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A Compendium of the Chapel of the Holy Cross

Introduction

Jesuit High School’s Chapel of the Holy Cross was dedicated by the Most Reverend Michael Barber, S.J., Bishop of the Diocese of Oakland on August 7, 2018, the 204th anniversary of the universal restoration of the Society of Jesus. The Reverend Richard C. Hermes, S.J., President of Jesuit High School from 2008-2024, celebrated the chapel’s first school-wide student Mass on September 14, 2018, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This is the titular feast of the chapel. The first student convocation, honoring the school’s Saint Ignatius Scholars, was held two weeks later on September 27, the anniversary of the confirmation of the Society of Jesus in 1540. Daily student use of the chapel began from that date. 

Designed by Duncan G. Stroik, professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame, the Chapel of the Holy Cross is a classical church in the tradition of the Italian Renaissance. With its simple brick exterior, a Palladian Doric portico, and four round windows, the chapel references the simplicity of early Christian and Renaissance churches in Venice and Rome. The centralized plan and octagonal interior recall the shape of Saint Anthony’s Chapel, Jesuit’s student chapel from 1963-2016. They also connect with the Catholic tradition of baptisteries and pilgrim churches, including the Shrine dedicated to Saint Ignatius at the Loyola family castle in Spain. The design of the chapel further references the American classical tradition that places emphasis on stained glass interiors. The name, the symbols, the inscriptions, and the artwork reflect the historic contributions of the Jesuit Order to sacred art.

The Holy Cross Chapel compendium below is structured into 11 sections:

I.                   Exterior Façade
II.                 Chapel Interior
III.               Shrines of the Martyrs
IV.                Stations of the Cross
V.                 Stained Glass
VI.               The Four Evangelists
VII.              Sanctuary
VIII.             Inscriptions
IX.               Relics of the Chapel
X.                 Architectural Materials
XI.               Designers and Commissioned Artists

 

I. Exterior Façade

Standing in Oliva Courtyard near the alumni memorial fountain facing east, the visitor has a clear view of the chapel’s façade and its pitched roof crowned by the octagonal lantern. Rising above the lantern is a gold-leafed metal Cross situated on a globe. The Cross itself is crisscrossed by two rays forming the Greek letter Chi, the first letter in the Greek spelling of Christ. The rays appear in the form of two spears, a reference to the piercing of Our Lord’s side as he hung upon the Cross, a visual reminder of the Passion at Calvary. This version of the Cross finds its most important precedent in the Cross at Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Holy Cross in Jerusalem), an ancient basilica in Rome dedicated to the relics of Our Lord’s Passion. The pinnacle of the Cross atop the Chapel of the Holy Cross measures 125 feet from the ground. Resting astride the globe the Cross is a proclamation of Christ’s redemption of the whole world – We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Lantern Windows
The eight stained glass windows in the lantern, each standing 15 feet tall, display in their images the pathways by which Christ’s redemption reaches the faithful. The window facing west is an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, oriented in the same direction as the window of the Sacred Heart formerly above the entrance doors of St. Anthony’s Chapel. The other seven windows represent the Sacraments, through which the grace of salvation, flowing from the heart of Christ pierced on the Cross, saves the world. Depicted counter-clockwise from the eastern window, they are: Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist ((the sacraments of initiation); Penance and Anointing of the Sick (the sacraments of healing); Holy Orders and Matrimony (sacraments at the service of communion). 

 

Arma Christi
The façade of the chapel contains several references to the Cross of Christ and the spiritual tradition of the Society of Jesus in reference to the Cross. Above the arched stained glass on either side are limestone roundels, or medallions, that depict various instruments of the Passion. Such symbols are known as arma Christi – the “weapons” of Christ. 

The roundel on the right shows three instruments:

  • the crown of thorns
  • the nails that pierced Christ’s hands and feet
  • the inscription affixed to the top of the Cross, I.N.R.I. – standing for Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum – Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 

The roundel to the left of the window depicts four additional instruments:

  • the lance
  • the hammer
  • the sponge with hyssop
  • the bottle from which bitter wine was taken to be placed on our Lord’s lips.

Entry Portico
The portico, with its detailed carvings, is upheld by four 24-foot-tall Doric columns made of Indiana limestone. Each column, composed of three large stones (nine thousand pounds each), weighs nearly 14 tons. The portico provides shelter and a gathering place at the entrance to the chapel. Its pavement is made of Pennsylvania blue stone.

A gold-leafed inscription of the Jesuit motto, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam – For the Greater Glory of God, is carved into the center of the limestone pediment just above the Doric columns. This inscription announces clearly the chapel’s primary purpose: to foster among the students the daily worship that gives glory to God.

On the lintel above the central doors is an inscription giving a salvific welcome to all visitors, Ave Crux Spes Unica – Hail, O Cross, our only Hope. 

Above the inscription is a six-foot-tall escutcheon, hand-carved in limestone, that bears the seal of the Society of Jesus. The letters IHS, a symbol representing the name of the Savior (the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek), is adorned with the customary cross and three nails. This escutcheon is modeled on the seal at the entrance of the Gesú, the mother church of the Jesuits in Rome. It reminds our students of the school’s founding by the Jesuit Order in 1899 and its enduring identity as a Catholic school under the direction of the Jesuit fathers.

The portico contains the main entry-point into the chapel via a monumental central doorway with two side doors framed in limestone.

Cornerstone
The cornerstone was dedicated before the whole student body on September 29, 2017. The limestone facing north commemorates the year of its dedication, Anno Domini MMXVII – in the year of Our Lord 2017. The stone facing west, toward the courtyard, captures the wisdom of Saint Bruno, the founder of the Carthusians, Stat Crux dum volvitur orbis – The Cross stands firm while the world turns. This famous saying, most appropriate for the new chapel’s name, indicates the enduring reference point that the Holy Cross provides, in spite of all the turbulence and disruptions of daily life and human history. The Cross of Christ and all who embrace it stand firm. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, whose statue is nearby, had a deep devotion to Saint Bruno and a special affection for the Carthusians and their way of life.

Exterior Statues
To the left and right of the portico are grand niches reserved for the founders of the Society of Jesus. The two statues were carved out of white Carrara marble, from a single 20-ton block, taken from the Cava Michelangelo in the famed Barattini quarry in Tuscany. The artist, Cody J. Swanson, an American sculptor, lives and works in Florence where he designed and created the models, collaborating with Paolo Costa of Carrara, Italy, for the sculpting, a lengthy process employing advanced robotic technology and hand carving.

To the left (north side) is the founder and first General Superior of the Society of Jesus, Saint Ignatius of Loyola. He is depicted in a Roman chasuble, as if vested for the celebration of Holy Mass. A putto (angelic child) holds up a copy of the Jesuit Constitutions which is opened to the beginning of the Order’s founding document, the Formula of the Institute. The opening words, inscribed in Latin, refer to the Jesuit vocation of serving as a soldier of God “under the banner of the Cross” – sub Crucis vexillo.

To the right of the portico (south) is the noble image of the patron of Jesuit missionaries, Saint Francis Xavier, whose missionary endeavors helped firmly establish Christianity in India, and brought the Faith for the first time to the Far East, including Japan and the Philippines. Saint Francis is depicted in his Jesuit cassock adorned with a surplice. He holds up the missionary crucifix that he used for preaching. The crab at his left foot refers to a famous story in which a crab is said to have saved the cross that Xavier had hurled into the stormy sea while praying successfully for the calming of the winds.

The gestures of the two saints, Saint Ignatius pointing northward and Saint Francis Xavier toward the south, simultaneously embrace all visitors approaching the chapel and direct us outward in the missionary spirit of the Jesuit Order.

II. Chapel Interior

The chapel interior measures over 13,000 square feet and has a seating capacity of 950. It hosts daily convocation for the student body as well as all the school Masses and other religious services throughout the year.

Narthex
Upon entering the narthex of the chapel through the bronze-stained doors, two niches capture the visitor’s attention. The niche on the right contains an image precious to the early Jesuits, a painting of Our Lady of the Way, by Raúl Berzosa, a Spanish artist from Málaga. On the left is a reliquary niche featuring a small relic of the True Cross. The relic of the Holy Cross is a visible reminder to our students that Christian discipleship means precisely taking up the Cross, while the image of Our Lady affirms that the Blessed Virgin accompanies them on the journey of discipleship with her powerful protection and intercession.

Memorial Hall
To the right of the narthex through a short passageway there is a small hall containing various images and dedications:

  • Personalized drawings of each of the four chapels or churches that have served the students of Jesuit High School: Saint Louis Church (1888-1905), Sacred Heart Church (1905-1963); Saint Anthony’s Chapel (1963-2018), and the Chapel of the Holy Cross (2018 - ).
  • A large dedication plaque to recognize the benefactors of the Chapel of the Holy Cross, with special recognition for Ted Couch whose transformative gift was in gratitude to his mother, Marjorie Link Couch, in whose memory the chapel Dedication Mass was offered.
  • A bronzed baby shoe, formerly in a glass case outside of Saint Anthony’s Chapel, commemorating the life of Anthony Grandoff, in whose honor Saint Anthony’s was named.

Octagonal Central Plan
The interior shape of the chapel itself provides instruction in the faith. The centralized plan is octagonal, its eight sides defined by the sanctuary in the east, the narthex in the west (beneath the choir loft), the broad expanse of the north and south walls with the monumental stained glass windows, and four martyrs’ shrines. While the centralized plan recalls Saint Anthony’s Chapel, the octagonal shape emphasizes an important element of Christian symbolism.

From antiquity the number 8 has served as a symbol of Creation and Redemption. Sunday is known as the first day and the eighth day, the day of Creation and the day of Redemption, or re-creation: as first day, it is the day God created the heavens and the earth; as eighth day, it is the day of Our Lord’s bodily resurrection from the dead. In the New Covenant, the old Sabbath becomes Sunday, the Lord’s Day, in which God’s wonderful work of creation, marred by sin, is restored more wonderfully through the redemptive work of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Thus, the number 8 becomes a powerful symbol of Christ’s reconciliation of heaven and earth, the restoration of all things in Christ.

Upon entering the centralized “nave” from the narthex, one’s gaze is immediately drawn upward, toward heaven, by the height of the chapel’s interior. From the midway point of the central aisle, looking straight up to the ceiling of the lantern’s dome, some 98 feet above the floor of the nave, the visitor beholds a visual representation of the Triune God – a triangle with the tetragrammaton, the four Hebrew letters used in the Old Testament for the name of God. This image is surrounded by the faces of cherubs in a state of adoration before the mystery of God and His holy name. The work is a gift from the artist Raúl Berzosa.

The lantern windows visible below the Trinitarian image and representing the sacramental order of the Church proclaim that through Christ, the triune God is the origin, cause, and end of each of the sacraments of the New Covenant.

III. Shrines of the Martyrs

The martyrs’ shrines, positioned at the four corners of the student body, further highlight the mystery of the Cross, to which each martyr is conformed in death due to “hatred of the Faith” – odium Fidei. Each shrine features an original painting of the martyr by Raúl Berzosa. Facing the student body are the shrines dedicated to Saint Isaac Jogues (left) and Saint Edmund Campion (right).

Saint Isaac Jogues (1607-1646), a French Jesuit missionary, traveled to New France (in the Saint Lawrence River Valley) with two Jesuit brothers, Rene Goupil and Jean Lalonde, to evangelize the indigenous peoples. They lived and worked extensively among the Hurons and Iroquois (Mohawks) and were martyred at the Iroquois village of Ossernon, near present-day Auriesville, New York. Along with Saint Jean de Brebeuf and four additional Jesuit priests martyred in New France, these eight Jesuits were canonized in 1930 as the North American Martyrs, the first and only martyred saints of North America. Their feast day is celebrated on October 19.

Saint Isaac Jogues is depicted at the moment of martyrdom, his mortal wounds vividly on display. Several elements to note in the composition:

  • The martyr’s right hand shows the marks of torture from an earlier captivity during which his index and little finger had been mutilated.
  • An angel, clad in blue, raises up the palm of martyrdom with his right arm and with his left braces the body of Saint Isaac with a golden cloth just before he falls to the ground.
  • Near the martyr’s body in the foreground is an axe, the instrument of his martyrdom, and behind him a chest with various elements related to his priestly office: a crucifix, a chalice, an altar cloth, and a red stole, the festal color for all martyrs.
  • An angel behind the saint carries a cross and points toward the palm, the two gestures together indicating the evangelizing mission that led Saint Isaac to his martyrdom and thus his victorious entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.
  • In the upper part of the composition, two angels bear the interpretive scroll with the Latin maxim so dear to the Church in every age: Sanguis Martyrum Semen Ecclesiae – The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.

Saint Edmund Campion (1540-1581) is an English Jesuit martyr and convert to the Catholic faith. After entering the Society of Jesus and going through formation on the Continent, he was sent undercover back into Elizabethan England to provide priestly care to the embattled Catholics. Less than a year into his dramatic mission, he was arrested by “priest hunters,” convicted of high treason, and then hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn, the notorious site of public executions in London. He was canonized in 1970 as one of the Martyrs of England and Wales. His feast day is December 1.

Berzosa’s portrayal of Saint Edmund captures the saint, with his hands clasped in prayer, just before his martyrdom. Several elements of note:

  • The saint’s gaze is fixed on an angel crowning his head with a wreath of flowers.
  • Standing in an open wagon, with the noose fixed firmly around his neck, Saint Edmund faces the decisive moment of his Christian witness.
  • A second angel holds the scroll with the immortal words taken from Campion’s so-called “Brag and Challenge” – So the faith was planted, so it must be restored.
  • A third angel bears the palm of the martyr.
  • In the upper left portion of the composition, one can see a portion of the infamous Tyburn gallows, from which countless people were hung over the course of many centuries.

Behind the student body, facing the sanctuary, are the shrines of Blessed Miguel Pro (to the right) and Saint Paul Miki (to the left).

Blessed Miguel Pro (1891-1927) was a Mexican Jesuit of the 20th century whose mission and martyrdom recalls that of Saint Edmund Campion. Blessed Miguel was sent by his superiors back to Mexico to minister clandestinely in the midst of the severe persecution of the Church being carried out by the revolutionary socialist government. Forbidden to wear religious garb or offer the sacraments in public, the resourceful priest donned clever disguises as he traversed Mexico City, offering the sacraments, assisting the poor, and never ceasing to proclaim the reign of Christ the King. He was framed for an attempted political assassination and was executed by firing squad on November 23, 1927, the date that became his feast day. He was beatified by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1988.

Berzosa’s portrayal of Blessed Miguel places the martyr at the center of the composition, his figure, like those in the other martyr shrines, the same size as that of Our Lord in the painting of La Storta at the high altar. Important elements to observe:

  • The martyr’s posture, arms outstretched in the shape of a cross and eyes closed, is that of the famous photo taken by the authorities just before his execution.
  • The plain suit and yellow sweater call to mind the disguises he adopted to elude the authorities and their persecution of the Church.
  • Behind the martyr the sky opens as if preparing to receive his body while a brilliant shaft of light, piercing the veil between heaven and earth, falls on him.
  • Two angels accompany Blessed Miguel, one with the palm of martyrdom and the other with the scroll that bears his final words, a proclamation that summarizes his life and death, Viva Cristo Rey – Long live Christ the King!

Saint Paul Miki (1562-1597), one of the twenty-six martyrs of Japan, was himself a native of Japan and, like Saint Isaac Jogues, brought the Gospel to a culture and people who were alien to Christ and the Church. Educated by the Jesuits, Saint Paul Miki entered the Order as a young man and became well-known for his preaching and his ability to win numerous converts to the Catholic faith. During a violent wave of anti-Christian persecution, Miki and several fellow Catholics were arrested in Kyoto and forced to march 600 miles to Nagasaki, singing the Te Deum along the way as a means of fortifying their faith and giving glory to God. Saint Paul Miki, although only a few months shy of priestly ordination, was nonetheless perfectly configured to Christ by his own martyrdom of crucifixion. Saint Paul Miki was canonized by Blessed Pius IX in 1862 and his feast day is February 6.

The most notable elements of Berzosa’s portrayal:

  • Saint Paul Miki is crucified with ropes and shackles, his body pierced by lances, with the marks of his passion clearly visible on his chest near the cross he wears as a sign of faith.
  • The sky opens to receive the martyred Jesuit at the moment of his entry into eternal life and the brilliant beam shines through the martyr’s crown being placed on his head by an angel.
  • A second angel gazes with compassion on the saint in his agony while holding aloft the palm of the victorious martyr.
  • The third angel bears the scroll with the cry of Our Lord from the Cross, a cry that Saint Paul Miki and the other Japanese martyrs take up as their final prayer: In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum – Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

IV. Stations of the Cross

The chapel’s Stations of the Cross were designed and sculpted by Cody J. Swanson. Swanson’s design is influenced by the traditional statuary images associated with the Via Crucis, but also, in a special way, by the visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824). Her rich meditations, recounted by Clemens Maria Brentano in “The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” have exerted a significant influence on subsequent depictions of the Stations of the Cross, including the imagery used in Mel Gibson’s 2004 feature-length film “The Passion.”

First Station: Jesus is condemned to death

  • Jesus stands before Pilate, still wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe.
  • Pilate, faced by the clamoring mob, washes his hands in response to their demand for Jesus' crucifixion: “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood; see to it yourselves” (Matt. 27:24).
  • The High Priest to the left raises his hands in a gesture of offering, emphasizing that Christ is the Paschal Lamb to be sacrificed at Passover.
  • Under Pilate’s hand a lion sits next to the chair, alluding to Christ as the lion of Judah and also recalling the medieval myth that lions were born dead or died giving birth, but came to life after three days (13th century poet Guillaume le Clerc de Normandie).

Second Station: Jesus takes up his cross

  • Our Lord receives the Cross and support its with his right shoulder as it is laid upon him by the slaves.
  • The Pharisees accompanying the military escort regard him with hatred and disgust.

Third Station: Jesus falls for the first time

  • Jesus' strength collapses under his burden, with sorrow and pain etched on his face, attempting to support himself with one arm extended and the other holding on to the Cross.
  • The executioners are obliged to stop the procession, and so begin to abuse and strike Our Lord in a violent outburst, a stark contrast with the tender encounter with Our Lady at the next station.
  • he wretched expression of the tramp, depicted just above Our Lord, indicates the depravity of sinful human nature that is restored and redeemed by the Holy Cross.
  • As a prelude to the Fourth Station, Our Blessed Mother, Saint Mary Magdalene, and Saint John appear in the bottom right, watching in anguish a short distance away.

Fourth Station: Jesus meets his Mother

  • The Virgin Mary grieves and laments for her Son and in her agony rushes to embrace him.
  • Saint Mary Magdalene falls in a penitential gesture at the feet of Our Lord while Saint John clasps his hands in prayer.
  • The soldier threatens Christ with violence and a slave pulls the cord bound to him so that the procession might not be stopped.

Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross

  • As Jesus stumbles, the soldiers observe Simon of Cyrene passing by, and command that he help carry the Cross.
  • Simon’s sons, Rufus and Alexander, are present to witness their father's action.
  • A member of the multitude jeers insultingly at Our Lord in contrast to Simon's charity.

Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

  • As Veronica exits from her home, she is followed by her daughter, who carries an amphora of aromatic wine that Veronica had prepared for Christ.
  • The Ionic architectural order of Veronica’s home is considered feminine and matronly, and is traditionally associated with hospitals.
  • Veronica presents her veil to Our Lord, and exclaims, “Permit me to wipe the face of my Lord.”
  • Jesus accepts the veil and presses it to his face with his left hand.
  • Simon continues to assist with the cross and in spite of the temporary pause there is an anticipation of violence in the soldier’s demeanor.

Seventh Station: Jesus falls for the second time

  • Violence erupts as soldiers and bystanders shove Jesus who falls a second time.
  • They beat him further in an effort to force him to rise and carry on.
  • Simon becomes thoroughly enraged and exclaims: “If you continue this brutal conduct, I will throw down the cross and carry it no farther!”
  • The fig leaves in the background allude to Mark 11:12-14 where Jesus curses the fig tree that fails to bear fruit.

Eight Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

  • Our Lord arrives at the city gate where a group of women are crying in bitter lament.
  • Before leaving the gates of the city, Jesus pauses to instruct the women and children of Jerusalem.
  • He raises his hand in benediction, a gesture traditional in Byzantine iconography.
  • Simon continues to help as his knees buckle under the weight.
  • An oak tree (native to the Holy Land) is included above the women as a classical symbol of strength and endurance. 

 Ninth Station: Jesus falls for the third time

  • As the procession draws near to Calvary, just outside the city walls, Jesus falls again.
  • The centurions sound their trumpets in the background as Our Lord is beaten with renewed brutality at his third fall.
  • Filled with pity, Simon of Cyrene wishes to remain with Jesus so that he might assist him, but is rebuked by the guards and driven away.

 Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments

  • The executioners strip Our Lord of his garments, tearing the seamless tunic when they are unable to lift it over his head.
  • The soldiers to the left cast lots for his garments.
  • Jesus is offered a cup of wine mixed with gall.

 Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the Cross

  • The executioners labor with violence and brutality to nail Jesus to the cross.
  • Christ cries out in pain as his limbs are bound and stretched to the spaces marked for the nails.
  • The angel, in turn, weeps in grief for Our Lord.

 Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross

  • As Jesus dies on the Cross, he commends his Spirit into the hands of the Father.
  • His Blessed Mother and Saint John mourn as they stand beside the Cross.
  • He is flanked on either side by the two thieves.

Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the Cross and given to his Mother

  • Saint Nicodemus supports the sacred body of Jesus as he is placed in his mother's arms.
  • Saint Joseph of Arimathea stands behind and to the right, letting down the white cloth that supported Christ’s body when he was removed from the Cross.
  • Saint Mary Magdalene weeps at the feet of Our Lord, washing his feet with her tears and hair.
  • Christ's pierced side appears on the right side of his body, symbolically referring to the Last Judgment where those on Jesus' right are the ones to be saved (Matt. 25: 32- 46).

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb

  • Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea carry the body of Our Lord into the grotto of Joseph's garden, which becomes the Holy Sepulcher.
  • The body of Christ is laid into a “hollow couch,” similar to an open sarcophagus, partially obscured by the drape covering his body.
  • The Blessed Virgin enters afterwards to embrace her Son, hence her position near the entrance of the grotto.
  • The face of Christ is visible through the Holy Shroud in reference to Sanmartino’s famous work, 'Veiled Christ.’
  • The olive tree, a biblical symbol for the nation of Israel, represents the fulfillment of Christ’s mission in the Paschal Mystery (Rom 11:15- 25).

V. Stained Glass

Overview
The chapel’s program of stained glass is intended to highlight the mystery of the Holy Cross in the Divine economy. Designed and created by Conrad Schmitt Studios of Wisconsin, the stained glass is a luminous commentary on the biblical narrative of salvation.

The western arch window above the choir loft represents the Fall of man and his expulsion from Paradise as narrated in the book of Genesis. The arch window to the east, above the sanctuary, depicts the wedding feast of the Lamb of God, with the communion of saints gathered in adoration, as represented in Revelation, the final book of the Bible. 

The great windows north and south, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, indicate how God leads mankind from the exile caused by sin to communion in the heavenly Jerusalem, our true and lasting home. The lantern windows above the centralized plan depict the means by which Christ endows the Church, his Bride, with the fruits of Redemption, namely, through the seven-fold sacramental order of the Church, communicating grace that flows like blood and water from his pierced side, the Sacred Heart.

The arch windows measure 24 x 12 feet; on the north and south they sit above large rectangular windows that measure 24 x 19 feet 2 inches. The lantern windows each stand 15 feet tall, deceptively so due to the height of the lantern itself.

The Expulsion of Adam and Eve
The arch window above the choir loft, the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, depicts the fall of man and its greatest consequences, exile from God and alienation from His preternatural gifts. The scene combines elements from before and after the Fall. The lush vegetation, the wildlife, the flowing water, and the brightness of the colors indicate the paradisal quality of Eden before the fall. The serpent, the partially eaten apple, the angel with the fiery sword, and a distraught Adam and Eve depict the sadness of Creation after the Fall. Among the twenty-eight animals in the scene can be found a tiger, an alligator, and a badger – relating respectively to the Jesuit mascot, the school’s location in the state of Florida, and the origin of the windows in Wisconsin.

The Wedding Feast of the Lamb
The arch window above the sanctuary depicts the slain lamb on the altar of sacrifice, its blood pouring forth into the chalice as a Eucharistic symbol. The lamb is surrounded by groups of angels and saints who represent the communion of saints. This is the great gathering of believers at the wedding feast of heaven, at which mankind is reconciled and reunited with God for all eternity. The Holy Spirit, illuminated from behind by the brilliance of the sun, hovers over the heavenly assembly in the form of a dove.

The saints (grouped clockwise as follows) can be identified by their countenance, their distinctive clothing, or by some characteristic symbol or item they hold:

Old Testament figures
Upper right (left to right):

  • Daniel, without beard, holding a scroll with a verse from the Song of the Three Young Men, Benedicite Servi Domini Domino – Bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord (Daniel 3:63)
  • Moses with the two tablets of the Law given at Mount Sinai, with the Commandments indicated by various Roman numerals
  • Various Patriarchs and Prophets of the Old Covenant

Martyrs and Saints of the early Church
Lower right, left pane (left to right):

  • Saint Ignatius of Antioch holding a volume with a depiction of his martyrdom, in which he was torn apart by lions in the arena
  • Saint Clement of Alexandria, his pallium decorated with the mariner’s cross
  • Saint Agnes holding a lamb, symbolizing the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), from which her name derives
  • Saint Lucy (just behind Saint Agnes) bearing a tray with her eyeballs, indicating the means of her martyrdom
  • Saint Polycarp (to the right of Saint Lucy) wearing the pallium

Lower right, right pane (left to right):

  • Saint Agatha holding a palm frond
  • Saint Stephen the Protomartyr, holding a stone indicating the manner of his martyrdom outside the gates of Jerusalem
  • Saint Lawrence the Deacon holding a treasure chest (when asked by the Emperor for the riches of the Church, he pointed towards the poor, the true treasure of the Church)
  • Saint Sebastian holding arrows indicating the means of his martyrdom
  • Saint Justin Martyr (below Saint Sebastian), clad in a philosopher’s robe and holding a scroll that reads, Christianus sum – I am a Christian, the affirmation of countless martyrs of the early Church in the face of death.

The Twelve Apostles
Bottom left, left pane (left to right):

  • Saint Simon the Canaanite, or Zealot, holding the saw by which he was martyred
  • Saint James the Greater, in the middle background, holding a pilgrim’s staff
  • Saint Peter in the foreground to the right holding the keys of the Kingdom

Bottom left, right pane (left to right):

  • Saint Matthew holding a scroll from his Gospel with an apocalyptic verse proclaiming the appearance of the Son of Man, who will send out angels who “will gather together his elect” – Congregabunt electos eius (Matthew 24:31), a reference to the communion of saints at the end of time.
  • Saint Philip in the background holding a cross
  • Saint John kneeling in rapt adoration, eyes gazing at the crucified Lamb of God

Jesuit Saints
Upper left (left to right):

  • Saint Ignatius in his priestly vestments holding a copy of the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus; the Order’s motto, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, can be seen on one page and on the other an abbreviated title of the Order’s Constitutions, Constitutiones Soc Iesu.
  • Saint Francis Xavier wearing an alb and red stole
  • Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez, patron of Jesuit brothers, between Ignatius and Xavier in a posture of prayer
  • Saint Aloysius Gonzaga holding a crucifix
  • Saint John Berchmans, patron of altar servers, kneeling just below Aloysius with a rosary and the Jesuit rule book in his hands
  • Saint Stanislaus Kostka, patron of Jesuit novices, to the right of Aloysius with his hands across his chest
  • Other Jesuit saints and blessed in the background, some holding palm fronds

Jesuit Churches and Shrines
Several buildings in the depiction of the heavenly Jerusalem represent the spires, facades, and domes of churches significant to the Society of Jesus and to Jesuit High School.

Far left, above the early Jesuits:

  • The façade of the Jesuit Church in downtown New Orleans (the principal church in the old New Orleans Mission, from which the first Jesuits came to Tampa)

Left of the Holy Spirit pane:

  • To the left of the generic steeple can be seen the façade of the Gesù in Rome, the mother church of the Society of Jesus and burial place of Saint Ignatius of Loyola
  • Just behind the Gesù is the dome of Sacred Heart Church in downtown Tampa, the original site of Jesuit High School, then known as the College of the Sacred Heart

Right of the Holy Spirit pane:

  • In the far left of this pane, the dome of the basilica at the shrine of Loyola
  • In the center of the pane, the façade of the Jesuit Church in Vienna, with its elegant twin towers designed by Brother Andrea Pozzo, SJ
  • In the far right of the pane, the dome of the Gesù in Rome

The Window of the Crucifixion
The monumental windows depicting the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Our Lord are gifts to the school from Raymond T. Hyer. The Crucifixion is dedicated in memory of his late wife, Kathleen A. Hyer, and the Resurrection is dedicated to Mr. Hyer in gratitude for his generosity. 

At the center of the composition on the north wall is our Crucified Lord, depicted just after his death when the eclipse is passing and the darkness of the skies is just beginning to lighten. The angels of the upper arch window express dismay and sorrow, but always in a posture of prayer, imitating Our Lord’s prayer to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will, but thine be done" (Luke 22:42).

At the foot of the Cross are three figures:

  • The Blessed Virgin Mary (left)
  • Saint John, the Beloved Disciple (right)
  • Saint Mary Magdalene, grasping the Cross in penitential sorrow, a symbol of sinful mankind washed and redeemed by the blood of the Holy Cross

Our Crucified Lord is flanked by two thieves on their crosses:

  • The good thief, Saint Dismas, asking to be remembered when the Lord enters his Kingdom
  • The wicked thief, with dark hair, apparently unreceptive to the gift of salvation

Other figures also appear:

  • A Roman centurion just beneath Saint Dismas
  • Near the wicked thief, on the left, the Roman soldier Longinus advancing toward the Cross with his lance
  • Bystanders in various postures of distress near the bottom of the composition

The Window of the Resurrection
Like the Crucifixion, the scene of Our Lord’s Resurrection is divided between the upper arch window and the large rectangular window. The brilliance and brightness of the colors – clouds, sky, clothing, and architectural elements – all highlight the glory of new life that comes from the Risen Lord.

The figure of Christ, risen from the dead, is the reference point for every element in the composition. Wearing white garments and holding a triumphal banner, our Lord is flanked by two angels in adoration of this central mystery of the Christian faith. Brilliantly arrayed angels surround Our Lord on all sides, some holding banners with the Easter proclamation, Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia – He has risen, just as he said, Alleluia.

Other figures, drawn from the various Gospel accounts, are also depicted:

  • At the entrance of the empty tomb, an angel, clad in gold, gesturing away from the opening of the tomb to the Risen Lord and announcing the Easter proclamation, “He has risen. He is not here.”
  • The three women – Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James – at the left of the tomb, arriving early in the morning with spices and ointment
  • Roman soldiers visible near the bottom, left and right, in varying states of amazement and alarm at the unfolding mystery 

VI. The Four Evangelists

The statues of the four Evangelists – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – were designed and sculpted by Cody Swanson. He began the design in October of 2019 and completed the sculptures in the summer of 2021. The statues were blessed at a student convocation and then installed in November of 2021. Each statue stands 6’2” tall and rests on a 12” faux marble Bardiglio pedestal. The compositions were carved in white plaster with faux marbling, a technique in which Swanson demonstrates progressive mastery from the Stations of the Cross to the two sanctuary statues to his crowning achievement in the four Evangelists. The works are original designs, but reference various Renaissance compositions and deploy traditional symbols associated with each Gospel writer.

Saint Matthew
At the northeast corner of the chapel, to the left of the sanctuary, is the First Evangelist, located above the shrine of Saint Isaac Jogues. The traditional symbol for the Gospel of Matthew is the “Divine Man,” or an angel with the face of man. It is the Gospel of Matthew that highlights Jesus’ entry into this world by first presenting His family lineage — “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Son of David, son of Abraham” (Mt 1:1) — and then His incarnation and birth: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way” (Mt 1:18). According to Saint Irenaeus, the First Gospel is “the Gospel of His humanity.” The divine-human figure, portrayed with angelic wings, is assisting Saint Matthew with the composition of the Gospel, reminding the viewer of Caravaggio’s famous “Inspiration of Saint Matthew.”

Saint Mark
To the rear of the chapel at the northwest corner, above the shrine of Saint Paul Miki, stands the statue of Saint Mark. The power of noble simplicity, evocative of Mark’s Gospel itself, characterizes this rendering. Saint Mark is depicted holding his Gospel text, stylus in hand, with the head of the winged lion at his feet. Saint Mark’s introduction points to the symbol of the lion:

“The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: ‘Behold I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’” (Mark 1:1-3).

The voice “crying in the wilderness” reminds us of a lion’s roar, and the prophetical spirit descending to earth suggests a “winged message.” The lion also signifies royalty, an appropriate symbol for the Son of God.

Saint Luke
This striking composition is located at the southwest corner, above the shrine of Blessed Miguel Pro. An ox lies at the feet of Saint Luke, who is himself depicted in the act of painting an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Two angels assist him with the portrait. The ox, a sacrificial animal in certain Old Covenant rites, serves as a symbol for Saint Luke, whose Gospel emphasizes the priestly character of Our Lord and His sacrifice for our redemption. The ox is also traditionally associated with images of Our Lord’s Nativity in Bethlehem. It is Saint Luke who records that Jesus’s crib was a manger, a trough for the feeding of oxen and other animals. Swanson depicts Saint Luke, the patron of artists, painting Mary’s countenance, while holding the palate in his left hand and the brush in his right hand. Two angels assist him by supporting the canvas. It is in the first chapters of Saint Luke’s Gospel that we find the inspired and definitive “portrait” of the Blessed Virgin and her unique role in the mystery of salvation.

Saint John
The most dramatic image is that of the Fourth Evangelist, facing the student body at the southeast corner, above the shrine of Saint Edmund Campion. The eagle, with its wings spread above Saint John, represents the soaring theology of the fourth Gospel, especially the exalted lyricism of the Prologue, with its hymn-like introduction that “rises” up to pierce the veil of the holiest of mysteries, the Incarnation and the inner life of God:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things came into being, and apart from Him nothing came to be” (John 1:1-3).

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory: the glory of an only Son coming from the Father filled with enduring love” (Jn 1:14).

The iconography of the chalice and serpent refer to the cup of suffering that Our Lord drinks, offering up His body and blood for the salvation of the world. According to a Medieval legend, a pagan priest challenged Saint John to drink a cup of poison without being harmed; the Latin word for poison, venenum, from which comes the word “venom,” further accounts for the inclusion of the serpent.

VII. Sanctuary

High Altar
The high altar ensemble – tabernacle, reredos, central painting, and IHS image – stands as one of the most striking artistic achievements in the chapel. The timelessness of the design, the beauty of the materials, and the high level of craftsmanship cohere to rank it with any similar work in Catholic churches of the post-conciliar era. The Renaissance-style tabernacle is the crown jewel of the high altar. Designed by Duncan Stroik and produced by Granda Art Workshop of Madrid, it is made of White Carrara Venatino marble. Its design is of a small domed Renaissance church, surrounded by Corinthian columns. The tabernacle door is of antique bronze bearing an image with the chalice, the sacred host with rays emanating from the host, and the traditional monogram for Our Lord’s name (IHS) imprinted on the host. Atop the tabernacle dome is a small cross of antique bronze. The inscription below the tabernacle, also of antique bronze, is taken from the beginning of the medieval hymn by Saint Thomas Aquinas and proclaims the Eucharistic faith of the Church, Adoro Te Devote – Humbly I adore Thee.

The Vision of Saint Ignatius at La Storta
Raúl Berzosa’s interpretation of the vision of Saint Ignatius at La Storta appropriately draws the visitor’s attention, as to a focal point, to Christ and his Cross. The mystical vision took place in November 1537, in a small chapel just outside of Rome. United to Christ by the grace of the priesthood only a few months before, Ignatius now receives the answer to a prayer he had made to Our Lady, that she might desire to place him with her Son. In the vision, God the Father unites Ignatius with Jesus and promises his support, “I will be favorable to you in Rome – Ego vobis Romae propitius ero.” Thus, Ignatius is made the servant of Jesus, and in Jesus, of the Father. This vision is commonly considered the inspiration for the name of the new Order, the Society of Jesus.

Berzosa depicts Jesus arrayed in a red garment presenting his Cross to Saint Ignatius who bends down in devout veneration. The Father, in magnificent gold vesture, gazes benevolently upon the scene and raises his right hand just above the Cross in a gesture of blessing, a blessing the comes to Saint Ignatius through the Son’s Cross. The dome of St. Peter’s Basilica appears in the background to the right of Saint Ignatius, indicating the destination of the journey, the Eternal City, where the Order will eventually be approved by Pope Paul III in 1540.

Altar Canopy
The suspended canopy at the center of the sanctuary, known as a “tester,” frames and draws the visitor’s attention to the chapel’s principal altar for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The idea of framing the altar by means of a canopy with pillars (a baldacchino) goes back to the ancient Church. The tradition of a canopy without pillars suspended over the altar, i.e., the “tester,” derives from the 14th century. Our rose/red tester with gold leaf, designed by Duncan Stroik, complements the strong red marble at the high altar, and provides an additional symbol of the blood of the martyrs, so fitting in a chapel named after the Holy Cross. The tester’s underside features a dove, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, positioned directly over the sacred action, as if anticipating the epiclesis, the moment when the priest calls down the Holy Spirit on the gifts about to be consecrated. Gold-leaf rays extend from the Dove indicating the radiant power of the Holy Spirit. Since testers were made originally from some textile fabric, the decorative painting of the hand-carved plaster is meant to resemble a fabric, a resemblance that is enhanced by the actual, gold-colored tassels hanging from the canopy. 

Blessed Sacrament Lamp
Crafted by Casa Serpone of Naples and Rome, specializing in liturgical vestments and furnishings since 1820, the beautiful pendant sanctuary lamp is made of hand-chiseled gilded brass with cast parts. The lamp is a constant reminder to students and visitors of Our Lord’s Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

Sanctuary Statues
The statues situated in the Giallo niches at the rear of the sanctuary are images of the Immaculate Conception (left) and Saint Joseph Adoring the Child Jesus (right). These faux-marbled plaster sculptures, the work of Cody Swanson, were installed in 2019, nearly a year after the chapel’s Dedication Mass.

Immaculate Conception
Swanson’s Immaculate Conception follows a symbolic iconography that has become traditional since the 17th century. The imagery is based on the biblical image of “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Rev 12:1). 

Mary appears in the sky or heaven, an aspect emphasized by the fact that she is standing on the moon and crowned with stars. As such, her garments retain looser and more flowing movements to suggest weightlessness. Similarly, her hair is free and uncovered. 

A serpent appears beneath her feet, a reference to the dragon that “stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, to devour her child when she brought it forth” (Rev 12: 4). The creature is often given serpent-like characteristics to draw the connection to the serpent of the Garden of Eden. Just as Eve was corrupted by the insidious words of the serpent, so Mary – the New Eve – is preserved from Original Sin from the moment of her conception. Her purity is emphasized by her crushing of the serpent beneath her feet.

Mary places her left hand over her womb, directing our attention to the purpose of her preservation from sin, to be the pure vessel chosen to conceive, carry, and give birth to the Redeemer. She places her right hand over her chest while gently bowing her head in a gesture of humble submission to the will of the heavenly Father: “Be it done unto me according to Thy word.” This same “Word” becomes flesh in her Immaculate womb.

Saint Joseph Adoring the Infant Jesus
Saint Joseph adores the infant Jesus with an expression of tender, fatherly affection. In the early 16th century, about the time of the founding of the Society of Jesus, images and artistic representations of Saint Joseph, together with the Holy Family, gained increasing favor. This period also saw a growth of devotion to the saint himself. However, rival theories emerged about the portrayal of Saint Joseph.

One view held it more fitting to show him as an elderly man in order to sustain belief in Mary’s perpetual virginity. Another view felt it more appropriate to show Joseph as a younger man – capable of restraining his carnal urges, strong enough to take his wife and child on the difficult journey to Egypt, and able to support them with his labor. Thus, Swanson’s Saint Joseph is strong and healthy, closer to the age of Christ at the time of the crucifixion. The vibrant pose and arrangements of the flowing drapery find references in many well-known Baroque portrayals of Saint Joseph.

VIII. Inscriptions

Sanctuary Entrance
On the arched wall above the sanctuary, visible to the whole student body and all visitors, is a verse taken from the solemn liturgy of Good Friday: Ecce lignum Crucis in quo salus mundi pependit; venite adoremus – Behold the wood of the Cross on which hung the salvation of the world; Come let us adore. It reminds us that the Chapel of the Holy Cross was built to provide a noble and sacred setting for all who gather here to offer worship to God in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, a sacramental re-representation of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.

Choir Loft
As the students depart from the chapel each day, they receive a missionary mandate in the words inscribed on the wall just below the choir loft: Ite inflammate omnia – Go, set the world on fire. These are the words attributed to Saint Ignatius as he sent Saint Francis Xavier to bring the fire of the Gospel to India. It serves as a discipleship motto for our students and for all followers of the Lord, who himself said, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!” (Luke 12: 49).

IX. Relics of the Chapel

The Chapel of the Holy Cross is home to numerous relics acquired from the archives of various Jesuit provinces and houses, as well as relics given to the school by generous benefactors.

Relic of the True Cross
The chapel’s most important relic, of course, is the relic of the True Cross, located (as mentioned above) in a reliquary niche in the narthex directly across from Berzosa’s “Madonna della Strada.” The relic comes from a former novitiate of the Society of Jesus and was brought to the United States by European Jesuits in the middle of the 19th century. 

Reliquaries containing the mortal remains of other significant saints from the history of the Church are also kept in this niche. Several are often displayed on the chapel’s high altar; others are frequently brought forth for veneration on special feast days related to the particular saints.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Francis Xavier
The relics of the two Jesuit founders, their fellow Jesuits – Francis Borgia (third General Superior of the Order) and Stanislaus Kostka (patron of Jesuit novices) – as well as other saints noted on the small reliquary were placed at the high altar during the Dedication Mass. They were gifts of Jeremy Call ’06, a graduate of Jesuit High School New Orleans.

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
The relic of Saint Aloysius, patron saint of Jesuit scholastics and patron of all Catholic students and youth, was installed at the chapel’s principal altar during the Dedication Mass. This relic was received from St. Peter’s Church, the Jesuit parish formerly in Jersey City, New Jersey.

The North American Martyrs
The relics of three martyrs of New France – Saints Gabriel Lalemant, Jean de Brébeuf, and Charles Garnier, all of the Society of Jesus – were installed in the shrine dedicated to Saint Isaac Jogues, a fellow North American martyr, at the Dedication Mass. They were received from the archives of the United States Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus.

Saint Edmund Campion
The relic of the English Martyr, Edmund Campion, placed in the saint’s shrine at the Dedication Mass, was received from the archives of the U.S. Central and Southern Province.

Blessed Miguel Pro
The relic of Blessed Miguel Pro, placed in the saint’s shrine at the Dedication Mass, comes from the archives of the California Province courtesy of an archivist of the U.S. Central and Southern Province.

The Japanese Martyrs
The relics of the Jesuit martyrs of Japan – Saints James Kisai, John de Goto, and Paul Miki -- were installed in the shrine of Saint Paul Miki at the Dedication Mass. They were received from the archives of the U.S. Central and Southern Province.

X. Architectural Materials

Chapel Sanctuary

Steps
All the sanctuary steps – the two leading to the communion rail, the three going up to the sanctuary floor, and the three approaching the main altar – are made of the same white marble as the exterior statues of Saint Ignatius and Saint Francis Xavier. This justly-famed Bianca Carrara was cut from the very quarries used by Michelangelo.

Predella
The sanctuary’s main flooring at the base of the altars is a compelling combination of three marbles: Nero Marquina, Rosso Verona, and Bianco Carrara. The black, red, and white stone tiles alternate in a mesmerizing geometric pattern that invites sustained contemplation.

Altars
The main altar beneath the tester and the high altar under the reredos are both dressed in the noble simplicity of Arabescato, a marble characterized by intricate gray veining on a white background. This marble was quarried in the Apuan mountains near Carrara.

Reredos
The dramatic reredos that provides the setting for the custom-crafted Granda tabernacle is also characterized by Arabescato, used in the broad base of the structure as well as in the architrave and capitals of the high altar columns.

The four magnificent column shafts on the high altar are made of Rosso Francia marble, the royal red “stone of Versailles” favored by the monarchs of France. This marble was sourced in the western region of France, from the only quarry where it is found. The columns provide a strong contrast with the altar’s dominant Arabescato appearance.

Berzosa’s La Storta is set at the center of the high altar and framed in Giallo Reale, an ocher marble quarried in the Verona region, with irregular veining and subtle shades of white and red. 

Finally, the two decorative roundels, set just inside the cornices of the columns, are of Breccia Violeta, a white stone from the quarries of Carrara with pronounced streaks of violet veining.

Statue Niches
The marble panels that adorn the sanctuary niches and provide the setting for the statues of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Joseph are of Giallo Siena, a yellow Tuscan stone that complements the Concord Ivory walls and emphasizes the Florentine inspiration of the chapel’s interior.

Sacristy Crucifix
A captivating image* of our Crucified Lord dominates the vesting sacristy, to the left of the sanctuary (entry door between the ambo and the shrine of Saint Isaac Jogues). Mounted on a cross made of Italian cypress, the polychrome corpus is terra cotta (fired clay). The horizontal Titulus Crucis (Title of the Cross), also of cypress, reflects the testimony of the Gospel of John with the words “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” inscribed in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek (John 19: 19-20).

*Designed and developed by Cody Swanson, the work was modeled directly at full scale in separate pieces, air dried, and then fired in a kiln at about 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. Because the corpus is hollow, with no skeletal armature, its pieces were first fired and only then assembled. No additional mold was made from this model, making it one of a kind from Swanson’s studio.

Shrines of the Martyrs
The shrines located at the four corners of the student body pay veneration to Jesuit martyrs from around the world, emphasizing the universality of the Jesuit mission in service of Christ and his universal Church. In keeping with the plan of the sanctuary, each chapel step is dressed in white Carrara marble and the altars are of Arabescato. The façade of each altar is adorned with a martyr’s palm carved of Verde Issorie, a dark green stone.

The columns of the shrines at the front of the student body, of Saint Isaac Jogues to the left and Saint Edmund Campion to the right, are of solid Verde Issorie marbel, visually linking the two shrines at the front of the chapel. 

The shrines at the back of the student body, of Saint Paul Miki to the left and Blessed Miguel Pro to the right, are linked by the columns of solid Rosso Levanto marble, a reddish-purple Italian stone with white veining, symbolic of the blood of the martyrs. This marble has been quarried from ancient times in Liguria, in the northwestern part of Italy near Genoa.

The capitals of each of the columns in the shrines, as well as the entablature above the columns is hand-painted wood, masterfully faux-marbled to maintain aesthetic continuity. An inscription providing each martyr’s name along with the place and year of martyrdom is painted in the center of the entablature. A decorative monogram, bearing each martyr’s initials, can be seen on the wall above each altarpiece.

The four small, round windows visible from the exterior, two on the north wall and two on the south, are arranged to correspond with the shrines of the martyrs, providing a measure of interior natural light to the shrines at various times of the day.

Nave Floor
The central flooring under the New Holland pews is a porcelain tile laid out in a checkered pattern of gray and white. The checkered flooring draws its inspiration from the Renaissance, when it was used widely in ecclesial and secular structures. It creates a bold geometric effect symbolizing purity and order.

Wainscoting
The decorative wainscoting along the walls around the student body, as well as at the base of the sanctuary, is made of Bardiglio Imperiale, a famous Italian marble deriving from a single quarry located in the Massa area of Tuscany. The bluish-grey stone with its distinctive veining and unidirectional alignment creates a strong, durable presence at the perimeter of the chapel’s interior.

Woodwork
The fine woodwork throughout the chapel is the craftsmanship of New Holland Church Furniture in Pennsylvania. It is found in the pews, the ambo trimmed in gold leaf, the communion rail, and the credence tables, as well as in the imposing stands used seasonally for the Paschal Candle and the Advent Wreath. The plain sawn sapele wood, with a mahogany stain, provides a striking contrast to the golden hue of the Concord Ivory walls. 

XI. Designers and Commissioned Artists

Duncan G. Stroik, the Principal of Duncan G. Stroik Architect, LLC, was commissioned in 2015 to design the new student chapel for Jesuit High School. As professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame and a leader in the national movement to promote and restore sacred architecture and the classical tradition, Stroik’s talents and experience were admirably suitable for a project meant to be transformative for the liturgical and spiritual life of the students, faculty, and families of Jesuit High School.

Stroik is an essayist, frequent lecturer, and author of The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence and the Eternal. He is an inaugural member of the Society for Catholic Liturgy and founding editor of Sacred Architecture Journal. Professor Stroik is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the Yale University of Architecture.

His award-winning work includes Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel in California, Christ Chapel at Hillsdale College, and the Chapel of the Holy Cross at Jesuit High School. Assisted by the able collaboration of Thomas Stroka, an associate at Stroik Architect, Stroik and his firm won the 2019 Palladio Award for New Design and Construction for their work on the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

Cody J. Swanson traveled to Italy out of high school to take up the formal study of art, dedicating himself for three years to sculpture at the Florence Academy of Art and then earning a Master’s degree in Liturgy, Sacred Art, and Architecture from the European University in Rome. He is a co-founder and former board member of the Sacred Art School of Florence and spearheaded their traditional sculpture program for nine years. Since retiring from teaching he has established a private studio in Florence where he continues to accept commissions and produce award-winning sculpture for churches and private collections throughout Europe and the United States. He and his wife, both converts to the Faith, are raising their family of six children in Florence, where they have lived for more than 25 years.

Swanson’s work for the Chapel of the Holy Cross includes 23 separate pieces, using various mediums – marble, plaster, and wood. The list of sculptures includes: Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Francis Xavier, the 14 Stations of the Cross, the four Evangelists, the Immaculate Conception, Saint Joseph Adoring the Infant Jesus, and the sacristy Crucifix. In addition, Swanson has performed restoration work on several outdoor campus statues: Saint Anthony of Padua (student commons), Saint Francis Xavier (alumni field), and the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Loyola Lane).

Raúl Berzosa is a native of Málaga, one of the southernmost coastal cities of the Iberian Peninsula. He was commissioned to produce all the major paintings for the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Berzosa discovered his vocation to sacred art as a youth while attending the Marist high school in Málaga. From his private studio in the old quarter of the city, Berzosa has taken commissions from high-ranking ecclesiastics and ecclesiastical institutions in Spain, Italy, Vatican City, the United States, and elsewhere. His sacred work, in the style of Baroque realism, has been featured by the Holy See for its programs for Pontifical Masses as well as by the Confraternities of Málaga for the programs related to their Holy Week processions.

There are seven Berzosa originals in the Chapel of the Holy Cross: The Vision at La Storta, the Martyrdom of Saint Isaac Jogues, the Martyrdom of Saint Edmund Campion, the Martyrdom of Blessed Miguel Pro, the Martyrdom of Saint Paul Miki, the Madonna della Strada, and the Tetragrammaton. In addition to these works, Berzosa has produced five other pieces for Jesuit High School: a second Madonna della Strada for Hyer Hall, an image of Fr. Francis Brou, SJ, in the Office of Mission and Formation, and the three paintings that form the grand triptych, Jesuit Education and the Arts, in the lobby of the Antinori Center.

Conrad Schmitt Studios, located in New Berlin, Wisconsin, was founded in 1889 and has been a national leader for generations in stained glass window production and the design and restoration of sacred places. Under the guidance of Kevin Grabowski, national project director, and design artist Dave Andrews, Conrad Schmitt produced the arch windows over the choir loft and sanctuary as well as the lantern windows during the construction of the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Five years later, in 2023, they were commissioned to design and produce the monumental windows of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection on the north and south walls of the chapel. Grabowski collaborated with design artist Trent Wenner for the final phase of the stained-glass project.