St Thomas More Church at SJU

St Thomas More Church at SJU

New church at St. John’s University main campus.

New church at St. John’s University main campus.

LOCATION

Queens, New York Campus of St. John’s University

YEAR

2005

CLIENT

St John's University

St. Thomas More Church is a 13,400 sq.ft. church on the main campus of St. John's University in Queens, New York, dedicated by Cardinal Egan in November of 2004. A campus church had been a dream of the St. John's community since its inception over a century ago. Following exhaustive studies for the siting of the church, an old rendering was discovered in a campus basement that revealed the location of the church is as anticipated by the original campus master plan. The main church entry is on axis with the oldest building on campus, St. John Hall.

The church stands prominently on the campus green, a sanctuary for students and educators. SJU is a Vincentian Center engaged in worldwide outreach efforts to the needy. The University deemed it essential that the church embody the vision and spirit of St. Vincent de Paul, and provide spiritual education opportunities as well.

The church design evolved in collaboration with a group of world class artisans and includes major stained glass works, Florentine mosaics, and a new pipe organ. The life & works of St. Vincent de Paul are portrayed in expansive Florentine mosaics inside the elliptical form of the sky lit baptistery.

The sanctuary is a central plan, symbolizing the universality of the church with Christ the divine center, with a balance of all people in curved pews around the altar. There is no sanctuary platform and the celebrants share the floor with the gathered assembly.

"After interviewing six architectural firms, each of which had built fine churches, we selected the firm of Martin A. De Sapio, AIA. The firm had designed several churches, some of which we visited; each one impressed us for its fidelity to the principles of Vatican Council II and because it looked as though it belonged to its neighborhood. The churches, taken as a group, were quite distinct, which led us to think that the architects would collaborate with us, not arrive at the first meeting with a complete design of what our church should be."

Julia A. Upton, RSM, Ph.D., Provost Emerita – St. John’s University

PHOTOGRAPHY

Taylor Photo