St. Helen Catholic Church

Vero Beach, Florida

The Romanesque style of St. Helen Catholic Church set the tone for designing the new liturgical decoration. Overall, the gray and gold tones harken back to the architecture constructed during St. Helen’s life (~244-333 ce). As you take a closer look at this space, you will see our work through custom stencils, murals, gilding, and furnishing design.

SANCTUARY

The apse here is shown as an earthly depiction of Heaven. The mural shows the garden of Heaven, with perfectly pruned, straight trees in an orderly arrangement with other fruiting plants and flowers. Twelve sheep, six to a side, represent Christ’s Apostles moving toward the center of the picture, where Mount Sinai rises, where they can meet the Lord. The clouds are shown with the light of the rising sun and represent the cloud that God the Father spoke to Peter, James, and John during the Transfiguration of Christ (Luke 9:28-36). The top center cloud behind the baldacchino shows the Hand of God. The Hand of God, along with the light cast upon the clouds, representing the Holy Spirit, and the cross above the altar of repose, completes the depiction of the Holy Trinity. The apse ceiling shows a cross on each side of the ceiling, flanked by the four, six-winged seraphim, guardians of Christ’s throne, and the highest in the order of angels.

The new, wooden altar of repose and baldacchino were designed by our team at Conrad Schmitt Studios in collaboration with New Holland Church furniture. These new furniture pieces replaced the modern-styled pieces. This further coalesces the unity of this sacred space. The altar of repose was created in a Romanesque style, housing the tabernacle which is surrounded by painted figures of St. Malchizedek, St. Abraham, St. Aaron and Jesus .

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CROSSING AND GREAT ARCH

The nave walls have a cross pattern symbolizing not only Christ, but the true cross that St. Helen had discovered. The nave walls at the crossing are decorated with scrolling roses on a gold-toned background. On each side there are three medallions for a total of six medallions. These feature St. Joan of Arc, St. John Bosco and the Blessed Mother, and St. Cecelia on one side, and St. Therese of Liseux, St. Louis and Zelie Martin, and St. Francis de Sales on the other. Moving to the great arch, this part of the church is the closest to the apse and the Lamb of God surrounded by blossoming roses on a golden field, ushers the congregation into the earthly representation of Heaven.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

New hand-painted murals on canvas and installed in new custom-designed wooden frames to match the style of the sanctuary furniture and accented with 23 kt gold leaf.

COLUMNS NAVE

The faux stone columns suggest strength and offer a visual foundation to the architecture. The stone columns that place the congregation are the foundation of the Church, made of living stones (1 Peter 2:5). The pilasters, rising from the columns, are adorned with intertwining acanthus plants. These plants, symbolic of resurrection and everlasting life, grow up toward Heaven.

CEILING

Supported by the columns and pilasters is the nave ceiling. The nave gets its name from the Latin word navis, meaning ship, an early Christian symbol of the vehicle that takes us to Heaven. The wooden rafters, purlins, and joists supporting the ceiling represent the materials and construction that have been used in shipbuilding. Looking through the wood framing, the dramatic, blue, starry ceiling welcomes us on our journey to heaven.

MURALS

Shown below is our mural work that depicts Constantine’s Vision. This mural encapsulates the events of two remarkable days in the Emperor Constantine’s life. It was with fervent prayer to God to help him in his present difficulties that Constantine was bestowed a vision of the sign of a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, bearing the inscription “In Hoc Signo Vinces.”  Witnessed by his whole army, he was struck with amazement by the sight. Constantine is represented here on a pedestal, directing our eyes to the miraculous vision. His army looks on with astonishment. In the far distance opposing forces advance over the Milvian Bridge.

Below is our mural situated directly across from Constantine’s Vision and depicts St. Helen and the Finding of the True Cross. In the early 4th century, St. Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine, embarked on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. As tradition tells us, three crosses were uncovered, and at the direction of the Bishop of Jerusalem, each should be touched by a very sick individual to identify the true cross. It was by the healing of an infirm woman at the touch of the True Cross that confirmed its authenticity. In this mural, St. Helen looks on with awe as the True Cross is being lifted out of the earth. Bishop Macarios draws the viewer in with his eyes and points to the cross. The sick woman awaits her miraculous healing. Behind the titulus and nails, ruins of a pagan temple, ordered by St. Helen to be torn down, lie.