Immaculata Church

The new Immaculata Church is extraordinary in every regard. The impressive edifice rises out of the Kansas plains beckoning all who see the gilded statue of Our Lady crowing the cupola to enter. The interior is resplendent with ornament, murals, statuary, and furnishings designed to glorify God and correctly orient the life of the community. EverGreene was privileged to be integrally involved in the design and creation of the new liturgical artistry program.

The Society of St. Pius X was uncompromising when it came to beauty in the new church. Working closely with Immaculata’s design team including leadership from the parish, Civium Architecture, BHS, and Hutton Construction, EverGreene embarked upon a concept design phase to visually articulate the desired meditation (based upon the Book of Revelation). Dedication to beauty didn’t mean resources were unlimited – an important aspect of the design phase was identifying cost effective ways to make such an ambitious vision possible.

The artwork is rooted in historic precedent (particularly St. Godhead in Hildesheim, Germany) but custom made for the new Immaculata. The cupola features a depiction of Our Lady as described in the apocalyptic imagery of Revelation. Pendentives traditionally include the Gospel writers or their tetramorphs, Immaculata invites contemplation of Mary’s relationship to salvation history by depicting scenes from each of the four gospels featuring the Blessed Mother. The sanctuary murals, inspired by the Ghent altarpiece, further unfold the meditation. Murals of the Stations of the Cross wrap the transepts, and the ceilings stars, symbols of the sacraments and appellations of Our Lady.

In addition to the elements painted and sculpted in EverGreene’s Brooklyn studio, EverGreene selected colors, and designed elements crafted marble by artisans in Italy and Turkey. Patterning and lettering throughout the nave support the architecture and create a strong sense of procession. The artwork also serves to disguise infrastructure such as speakers and sprinklers. The result of the collaborative approach is an impactful, well integrated interior that challenges the notion that glorious ecclesiastical architecture and craftsmanship is a thing of the past.