2024: Year in Review
With another year in the books, here is our annual reflection on the blessings and milestones of the past year, with hearts full for the many ways the Lord has provided and worked through our team for the past seven years.
The new 18-foot tall crucifix at Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church in Katy, TX
In 2023, we saw three large ground-up new construction projects finally dedicated after years of work: St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul MN, St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station TX, and Church of the Visitation in Westphalia, TX. In 2024, the focus of our work shifted to completion of a large number of exciting renovation projects, many of which had been in the works just as long, and the start of several new construction conceptual designs that will remain in progress and development for several years to come as the Lord allows these visions to be gradually brought to life. The most imminent to begin construction, St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Dripping Springs, is scheduled to break ground this coming summer on a new 1,000+ seat church. Additionally, several beautification and sacred arts projects were also completed by the team. We are extremely pleased to provide a brief overview of these project highlights and share our joy at seeing the excitement they have each brought.
Early in the year, Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church in Katy TX saw installation of a new crucifix in late January. The parish had ordered a 9-foot corpus with the intent of pairing it with an existing cross that proved too small. Studio io partnered with ALBL Oberammergau to design an 18-foot Gothic Revival inspired cross drawing on elements from other recent furnishings and sacred arts additions inside the church. The Star of Bethlehem serves as a centerpoint in lieu of a traditional halo, and the ends of the cross feature beautiful carved and painted scenes of the events traditionally associated with Epiphany: the gifts of the Magi, the Baptism of the Lord, and the miracle at the Wedding at Cana. The cross was shipped in pieces and assembled on site, being carefully planned to be suspended vertically from decorative chains at the rear of the sanctuary behind the altar.
St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Richardson, TX at Christmas
Next, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Richardson, TX completed the final phase of renovations inside the church in time for Easter on March 31. The project began with an initial phase of replacing the pendants and wall sconce lighting and reconfiguration of the sanctuary steps with new marble flooring. These changes alone proved dramatic and included careful disassembling of existing granite furnishings to be relocated with layout changes to the steps and levels of the sanctuary.
Subsequent work included new reredos, crucifix, and votive shrines by Granda, new confessionals from repurposed support space at the rear of the church, and additions to the existing principle furnishings (altar, ambo, chair, font) in limestone and mosaic. Efforts were taken to preserve the Texas prairie style of the church’s 1980s heavy timber and brick masonry design, with included motifs in the stone, wood, and metalwork, flooring designs, and light fixtures, as well as the local Texas limestone and Italian mosaic panels by ALBL Oberammergau applied to the furnishings.
JPII Newman Center at UIC in Chicago IL saw a number of additions as a third and final wave of ongoing chapel renovations after the initial phases of chapel, confessional, and sacristy renovations were completed in preceding years.
Stained glass windows by Gaytee Palmer were commissioned to replace all of the original and deteriorating faceted glass. The chapel’s rear set of clerestory windows received a triptych scene of the Transfiguration. The remaining six are side aisle windows, paired symmetrically and ascending in size from the back of the chapel towards the front as the roofline elevates above the sanctuary.
In these windows, pairs of angels were chosen reflecting images of heavenly worship from Revelation. The rear pair of angels hold instruments (harp and trumpet), as the choir is located in the rear of the sanctuary. The middle pair of angels aligns with the center of the seating, with angels placing a hand over their chest to reflect the sacrifice of praise of the faithful in the liturgy. The final and tallest pair of windows has angels with thuribles for incensation in the sanctuary.
The six angels hold scrolls with the words from Revelation 5:12: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power and divinity and wisdom and strength [and honor. Glory and dominion be to him until the ages of ages.]”
The new chapel at Our Lady’s Healing Center at Stella Maris Ranch in Seadrift TX was dedicated May 2, with Michael Raia attending. As the facility was originally built as a private hunting and fishing lodge, a suitable location for a chapel was needed. It was determined that a private dining room possessed the perfect proportions, to which the team carefully designed a chapel reflecting the inspiration of the nearby painted churches of Texas, most of which are located within the same diocese (Victoria) and serve as a spiritual reference point to the benefactors and priests.
Gothic furnishings by Little Way Construction, Stained Glass by Foster, Crucifix / Statuary by ALBL Oberammergau, and decorative paint by New Jerusalem Studios & Stabat Mater Foundation all adorn the chapel.
Later in the year and just days before Christmas, the first phase of large murals was be installed – roundels featuring a coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Star of the Sea on the front wall above the altar and an image of Christ the Divine Physician on the rear wall above the entry doors – with subsequent decorative paint and murals yet to come in 2025.
Read more about this about the project on Liturgical Arts Journal here.
In June, the team had a special opportunity to provide a last-minute design of an altar for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, coordinating a quick-turnaround and delivery of the piece by Little Way Construction, who designed a custom suspension system with retractable wheels for the altar to make it suitable for conferences and large events. The altar is built of stained oak wood with gilded accents and features the traditional eucharistic symbol of a pelican feeding her young from her own flesh.
This humble little altar got a lot of attention by virtue of the impressive coverage of the event, but all glory goes to Jesus Christ in the most holy sacrament of the altar, for whom the work was done. Since we weren’t able to attend in person, we’ve collected a handful of the many great images we saw on social media and various press surrounding the event – if we’ve used one of yours and you’d like a photo credit, please let us know!
Sacred Heart in Paxico KS completed a first phase of church renovation, which was dedicated September 15 with Ryan Pigg in attendance. The centerpiece of the project is a new altar of sacrifice, which complements the stunning original high altar, along with new ambo, baptismal font, presidential chairs, servers’ seating, and credence tables. The principal furnishings feature custom mosaic inserts and faux marble finishes.
New sanctuary flooring and three custom mosaic medallion inserts featuring the IHS Christogram, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the lily and t-square of St. Joseph provide an elevated aesthetic for the church starting in the sanctuary that will now look to decorative paint to complete the sanctuary, along with a future extension of the beautification and improvements into the nave.
New sacristy crucifix, statues at St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station
Also in September, ALBL Oberammergau was working diligently to deliver the final statues to St. Mary’s in College Station TX and a new processional crucifix for St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston, just in time for the latter to host the annual Society for Catholic Liturgy Conference, which happened to include a field trip to see the new church in College Station with Michael Raia and Mike Tamara leading tours.
The latest items in College Station include a custom crucifix of Christ the High Priest in the clergy and servers’ vestry, a set of custom romanesque candlesticks and altar crucifix, and Beuronese-inspired statues for multiple votive shrines throughout the church. Two additional 5-foot statues of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts now occupy narthex entry/exit shrines opposite the entry into the Baptistry / nave flanked by Sts. Peter and Paul; 3-foot statues of Sts. Anthony of Padua and Anne have shrines in parents’ narthex cry areas, while additional 3-foot statues of Sts. Maria Goretti and Theresa of Calcutta, and Sts. John Paul II and Pio of Pietrelcina occupy shrines in the left and right transects, respectively.
In Houston, St. Mary’s Seminary’s new crucifix features similar themes to those it inspired in College Station, including a blue Marian motif and an image of the Paschal Lamb as the Tree of Life drawn from its apse dome.
A new processional crucifix for St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston TX
Before and after, St. Joseph in Mason TX
To start a busy fall round of dedications, on October 6, the historic (1876) St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mason TX was rededicated with Michael Raia in attendance. After extensive exterior roofing, belfry and steeple repair, and waterproofing work, the interior portion of the project sought to better unify the original construction and the 1960s expansion, with a decorative painting scheme inspired by elements of the original design from photos, a restoration of original painted ceilings that extended original artwork across to the newer addition, and new motifs based on the life of St. Joseph and the Tree of Life. The church is also now home to a relic and shrine of Blessed Stanley Rother in the left transept which was previously set up as a cry room. The church also now features a separate narthex / baptistry and a reconfigured confessional, with completely rebuilt choir loft access via a new stairwell.
On November 19, Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville IN dedicated a newly renovated chapel that will continue to serve as the center of spiritual life for the school’s mission, and Ryan Pigg attended. The previous interior walls were removed to expand the space available, with all new finishes including plaster, flooring, drywall and wood paneling. Careful integration of new and existing HVAC and plumbing elements was required. New pews, furnishings, and statuary complement the existing character of the building, including extension of the chapel into the adjacent corridor by way of a large shrine of St. Joseph and two transom windows above the entry doors to the chapel, featuring patrons Bl. Basil Moreau and St. (Mother) Theodore Guerin.
Before new reredos in 2021 (left) and after (right) of Corpus Christi in South River, NJ
Just in time for Christmas, Corpus Christi Catholic Church in South River NJ completed all new woodwork additions to complement what remained of the 1952 building, and the major portion of decorative paint work by Swiatek Studios, which makes up a second phase of renovation work to the church. Mike Tamara has visited to see the progress and view the church in full Christmas splendor. Read more about the reredos on Liturgical Arts Journal here.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings, MN Before
After, Fourth Sunday of Advent liturgy return to the church after many months of renovation work. Credit: Chris Faleisek
Also just in time for Christmas, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings, MN completed the major portion of phase 1 construction on a significant church interior renovation that included leveling a sloped floor Greek cross plan, relocation of the choir from behind the sanctuary to a rear loft, and an entirely rebuilt sanctuary. Entirely new lighting systems were installed with custom pendant fixtures. A prominent Greek-revival inspired reredos houses beautiful murals by Markell Studios themed as Jesus Christ: Priest, Prophet, King. New votive chapels flanking the sanctuary will offer intimate places of prayer before statues of the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph that will arrive in the coming months. Also pending arrival in time for Easter, a new sound system, and a carved rood crucifixion scene will be suspended above a new marble altar and other new sanctuary furnishings. A second phase will include a renovation of the Baptistry, new confessionals, and a special votive chapel for parish namesake St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. We look forward to sharing more photos and details about this and other exciting recently completed projects very soon!
FORMATION RECAP
In the spring, Michael Raia had the privilege of teaching a graduate distance learning course in Art, Architecture and Aesthetics for the new School of Pastoral Leadership & Evangelization at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, his alma mater under the prior organization The Liturgical Institute. This course was a turning point in his own vocational discernment and paved the way for Studio io’s mission. With clergy and lay students seeking MA in Liturgy and STL degrees, enrollment from around the US and across the globe included students from Macau, the Caribbean, the Philippines, and Malawi, Africa. The highlight of the course was a final paper analyzing the theology of a church building of the students’ choosing.
PERSONAL UPDATES
The team was blessed to expand again, formally welcoming Nick Vasko, Katherine Kelly, and Benjamin Spitler, each of whom had done ad hoc work with Studio io prior to 2024. Now, nine regularly contributing members each bring a unique background and skill set alongside a strong desire to serve Christ and his Church through liturgical design and sacramental aesthetics. Read more about our team here.
In the fall, Michael Raia, Mike Tamara, Ryan Pigg, Nick Vasko, and Kate Kelly were able to meet in Houston in September to attend the Society for Catholic Liturgy Conference and spend time together in person learning about the liturgy, visiting beautiful buildings, chatting with other Catholic leaders and creatives, and most importantly, praying together!
Elizabeth and Tommy Openshaw welcomed baby Maggie to their family on June 3. Michael and Hannah Raia were able to visit the Openshaws while being in the area for vacation in the summer, then welcomed their own second daughter, Juliette, on November 12.
Our team is more enthusiastically committed than ever to the mission of renewal and is grateful for continued opportunities to learn, grow, and be challenged to allow ourselves to be transformed as we seek to help the Holy Spirit renew the Church and world. We remain so thankful for all that God has done both for and with us. We are also deeply grateful for the prayers we have received from everyone who supports our team and our clients. We entrust this coming Jubilee year as always to the continued intercession of Our Lady and St. Joseph – pray for us!