Featured Renovation Projects

ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH

St. Joseph Catholic Church was originally constructed in 1876 of local red sandstone on a hilltop just west of the town center in historic Mason, TX. The church, which featured a vaulted beadboard ceiling painted by a parishioner in the early 1900s in imitation of the Spanish baroque style, was expanded in the 1960s, a change which removed the apse wall to extend the nave by adding a crossing, two small transepts, and an expanded sanctuary with a connected sacristy. This renovation also saw the introduction of terrazzo floors and acoustical ceiling tiles that covered the painted vault until it was rediscovered by accident in 1989, now being fully restored by Murals by Jericho and matched uniformly across the entirety of the vault, with the Trinity image moved above the new location of the altar. Pendant lighting was also added to replace old fluorescent cove lighting, and storefront glass was removed to join the Our Lady of Guadalupe chapel to the nave. In this chapel and on an adjacent wall is located a custom reliquary and statue of Blessed Stanley Rother. Additional relics are also located beneath the altar.

New sanctuary furnishings by Little Way Construction including a reredos with antique crucifix, altar, ambo, side shrines, baptismal font, and ambry were designed in wood to complement the country gothic character of the church, along with hand painted detailing by Stabat Mater Foundation inspired by the Victorian era of the church’s original construction to highlight St. Joseph as patron (lily) and the tree of life and 12 apostles as a theme for the sanctuary.  All liturgical appointments and metalwork were replaced with a combination of new and restored antique pieces in keeping with the character of the church. The entrance to the church also was renovated, with a new narthex wall, confessional, and rebuilt choir loft and balcony wall. The statue of St. Joseph is newly acquired and also a restored antique piece that dates to the same year the original church was constructed, with custom themed stencil work as a background. Additional functional upgrades included waterproofing of the interior plaster walls, pew replacement, and a distributed sound system to negate the need for absorptive materials.

Dedicated October 6, 2024

The parishioners and I are very grateful to everyone at Studio io for their assistance in the historic renovation of our parish church.  The team we worked with demonstrated great respect for the concerns of the parishioners, especially as it related to the restoration of the painted ceiling.  The efforts of the Studio io team restored a sense of beauty and unity of design which had been lost through the various expansions and renovations that had occurred over time.

– Rev. Red Blevins, Pastor, St. Joseph Catholic Church