(click on any picture to zoom in)
As we approach the entrance plaza to our new church, we have sweeping views of Sparks, Reno, and the snow-covered Sierra Nevada Mountains. There is a water feature, with streams of water flowing over boulders from our parish site.
The bell whose ringing beckons parishioners to Mass was cast in 1895 in New York. For years it hung in the firehouse on the Divide above Virginia City. In more recent years, it was in the tower of our former church on Pyramid Way in Sparks, which was built in 1932
Inside the gathering space of our new church, the visitor encounters a prayer chapel to his right, a religious gift shop, and this beloved marble statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the 1960's and early '70's, this statue stood outside the Immaculate Conception School on Richards Way. Following the closure of the school, the statue stood at the entrance of our former church. It now graces our gathering space and has an attractive granite background, the gift of Ken end Laura Dixon of Take It for Granite.
The visitor enters the worship space through massive wooden doors. The warm, welcoming space accommodates approximately 1,000 for Mass. The infant immersion bowl of hammered bronze, with water flowing continuously over its sides, greets the visitor. Slightly in front of this font is the granite adult immersion font lying below the floor of the church and covered with heavy metal grating. The font is opened for adult baptisms on the Vigil of Easter and remains open for the seven-week Easter season.
Turning, and looking upward, the visitor can see the 42 flamed copper pipes for the Rogers Organ, a gift of Emily Gilmartin. There are five stained glass windows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which were also at the front of our former church.
Looking diagonally across the worship space, the visitor can see the pews of ash, with the altar in the center of the church. Most of these pews are placed antiphonally, facing the altar. The ceiling of the church is also ash wood.
The altar, constructed by parishioner Frank Bigotti and his gift to the church, is of Honduran mahogany and ash. Square in shape, with rounded corners, it permits the priest presider to face only one side of the church for daily Masses, weddings, and funerals to give those present a more intimate sense of community within a large worship space.
The pulpit is of Honduran mahogany and ash. Artifice of QED Construction designed and built this ambo, which raises and lowers for tall or short lectors and those in wheelchairs.
The tabernacle tower, designed by Liturgical Designer Ken Griesemer who was responsible for much of the liturgical design of the church, is of Honduran mahogany wood. The tabernacle itself came from our former church. We have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament five days a week in our church. This tower is designed to display the monstrance for Adoration.
The crucifix above the tabernacle tower is an enlarged replica of the crucifix in our former church. The Wood and Iron Factory of San Diego was responsible for its carving, along with the ash pews of the church.
The rose widow featuring the likeness of the Holy Spirit was designed and constructed by the Hogan Studios of California. A gift of the Lepori family, our present church site is a part of their former ranch.
This is a partial view of our 20 mysteries of the rosary in stained glass. 15 of the mysteries, the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious, were in our former church for 35 years. They, along with five new luminous mysteries of the rosary were all constructed by the Hogan Studios.
This 1,800 pound bronze statue of the Pieta came from the DeMetz Studios in Italy. It stands to the right of the tabernacle tower and was the gift of the DiPietro family.
This shrine of the Immaculate Conception is one of several within our church. This statue, along with several others, once stood in our former Church and were renewed by the Evergreen Studios.
Immediately off the gathering space is our parish parlor. It provides us with a comfortable place for meetings as well as for families to gather before funerals and weddings.
This is a partial view of our kitchen in the parish hall. It has two stoves, four convection ovens, refrigerators and freezers, an ice machine, and a large counter space. There is room for 250 persons for sit-down banquets, or more when the spacious gathering space provides for overflow. The entire south wall of the hall glass, providing sweeping views of Sparks, Reno, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There is a large patio plaza outside of colored, stamped concrete.
To the rear of the church we are in the process of constructing our Prayer Garden. Soon, it will have 14 metal wayside shrines housing the stations of the cross from the former church. The path winding up the hills lighted at night and leads up to a rose garden and sitting area with a natural rock outcropping occupying part of the garden.