Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel

A New Corpus, A New Life

A New Corpus, A New Life

LOCATION

Northfield, Massachusetts

YEAR

2022

CLIENT

Thomas Aquinas College

The project at Thomas Aquinas College's East Coast Campus Chapel required the conversion of a plain, once-Anglican interior to one of unapologetic Catholicism for the community, students, and faculty. Completed in collaboration with Harrison Design, the interior was reimagined as a highly decorated chapel but within the country Gothic simplicity already provided by the architectural lines of the 1909 building. New designs in the form of several watercolor renderings developed a color palette derived from the colors found in the Mother of Perpetual Help icon and stencil decorations unique to the interior. The once-white walls were painted warm tones of blue and gold to complement the natural wood and bring its warmth to life. To draw attention to the sanctuary and tabernacle, patterns were embellished with gold leaf and furniture was accented in gold to highlight beautifully carved details. To ground the design in natural materials, we created a limestone finish at the sanctuary arch and window casings, perfectly mimicking stone. The design is full of Catholic symbolism celebrating the saints, the ritual of the Mass, and the devotion to Mary, the Mother of God.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Robert Benson