Stella Niagara Chapel - Table of Contents .                              Joseph Slawinski - Table of Contents

Interior - Stella Niagara Chapel
4421 Lower River Road, Stella Niagara, NY

Stella Niagara Academy - Official Website

Chapel erected:

 1908

Chapel name:

 Chapel of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Chapel renovation:

 1964

Chapel renovation artists:

 Joseph Slawinski  and Michael Baranowski
Dominant art forms:
 Sgraffito murals,  wrought iron,   stained glass windows


On this page below:

Sanctuary

Nave

Stations of the Cross

Organ Balcony

2023 Photos

Sanctuary

Entrance portal                      Detail below:

"... symbol of the heart of Christ from which the LIVING WATERS flow forth. Through the waters of Baptism the Christian must pass..." - Brochure
PX: Chi Rho                    All sgraffito murals by Joseph Slawinski

Sanctuary and front of nave                "The nave is separated from the sanctuary by three steps which eliminate the usual barrier created by a COMMUNION RAIL." - Brochure                           Details below:
"Christ in Majesty" / "Christ the Teacher"   sgraffito mural   icon                     All sgraffito murals by Joseph Slawinski                   Detail below:

"...  hand upraised in the traditional gesture of the philosopher-teacher.  On the open book of the gospel are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, signifying that Christ is the beginning and end of all things ..." -Brochure                   Alpha and Omega

All stained glass windows  by Joseph Slawinski




   
All wrought iron  sculpture by Joseph Slawinski


Five symbolic panels above the curved altar screen, the Last Supper                        Eight details below:

       
All wrought iron  sculpture by Joseph Slawinski                     Two symbols of the Eucharist
LEFT: IHS. Example of a Christogram: IHS are the first 3 letters in Jesus' name in Greek: iota, eta, and sigma. Also, IHS in Latin stands for "In Hoc Sanctis," which means "In this sacred place" or "In His Service" or "I Have Suffered."
LEFT: CHALICE. Associated with thje Last Supper and the Crucifixion.
RIGHT: Lamb of God. Jesus is sometimes depicted as a sacrificial lamb.

       
LEFT: Sanctuary lamp is mounted in the cross
CENTER:   Pelican and Chicks.  Pelican is symbol for Jesus.  Just as a pelican pecks its own breast for blood to feed her young, Jesus sacrificed his blood for mankind. Symbol of the Eucharist.  
RIGHT: Cross. Doves.    Symbol of the Eucharist. 

Last Supper             Note Judas hiding his thirty pieces of silver



All wrought iron  sculpture by Joseph Slawinski
"Below the altar table is a wrought iron symbol, the PX on which a fish and a basket of bread are superimposed.  The loaves and fishes are a reminder of the miracle Christ performed ... they suggest the reality of the Eucharistic Meal." - Brochure


PX: Chi Rho                       Fish


Nave


All sgraffito murals by Joseph Slawinski                 "Our Lady, Patroness of the Franciscan Order"                        Two details below:   


Mary is represented with hands extended in the ancient gesture of prayer.  
    
 




"Saint Joseph, patron of the Universal Church" sgraffito mural
                        


Note Stations of the Cross - Detailed in the next section below


Plaster





Note Stations of the Cross - Detailed in the next section below            Three stained glass windows detailed below:













Crosses bottony


Sculptor?                       Center images: fleurs-de-lis

Stations of the Cross


Organ balcony


Note ceiling stained glass windows                 Detail below:


Opalescent glass




Painted organ pipes               Detail below:


Special thanks to Director of Advancement Barbara Johnson for her cooperation and assistance in 2023.

Special thanks to Province Archivist Sister Mary Serbacki for sharing her research in 2023.
Photos and their arrangement © 2023 Chuck LaChiusa
| ...Home Page ...| ..Buffalo Architecture Index...| ..Buffalo History Index... .|....E-Mail ...| ..

web site consulting by ingenious, inc.