HCH photos by Anna Weaver

The new cathedra below the original crucifix and mosaic

Renovation of the co-cathedral

A turn to the past, with an eye on the future

By Anna Weaver | Hawaii Catholic Herald

A visit to the newly renovated Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa was a step back in time to when the current church structure was first built in 1963. The church seating, altar and sanctuary have been turned back to the original vertical orientation facing east, reversing a major renovation made 25 years ago when the parish church gained the designation of co-cathedral.

According to St. Theresa’s rector, Father William Kunisch, the goal of the church’s reconfiguration was to renew the space “but still recognize the Vatican II changes.”

“The aim was to better utilize the space in a way that’s consistent with the original architecture of the church, to maximize seating capacity, and to make the primary symbols of the liturgy more obvious,” he said.

The idea to change the co-cathedral’s interior came up in mid-2007. Renovations began this past June 15. Most of the work is slated for completion by St. Theresa’s rededication Mass on Sept. 27*, although Mass has already been celebrated in the church since Sept. 5.

On Sept. 10, in between discussions with the renovation contractors, testing the church sound system and dealing with other parish business, Father Kunisch pointed out what has changed in the “new” St. Theresa. Seating has been increased from 600 to 750 people and 60 concelebrating priests can now fit in the sanctuary space behind the altar.

A new marble ambo has been placed in a more prominent spot. The custom-made marble altar is positioned further forward on the sanctuary space. A large marble cathedra was installed against the sanctuary wall under the huge crucifix and surrounding mosaic.

The not-yet-complete baptismal font, octagonal to illustrate “new life,” sits on axis with the altar and near the main church entrances, and is positioned over a marble, cross-shaped floor inlay. All of these changes were done to emphasize liturgical symbols.

“Some were worried that we would lose the sense of community that was in the old space, but I think it’s still present in the new configuration,” Father Kunisch said. “In the end it’s the people that make the liturgy.”

Originally to be called, St. Vincent Ferrer, the first St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church was dedicated on July 19, 1931, and instead named after St. Teresa of Lisieux, because of the widespread devotion to her that had developed since her canonization in 1925.

That wooden church sat 400 people, and was attached to the original rectory and school. Intended only as a temporary building, it lasted more than 30 years before being torn down and replaced with the present church structure, dedicated on Aug. 15, 1963.

Renovations were done in 1985 renovation prior to St. Theresa’s elevation to co-cathedral status on July 28 of that year. Those changes reoriented the church horizontally, relocated the altar in a more central position, closer to most of the people, hung a new large semi-circular bridge of light fixtures above the sanctuary, and installed a new altar, ambo, presider’s chair, stations of the cross and total immersion baptistery.

In his homily at the co-cathedral’s elevation, Bishop Joseph A. Ferrario said that the 1985 renovation’s “primary object was to achieve a liturgical space that would be ideal for the worship of a Vatican II Church about to enter into the 21st century. The secondary object, but not less important, was to achieve a place of worship that would be ideal for diocesan celebrations.”

As a co-cathedral, St. Theresa could hold large diocesan liturgical events that could not be accommodated at the smaller Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace.

The 2009 renovation costs are estimated at $700,000 to $800,000, with only a portion of the cost coming from the diocese. Father Kunisch said that St. Theresa’s parish share of the Grateful Hearts campaign will go toward the renovation and the rest of the expenses were covered by “cash on hand.”

He noted that “most of the renovation would have needed to have been done even if we had left it in the old configuration.” These repairs and refurbishing included fixing the leaking roof, replacing all the church doors that were “literally falling off their hinges,” getting new pews and chairs, fixing the organ, and putting in some new windows.

The old altar platform, which is no longer in the church, would have needed to be replaced, he said. Air conditioning the church will be done in the next six months as well as the window replacement.

The parish is planning a “Year of Jubilee” starting with the church’s Sept. 27 rededication and ending on the parish’s feast day on Oct. 1, 2010. Sacred music concerts, tours of the church, ecumenical events and Mass intercessions for all churches in the diocese are scheduled.

Father Kunisch said that presiding at the first Mass back in the reconfigured space on Sept. 5 “was beautiful.”

“It’s really a different experience of the liturgy,” he said.

*After this article's Sept. 18 publication, the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa announced that due to contractor delays, the Sept. 27 dedication of its new altar would be postponed until a future date to be announced.