Chapel Renovations

In 2015, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary completed a renovation of the Chapel of St. Joseph. The seminary is grateful to the many donors to the Faith for the Future Campaign who made this project possible.

Project Details

  • The new altar was consecrated and the new ambo was commissioned by Archbishop Robert J. Carlson on May 3, 2015.
  • A.E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Company removed the existing organ and installed a new III-manual, 38-rank organ.
  • The new altar of sacrifice contains relics of four saints. The relics of St. Vincent of Saragossa and St. Benignus had been placed in the original altar in 1932 and were moved to the new altar. The relics of St. John Vianney and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne were gifted to the seminary by Archbishop Carlson and deposited in the altar.
  • A wooden ciborium (baldacchino) was installed in the apse. Its steel structural pillars are encased by wood to match the rest of the sanctuary furnishings, including a new presider’s chair, deacons’ chairs, permanent apse seating for concelebrants, servers’ benches, a cantor stand, and hymn boards.
  • The painting of the chapel ceiling has been completed with stars, sunbursts, and rays of light. According to McCrery Architects, the intent of the painting details is to “reflect the perfected heavenly realm.”
  • A new sound system and audio/visual system has been installed. The lighting throughout the chapel has been improved.

Special Thanks

Our chapel is dedicated under the patronage of St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and a carpenter by trade. In this light, we offer our deepest gratitude to the many artisans, craftsmen, designers and engineers who have labored under his patronage to build a dwelling truly fitting for the worship of Almighty God.

BSI Constructors – General Contractor (Paul Shaughnessy, Bill Hinds, Brad Strode)

McCrery Architects – Architectural Design (James McCrery, Ron Herr)

A.E. Schlueter – Pipe Organ

Bazan Painting (painting), Mountain View Millworks (millwork), Rugo Stone (stone and marble), Freedom Products (pew refinish), Kay Bee Electric (electrical), Will St. John (artist, Death of St. Joseph), Saint Louis Antique Lighting (decorative lighting refinish), Cignal Systems (audio), Flooring Systems (floor refinish), Woemmel Plastering (plaster repair), and Platinum Scaffolding (scaffold).

St. Louis Review | Joseph Kenny | March 25, 2015

Below, craftsmen sawed boards and above, electricians worked on wiring in the attic of the St. Joseph Chapel at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury as renovation makes its way toward a late-spring completion.

The work is the final phase of the seminary renovation funded by the Faith for the Future campaign. The rest of the project at the college and graduate school of theology, which serves seminarians for the Archdiocese of St. Louis and other dioceses and religious communities, was completed in the fall of 2012. The chapel is to be consecrated on Sunday, May 3.

Immediately, the ceiling stands out. It has been been resurfaced, painted with stars, sunbursts and rays of light. “It’s the heavens,” architect James McCrery said.

The Herald | Spring 2015 

The saying “saving the best for last” is ringing true in the halls of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. The last piece of the overall campus renovations is currently under construction: the Chapel of St. Joseph.

In July, A.E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Builders removed the old organ so they could begin work on the new organ. In November, the sanctuary furnishings and pews were removed and the auditorium was converted into a temporary chapel. The major aspects of the renovations include the restoration and extension of the pews, the painting of the ceiling, and the construction and installation of the new sanctuary furnishings and organ. The renovations will be completed in April and the new altar will be consecrated on May 3rd.