Ave Maria Church in Florida Revisited

It’s been about a year since I visited Ave Maria near Ft Myers in Florida. Much of the detail work on the church is now complete.  By comparing these two pictures you can see that the 12 gold Apostles are now at home in their appropriate niches.

Most impressive however is the huge white marble relief that adorns the space above the entrance. This was most interesting to me because I had seen the carving beginning on my last visit.

Here is the before picture of the small model and one section of the final sculpture just getting started.

Another fascinating detail of the church is the huge cross with Jesus that hangs behind the altar. I was lucky enough to be there on the day that it was being hoisted into place.

The alcove that the cross hangs in is concave and the cross hangs freely in the space. Once lit with dramatic lighting the shadow effect is quite striking. The curved shadows show a side silhouette view of the figure.

Here’s a long view with those striking curved I-beams that interweave through the space above your head.

Here is a picture of one of the “Stations of the Cross” which line the sides of the sanctuary. These Stations are individually carved reliefs in marble as well. Each Station overtakes you with a sort of quiet reverence when you stop to view it. I found myself experiencing a deeper understanding of what Christ’s crucifixion was all about.