Ascension Catholic Church, San Diego, CA
Ascension Catholic Church constructed in 1982 was originally designed as a multi-purpose facility that would support Worship, fellowship and meetings. The space was designed with low flat acoustic ceilings and operable walls to divide the space into smaller meeting rooms.
A phased master plan was prepared that included the addition of a new Parish Hall, courtyard and renovation of the Church. The Church renovation goals were to make it a reverent sacred space as well as re-orient the main entry towards the new courtyard. The Parish Hall and Courtyard were completed in 2012, and the Church was completed and Dedicated in March 2023.
The roofline and structure were not modified. The interior was stripped down to the structure, exposing higher volumes necessary for a vibrant worship space. The ceilings of the new space are optimized to add volume, scale between the existing structure, with a hierarchical gabled wood ceiling over the center aisle. A new Main Entry and Narthex were added to connect to the courtyard space.
A new cross-topped open tower was built, creating a central gathering and focal point on the campus. Under the tower are a pair of large embossed copper clad Main Doors that contain messages of the Beatitudes, reminding us of Christ’s teachings at the transition between the secular and Sacred worlds.
The Baptismal Font is hand crafted and carved Huancayo Travertine with gold and glass mosaics in the basin and infant bowl. There is a removable floor of glass and steel over the lower basin that allows views of the Living Waters of Christ flowing quietly from the infant basin into the lower vessel. During Baptisms, the floor is removed. The Baptismal Font is connected by material to the main aisle and an enlarged Sanctuary, located under the original clerestory window, moved closer with permanent pews that wrap around for a more inclusive worship experience.
The Huancayo Limestone Altar and Ambo are adorned with glass and gold mosaics, let into the carved stone. The Sanctuary has a large mosaic Reredos Wall. The wall has a combination of stone and glass mosaics and stained glass. Christ’s Ascension into Heaven, the sigil of the Parish, is depicted in the clerestory lit glass. To each side of the stained glass is a stone and glass mosaic emphasizing the upward Ascension of Christ. The brass Tabernacle is flanked by two hand carved wood Angels. In the Chapel, the two-sided Tabernacle is again flanked by two hand carved wooden Angels.