The Exterior
 |
| The Chapel's cruciform shape resembles the
crucified Christ. The sanctuary represents Our Lord's sacred
head, the transept His arms outstretched on the cross, and the
nave His body. |
"The structure and symbolism of the Chapel is
indeed a sign that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is central
to the life at Thomas Aquinas College."
-His Eminence Christoph Cardinal Schönborn,
O.P.
Archbishop of Vienna
February 13, 2009
|
 |
| Positioned at the head of the academic quadrangle,
Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel reflects the vital
role that faith plays in Thomas Aquinas College's primary activity
— the pursuit of wisdom. As a sign that the Chapel is the
most important building on campus, the Chapel is larger and
taller than any other structure, and incorporates more elaborate
architectural features as well as finer construction materials.
|
Our Lady of New York (below) is a gift of the Honorable
William P. Clark, a longtime friend of the College who has served
as co-chairman of its Comprehensive Campaign. The statue is a replica
of one that appears in Manhattan's St. Patrick's Cathedral and is
a fitting reminder of Thomas Aquinas College's warm, longstanding
relationship with the Archdiocese of New York. The late John Cardinal
O'Connor was the College's Commencement Speaker in 1989 and the
Keynote Speaker at its 25th Anniversary Dinner in 1996.
Two of the College's alumni now serve as priests in the Archdiocese
of New York, which is also home to many of Thomas Aquinas College's
students and governors, both past and present.
For 12 years, Our Lady of New York has watched over the site of
Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel after the Chapel grounds
were blessed in 1996.
The location of the Chapel and its arcade allows for a series
of adjoining, terraced gardens, which provide quiet places for students
to pray, study, or relax.
 |
Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel's
135-foot-high bell tower rings out the Angelus
three times each day, evoking California's Mission history.
It has three tiers that house three bells, symbolic of
the Triune God. At the top of the tower rests an iron
cross, a sign to all of the sacred place that lies below.
As Providence would have it, the top-most tier and the
cross were hoisted into place on September 14, 2007 —
the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
|
"Its bell tower will be an exclamation point
or a kind of lighthouse for the entire campus, indicating
that the search for wisdom is basic to this academic community."
- His Eminence J. Francis Cardinal Stafford
Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Peneitentiary
Thomas Aquinas College Commencement Address
May 17, 2008
|
|
 |
The dome, rising 89 feet above the crossing
of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel's transept and
nave, symbolizes continuity with Rome. It is capped by a 16-foot
lantern, atop which rests a 10-foot gilded cross. The dome's
12 windows represent the 12 Apostles.
|
|
The Chapel's front façade is seen as a porta coeli,
or "gate of heaven," with a triumphal archway through
which the faithful enter. The porta coeli is a gift
of Thomas Aquinas College parents, past and present.
|
 |
The Doctors
Flanking the Chapel's central archway are niches with two saintly
mentors, St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. These sculptures
call to mind the College's classical curriculum, which culminates
in the works of the Church's two greatest theologians, who are called
"doctors" from the Latin verb docere, to teach.
St. Augustine's teaching pose represents the active life, with
his right hand clutching a book and his left pointing outward. St.
Thomas' pose, conversely, represents the contemplative life, with
his gaze lifted heavenward and rosary beads hanging by his left
side. Since both doctors were active as well as contemplative, their
respective poses could easily have been reversed. Taken together,
they speak to the need for both good works and contemplation in
the life of the Christian.
Left: St. Augustine is shown with a bishop's mitre at his
feet and a burning heart on his chest, symbolizing his ardent
love of God. He stands atop a pedestal bearing the words doctor
gratiae (Doctor of Grace). Appearing above St. Augustine's
statue is a marble tondo, or circular relief, with a white
dove representing the Holy Spirit's inspiration.
Right: St. Thomas Aquinas is depicted holding an open book,
with a quill in his right hand, signifying the transmission
of his wisdom through his writings. On his chest is the sun,
to which Pope Leo XIII once likened St. Thomas because "he
heated the world with the warmth of his virtues and filled
it with the splendor of his teaching." Below, the inscription
reads doctor communis (Common Doctor), referring to his role
as the premier and universal teacher of the Church. The tondo
above St. Thomas features a gold solar monstrance, reflecting
his great devotion to our Eucharistic Lord.
|
The Loggia
The barrel-vaulted loggia is located between the stone arch of
the front façade and the great bronze doors of the Chapel.
A buffer between the hustle and bustle of the academic quadrangle
and the solemn quiet within the Chapel, the loggia will house a
plaque commemorating the many generous benefactors who have helped
to make Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel a reality.
|
The Chapel's bronze doors feature six panels
that will one day depict scenes from the life of the Blessed
Mother, just as the golden door of the Chapel's tabernacle
depicts six scenes from the life of Christ.
|
Passing from the loggia into the nave, one sees above the Chapel's
bronze doors a bas relief of Our Lady at her Coronation, surrounded
by the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity.
The relief also depicts four saints known for their devotion to
Our Lady: On the far left, St. Dominic prays beside a lily, symbolizing
his chastity. Beside him stands St. Bernard of Clairvaux with a
beehive at his feet, signifying his eloquence. (St. Bernard's words,
tradition tells us, were sweeter than honey.) To the right of God
the Father is St. Cyril of Alexandria, a Doctor of the Church, depicted
with his papal mitre and a Bible. (At the Council of Ephesus in
431, St. Cyril passionately and successfully defended the use of
the title Theotokos, or Mother of God, for Our Lady.) On
the far right kneels St. Louis de Montfort, holding a cross as a
symbol of his devotion to the Lord.
Just below the relief is the inscription hic domus dei est
et porta coeli - "This is a house of God and gate of heaven,"
the words that Jacob uttered upon awaking from his heavenly dream,
when he vowed to build a temple to God on the very spot where he
had slept (Gen. 28:17).
|
