Portfolio: St. Paul the Apostle

St. Paul the Apostle Church is located prominently on East Main Street in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina. Spartanburg has a large number of fine churches to which the parish wanted to add while offering a particularly Catholic vision of the house of God.

The design for the church of St. Paul uses a traditional architectural style and configuration that is reflective of the Catholic faith and heritage. It is modeled on the broad tradition of Catholic architecture in the United States as well as on Lombard Romanesque architecture. The new 1000 seat church will incorporate forms and symbols that make it unmistakably a Catholic church.

As a house of prayer, the exterior will be welcoming, ennobling, and exude a sense of reverence. The church is located so as to create a plaza in the front and a prominent entrance along East Main Street. The new church, trees, and East Main Street will define the new plaza. As a liturgical building, the exterior plaza will serve as a site for the Easter fire, for outdoor prayer services, and for processions. The plaza will become an outdoor gathering space as well providing a drop-off location near the entry to the church. A small garden and shrine to St. Francis is placed near the entrance to the property.

As an image of the eternal, the church will be constructed out of timeless materials such as brick with stone accents. Front stairs and a ramp lead up to a raised terrace and a welcoming porch (inspired by the early Christian prothyron) with a bas-relief of the conversion of St. Paul over the main entry. Statues of Saints Peter and Paul on the side bays, along with the following quotes from scripture, will greet all those who enter:

Above statue of Peter: And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. — Matthew 16

Above statue of Paul: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? — First Corinthians 10

Above the porch is a rose window or wheel surrounded by symbols of the four evangelists, while the façade is crowned by an image of the Virgin and Child and a cross.

The generous narthex is a place of preparation with views into the nave. It will double as a cry room and connects to stairs, bathrooms, and an elevator. Above the narthex is a choir loft with provision for a future organ.

The nave is in the style of a Roman basilica with side aisles defined by Corinthian arcades. Confessionals will be placed near the beginning of the side aisles symbolic of the process of repentance and forgiveness on our journey toward the Eucharist. The interior will focus on the altar as the place of sacrifice and communion. A tester or canopy hovers over the altar while a prominent tabernacle will indicate the central mystery of faith and reaffirm the building as a Eucharistic house. The longitudinal nave will exemplify the journey of faith with Stations of the Cross along the side aisles. As a transcendent place, the interior will soar upwards with a vaulted ceiling and heavenly light will flood the nave through the side and rose windows. Devotional areas with a painting or statue, and a place to light a candle and pray will be provided. As the main focus and symbol of heaven, the sanctuary will be raised on steps, framed by a triumphal arch with a solid floor and paneled wood walls. A large wood ambo for proclaiming and preaching the Word of God will be decorated with symbols of the four evangelists or scriptural narratives. A smaller lectern for the cantor balances it.

The building is to be constructed with a steel frame and concrete masonry infill above a concrete foundation, brick and stone exterior veneer walls, and steel roof trusses. The interior materials will be predominantly wood and plaster with tile floors in the nave and marble floors in the sanctuary. Parking is provided adjacent to the church and along the street. A drop-off in the front and sidewalks lead to the main entry as well as entrances on each side.

A Marian garden behind the church featuring a statue, fountain, and plantings provides a place of prayer and tranquility. Tree lined walks connect the church to the existing school and parish center. Future phases may include a bell tower and transepts to increase seating capacity.