St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church
Liturgical Design, including Furnishings, Tabernacle, Stained Glass & Flooring
Nassau Bay, TX
Rohn Design created the complete Catholic liturgical design and sacred art program for St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Nassau Bay, TX.
Inspired by the theme "The Heavens Declare the Glory of God," the project features original liturgical art, custom stained glass windows, custom marble liturgical furnishings, and integrated church lighting design and interior details. The stained glass includes the Last Supper, scenes from the Life of Mary, and celestial imagery based on actual Hubble Space Telescope photographs, making the windows a defining part of the church’s sacred art program.
Located near NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the church is the first known Catholic worship space to incorporate actual astronomical imagery. Images of the Orion Nebula and Omega Nebula appear in the stained glass, connecting the vastness of creation with the church’s theme of God’s glory through Catholic sacred art and symbolism.
The custom liturgical furnishings were designed for the 800-seat nave, including the custom altar, custom ambo, baptismal font, and ambry. The Catholic altar is crafted from matching red marble and contains a reliquary with relics of seven saints, including St. Paul. The cross-shaped immersion baptismal font is crafted from red and black marble, with the red marble symbolizing Christ’s Passion and the martyrdom of St. Paul and the black interior representing the cleansing of sin through Baptism.
The chapel also features a custom tabernacle with sword imagery associated with the life of St. Paul, along with custom church seating and a Reserved Eucharist throne.
Download the full St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church liturgical design project profile to explore the complete scope of work.
Watch the PBS Arts InSight feature on St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church and its stained glass inspired by NASA’s Hubble images: Arts InSight visits Saint Paul’s Catholic Church.
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