| St. Thomas of Villanova Church | |
|---|---|
 St. Thomas of Villanova Church January, 2018 | |
 St. Thomas of Villanova Church | |
| 40°02′10″N75°20′36″W / 40.0360°N 75.3433°W /40.0360; -75.3433 | |
| Location | Villanova, Pennsylvania |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.stthomasofvillanova.org |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church University Chapel |
| Founded | October 13, 1841 (1841-10-13) |
| Dedication | Thomas of Villanova |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Edwin F. Durang |
| Style | Gothic revival |
| Groundbreaking | March 29, 1883 |
| Completed | 1887 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of spires | 2 |
| Spire height | 137 ft (42 m) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Philadelphia |
| Parish | St. Thomas of Villanova Parish Rosemont, Pennsylvania |
| Clergy | |
| Pastor(s) | Fr. Joseph Genito,OSA |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | Dr. Edward Latham |
St. Thomas of Villanova Church is aCatholic church on the campus ofVillanova University inVillanova, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1887, it had long been the center ofAugustinian activity in theUnited States, and still plays an important role within the order's local province. Today, the church functions as a parish church as well as the university chapel. The church's dualGothic revival spires have long been symbolic of the university.
The land on which the church and school sit was purchased from the Rudolph family by theAugustinians on October 13, 1841. The intent was to create a center of Augustinian life; an organized program of education for thepriesthood, which became Villanova University; and an academy for Catholic boys, which now exists asMalvern Preparatory School. In 1843, Villanova College opened its doors for its first few classes, becoming the center of Augustinian life in the United States, a position it would retain for over 70 years.[1]
Ground was broken for the church on March 29, 1883. Thecornerstone was laid on June 3, 1883, and blessed byJeremiah F. Shanahan,Bishop of Harrisburg. The building project was begun under the leadership of the Augustinian provincial, Fr. Christopher McEvoy,O.S.A. along with thepastor,prior, and president of Villanova College, Fr. Joseph A. Coleman, O.S.A. The church was completed in 1887 under Reverend James J. Blake, O.S.A.[2]
The architect of the Gothic Revival church,Edwin F. Durang of thePhiladelphia architectural firm ofJohn E. Carver, based the 137 feet (42 m) twinspires of the church on the south spire of the 13th century Frenchcathedral atChartres.[3] With no known claim to the contrary, it is assumed that, at the time of its construction, the church's spires were the tallest man-made structure between theDelaware River andLancaster.[2]
Fr. Thomas Middleton, an Augustinian historian, states in his 1893 account of the building of the church that Durang designed the building "façade with two towers, each 18 square feet and 63 feet high, surmounted by eight-sided spires.... Durang created a European-like interior, measuring 60 feet in breadth and 143 ½ feet in length, exclusive of the sacristy, [which includes a] prolongation of thesanctuary, terminating in a large deepapsidal choir for the use of the religious.... The interior woodwork is all of oak including the pews and the stalls in the choir for the fraternity. The choir is divided by six clustered columns supportinggroined arches. The side aisles of the nave are divided into six bays, each 15 square feet, also with groined ceiling."[3]
The original church contained sevenaltars: four for the congregation, one in the side chapel ofOur Lady of Good Counsel, and the other two in the retrochoir. Standing in the center of thesacristy, the main altar was made of Italian polishedmarble with Indiana stone filigree screen. The altar had two tables and doubletabernacles, one facing the congregation, and the other choir. It was not unusual for twomasses to be said simultaneously. However, as the number of congregants increased, the filigree screen was removed to enable all to see the service.[2]
The church's interior was originally very ornate, in keeping with the taste of the times, includingfaux marble,gilded columns and walls, and largeoil painted murals of "TheAssumption ofSt. Joseph" and "Our Mother of Good Counsel". The seven-sectioneddome in the apse contained life-sized paintings indistemper ofSt. Thomas of Villanova,St. Augustine andSt. Patrick, and oval medallions containingbusts of theFour Evangelists. Deterioration caused these dome paintings to be replaced in the 1940s.[2]
In preparation for the 1943centennial of Villanova University, a major renovation of the church was authorized by Augustinian Provincial, Reverend Fr. Sheehan, O.S.A. The décor of the church was changed and simplified, being repainted in tones ofecru andtaupe.[2]
In the 1960s, novel liturgical fads posed a significant challenge to churches such as Villanova, as itscruciform design was not easily modified. Fr. Henry Greenlee, O.S.A. oversaw the first significant modifications based on the trends en vogue among liturgists at that time, as he commissioned the installation of a temporary wooden altar which faced the congregation. Later, a permanent, smaller marble altar was installed on a single tier with the marble altarrailings removed.[2]
While many emergency repairs had been made to the church throughout its existence, none addressed the larger problems of structural reinforcement,electrical updating,climate control, and adequatesound systems. Under the direction of Fr. Anthony Genovese, the parish and university communities commissioned a major renovation in 1992.[2]
Today the church is nearly entirelywhitewashed on the interior, and lit by bluestained glass windows. Much of the original decoration has been preserved, although moved to different locations in the parish andcampus. The windows enclosing thenave depict the life of St. Augustine.[2]
The church today is the center of religious life of Villanova University and theparish of St. Thomas of Villanova. With Rosemont Chapel in nearbyRosemont, Pennsylvania, the parish hosts four weekend masses for the parishioners and three Sunday night masses for the students at the university, as well as daily masses at Corr Chapel on the university's campus.[4]
The Sunday night student-oriented masses are strengthened by the participation of Villanova University's Pastoral Musicians. The largest music group on campus, Pastoral Musicians boasts over 60 singers in theSATB choir, as well as over a dozen instrumentalists[5]
The church is also a popular site for studentweddings, as well as forfunerals for prominent members of the university.
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