College bell tower extends higher Third tier added at Thomas Aquinas
(September 15, 2007)
Workers on Friday placed the third tier on a new bell tower topping
a chapel that will become the physical and spiritual center of Thomas
Aquinas College in Santa Paula.
"The chapel was always conceived of as the grandest and most
important building on campus," said Peter DeLuca, vice president
for finance and administration. "This is a Catholic campus."
Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel, expected to open in fall
2008, will cost $21 million.
Funding is coming from a seven-year campaign that has raised nearly
$75 million so far.
Money from the campaign also will go toward student financial aid,
ongoing operations, and an endowment, said Ann Forsyth, director
of college relations.
The chapel, modeled on a 13th-century Florentine cathedral, will
feature an Italian marble floor, ornate plaster work and high windows
that let in "lots of light," DeLuca said.
The three bells are coming from a Chicago church built toward the
end of the Civil War and closed in 1989 because of declining attendance.
The bell tower and dome rise above the skyline, making the chapel
visible from off campus.
"People are noticing them," DeLuca said. "They're
becoming more aware of the presence of a college here."
While the chapel's interior is designed to be soaring, the building's
footprint is actually the same size as the campus library, DeLuca
said.
The chapel will be large enough to accommodate all 350 students
at Thomas Aquinas, as well as faculty and staff, DeLuca said.
Thomas Aquinas moved to its present campus in 1978, opening with
all modular buildings. The first permanent building, a dining hall,
opened at the end of the first year. Other permanent buildings were
built in the late 1980s, DeLuca said.
The chapel will be the 12th of 15 buildings planned for the campus.
This article originally appeared in the Ventura County Star
on September 15, 2007. Reprinted from venturacountystar.com
with express permission.
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