Church of St. Mary New Haven, CT · David Riccio · Photo by Robert Benson
For Building Committees
THE Liturgical Design Consultant
A congregation, parish, hospital, or school hires a liturgical design consultant when it plans to renovate its worship space or build a new church or chapel. The consultant works for the client alongside the pastor, the building committee, the architect, and the artists, and keeps the whole project centered on how the community worships. The consultant does the most good at the start, before design begins, while the important decisions remain open.
Helps the congregation, hospital, or school draw out its needs and desires for a renovated liturgical space or a new worship space or chapel.
Provides education and formation for the building committee and the congregation on the liturgical components of a worship space, grounded in the church documents of their denomination.
Helps the client hire an architect, if the client has not hired one yet.
Critiques the architect’s designs from a liturgical perspective through the schematic and construction documents phases, so the space will work for the way the congregation wants to celebrate the liturgy.
Helps the committee reach consensus when conflicts arise.
Advises the committee on the most effective designs for ritual objects: baptismal font, altar, ambo, cross, tabernacle, processional cross, and vessels.
Helps identify artists for commissions, assists in the dialogue with them and the negotiation of each commission, and critiques their design proposals.
Serves as liaison with the diocesan worship committee, where one exists.
Helps plan how the community will use the new space, from the celebration of the sacraments to the movement of liturgical ministers.
Marilyn Morgan, Liturgical Design Consultant, advising a Lutheran church in Boise, Idaho