Progress Continues on Small Chapel Renovation Project

Posted July 16, 2014 / Last updated August 1, 2014

Maintenance director Jimmy Huck, Bro. Billy Dardis, S.J., Pearl River Glass president Andrew Young, Fr. John Brown, S.J., and Fr. Raymond Fitzgerald, S.J. examine one of the small chapel’s stained glass windows up close. On Tuesday, July 16, the group toured the Pearl River Glass Studio and got an update on the progress of the stained glass window restoration.

The Chapel of the Holy Name of Jesus, the spiritual heart of the school, is currently undergoing its first renovation since it was originally constructed in 1901. Located in the administration wing of the main school building, the small chapel’s renovation and preservation began this summer and will continue through the fall.

A look at the chapel’s renovation progress so far:

The altar, pews, and other items have all been removed.
The pews are being repaired, restored, and re-stained.
The carpet and tile flooring have been removed. The hardwood floor that sat beneath the carpet and tile floors has been sanded and prepared for re-finishing.
The stained glass windows have been removed and transported to window restoration company Pearl River Glass. The cleaning, repair, and restoration of the windows have also begun. (Watch a video detailing how Jesuit’s stained glass windows will be repaired and restored.)
The paintings — Scenes from the Life of Our Lady and Heroic Women of the Old Testament — have been removed and transported to Hudson+Salah Art Conservation, the company that will complete the restoration of these important art pieces.

View a photo gallery of the small chapel renovation progress.

Originally built as the student chapel at the College of the Immaculate Conception on Baronne Street, the small chapel was moved to its current location in 1925-26. The stained glass windows and dome, altar, and pews of the chapel were relocated and reconstructed on site to serve as the Jesuit community’s domestic chapel.

While the Chapel of the North American Martyrs, or the large chapel, continues to be used for monthly Masses and services on holy days of obligation, the small chapel plays an integral part in the worship life of the Jesuit High School community. Students use the spiritual oasis for daily Mass, weekly adoration of the blessed sacrament, personal prayer and reflection throughout the school day, and team and class Masses. Many Jesuit mothers meet weekly for the Mothers’ Rosary Group. Alumni classes also hold reunion Masses in the small chapel.

Learn more about the “100-year renovation” of the Holy Name Chapel.

Galleries

Small Chapel Renovation Progress, July 2014

Workers begin removing the carpet and tile in the small chapel, uncovering the original hardwood floor, which will be restored and refinished. Photo taken May 27, 2014.
The hardwood floor beneath the carpet and tile was in good shape. Photo taken May 27, 2014.
After sanding and preparing the hardwood floors, a protective paper was laid down in anticipation of the remaining restoration work. Photo taken June 6, 2014.
Pearl River Glass carefully packs the truck used to transport the stained glass windows. Photo taken June 9, 2014.
The company created foam packing sheets that mimic the arc of the dome window sections. Photo taken June 9, 2014.
Workers carefully remove a section of stained glass from the dome. Photo taken June 9, 2014.
A worker vacuums some of the dust that had accumulated on the outside of the dome. The windows will be carefully cleaned several times before being repaired and restored. Photo taken June 9, 2014.
On July 15, Fr. Raymond Fitzgerald, S.J., Fr. John Brown, S.J., Bro. Billy Dardis, S.J. and maintenance director Jimmy Huck toured the Pearl River Glass facility in Jackson, Miss. They also got an update on the progress of the restoration of the stained glass windows. Here, a Pearl River Glass employee scrapes away old cementing compound on a section of the stained glass dome.
Bro. Dardis looks at the progress on a panel from the glass dome.
Fr. Fitzgerald marvels at the difference in the vivid colors and intricate detail of the sections of the dome that have been cleaned and repaired. With more than a century of exposure to the elements, the dome had developed cracks, breakage, and was in dire need of cleaning. The restored pieces will now shine brighter and the handpainted detail will be more visible to chapel visitors than ever before. Also pictured are Andrew Young, president of Pearl River Glass, and Jimmy Huck, Jesuit's director of maintenance.
This section of the stained glass dome is almost unrecognizable after being cleaned and restored.
Andrew Young, president of Pearl River Glass Studio, points out some of the work his company has been doing on the windows.
Fr. John Brown, S.J. watches as a Pearl River Glass employee cleans the leading of the windows.
Part of the restoration includes disassembling the windows so that the individual pieces of stained glass can be cleaned and broken pieces can be repaired.
Once each individual piece is cleaned and repairs are made, the window is re-leaded.
The centerpiece of the dome has been removed and cleaned.
The group looks at one of the windows up close. From left, maintenance director Jimmy Huck, Bro. Billy Dardis, S.J., Pearl River Glass president Andrew Young, Fr. John Brown, S.J., and Fr. Raymond Fitzgerald, S.J.
Pearl River Glass will employ some of the same techniques and craftsmanship used when the century-old windows were originally created.
Pearl River Glass president Andrew Young talks with Fr. Fitzgerald and Fr. Brown about the incredible detail and craftsmanship apparent in Jesuit's windows.
A temporary clear glass was put in the place of the stained glass windows. The temporary glass will help protect the chapel from the elements while the stained glass windows and chapel itself are being renovated.
A view facing where the altar was, showing how the dome has been removed. Photo taken July 16, 2014.
With many of the chapel's signature elements removed, the room is ready for its renovation. Photo taken July 16, 2014.