic or the shape of the Church.

Henninger's went to work with Fr. George and the design committee to come up with a design that would utilize the existing shapes in the Church, that would replace the existing tabernacle, and that would highlight the new tabernacle and the wood statues already in place.

Henninger's also began to design a larger Ambo that would match the existing sanctuary furniture that would be more functional and permanent than the one that was currently in place.

With the design elements coming together, Henninger's and Fr. George devised a new floor plan to accommodate the new Ambo and better spacing of the Altar and the Ambo as well as creating two platforms for under the tabernacle and the statues.

Existing Layout of Sanctuary

Revised Layout of Sanctuary

With the plans finalized, Henninger's went to work exposing the existing platform, then adding onto the platform for greater spacing for the priest and the sanctuary furniture.

Upon completion of the larger platform, plank tile was laid to give the impression of wood, keeping with the aesthetic of the multitude wood already in the Church.  Two colors of tile were chosen for the step, the main platform, and the top platform.

While the tile was being laid, preparations were being made at Henninger's work shop as the new Altar of Repose was being completed along with the frames for the right and left side of the sanctuary, which were then stained and prepped for transport, along with the  tabernacle.

Henninger's then began installing the items into the space, along with a new electrified sanctuary lamp above the tabernacle and with the inset of the niches painted a complementary color as the project neared completion.

With the installation of the new Ambo, the replacement of the carpet in the body of the Church to complement the new color scheme, and the installation of new chairs in the Church, the renovation was complete, beautifying the existing space while making it more functional and still holding true to the original concept of the design.