Work in Progress
Our Lady of the Lake, Lake Carmel, NY
Joe Caswell(r) and Oscar Ramirez(l) completing the installation
of the new bell at Our Lady of the Lake, in conjunction with sanctuary
renovations started in the fall of 2002. The tower at Our Lady
of the Lake sat empty for 65 years until the bell was hung on
October 16, 2003.
St. Gerard Majella Church, Hollis, NY
These are photos of the work in progress and the completed
project. The original sanctuary furnishings can be seen on both
our Awards and Portfolio
pages. "Renovata Studios designed the sanctuary and painted
the church in 1998. Both the altar and Blessed Sacrament Chapel
won Honorable Mentions in the M & L 1999 Visual Arts Awards.
In the Spring of 2002, a devastating fire swept through the church.
The liturgical furnishings were left with major smoke damage while
the church interior was virtually destroyed. An extensive renovation
was to follow, but not before working with the Parish Building
Committee to consider the design of the entire church. Father
Doran left us with the mantra, "Think outside the box"
and we worked for months with the parish to develop new designs
for the worship space. The altar was moved well forward and placed
under a beautiful canopy with concealed lighting. A new sacristy
was created in the former sanctuary. The former sacristy was made
into the Blessed Sacrament chapel. The old choir loft was removed
and a new space for music and choir was made near the front of
the church. The baptismal font was placed in the nave near the
sanctuary and the original crucifix was cleaned of the scorched
burn marks and placed upon a sanctuary cross rebuilt from the
original design. Other improvements were made in addition to liturgical
design changes; all new lighting design, tile and marble inlaid
floor, restoration of the pews and stained glass and installation
of a new air conditioning system. The result is a beautiful church
with award winning designs reflecting Vatican II liturgy."
- Lawrence Hoy, 10/1/03
copyright Renovata Studios Inc. 2005