Gathering Space and Parish Offices

• Narthex
• St. Joseph, Fr. Badin, and Fr. Sorin Meeting Rooms
• Parish Library
• Good Shepherd Nursery
• Music and Liturgy Office and Storage
• Serving Kitchen
• Parish Office Reception Area

Holy Cross Chapel (1992 Chapel)

Courtyard

• The etched windows surrounding the courtyard depict the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.  The Major Prophets, Jeremiah and Daniel, flank the doors leading from the baptistery to the church.  Isaiah and Ezekiel will be installed at a future date on the windows flanking the main door into the Church.
• In the east corridor are the restrooms, including a family restroom, as well as the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Room, a small meeting room that will also serve as the bride’s room during weddings. 
• The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and the Vestry, where clergy and altar servers vest for Mass, are located in the west corridor.
• The exterior atrium contains the statue of Mary, Our Lady of Grace, originally located in the courtyard between the former church and the Parish Education Center.
• On the ground, before reaching the main entry doors leading from the courtyard to the church, is a mosaic of a serpent with the words ipsum conteret caput tuum (“he will crush your head” Genesis 3:15).  Upon entering the church, one can step on this mosaic, symbolizing Christ’s victory over sin and death.  Above the entry doors is a tympanum, a decorative stone slab filling the rounded arch, bearing the papal coat of arms of Pope Pius X, the parish’s patron saint.

Sanctuary

The sanctuary platform, the sacred space in the front of the church, is raised a full 30” to increase visibility to the altar and ambo.

• The altar is constructed of white marble and polished Kasota stone and is permanently attached to the floor.  The front of the altar is ornamented with a mosaic depicting the Lamb of God described in the Book of Revelation.  Sealed within the marble top of the altar is a first class relic of Saint Pius X. 
• The ambo is constructed of the same materials as the altar thus allowing for a clear visual connection between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  The ambo is more than a lectern; it is an altar for the Word of God. The ambo is only used for proclaiming the word of God, making this connection clear. The cantor’s stand on the east side of the sanctuary is used for various announcements, etc.  
• The custom-made crucifix is suspended over the altar, serving both as a focal point as well as drawing attention to the altar below. Unique to this crucifix is the anchor-like design, representing the anchor in the Papal coat of arms of Pius X, as well as the familiar cross and anchors habit worn by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, who founded the parish. At the foot of the cross stand Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the Beloved Disciple, traditionally identified as John (John 19:25-27). Designed specifically for Saint Pius X, the sculptures of the corpus, Mary, and the Beloved Disciple were crafted in Germany from hand-carved linden wood.    
• The tabernacle is located on a raised platform in the semicircular domed. Angels flank the tabernacle in adoration, echoing the design of the first tabernacle described to Moses by God (Exdous 25:17-22, 1 Kings 8:6-9).  The apse can be enclosed using the monumental gates, allowing the faithful 24 hour access for adoration of Our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament.

Bell Tower

Devotionals

Supporting the devotional life of the faithful, four shrines and the Stations of the Cross are located throughout the church.

• Statues of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph are located on either side of the sanctuary.  The stencils above each include the “Ave Maria” interlocking A-M and 12 stars (Mary) and a carpenter’s square and lily (Joseph).

• Statues of Saint Pius X, patron saint of the parish, and Saint André Bessette, recently canonized religious Brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross, are located in the niches on either side of the crossing. The Saint Pius X statue was purchased after being removed from Saint Pius X High School in the Diocese of Allentown, while Saint André’s statue was newly sculpted in Germany.  Stencils above these two statues are the symbol of the Congregation of Holy Cross (Saint André) and papal keys (Saint Pius X).
• The Stations of the Cross are mounted on newly fabricated, decorative wood brackets lining the outer walls of the nave and transepts.  This antique collection of statues, made in the 1930s out of cast plaster, were purchased after being removed from a closed Catholic church in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania.  

Organ

Columns

Candles and Crosses in the Nave and Transepts

The stenciled crosses and candles in the nave and transepts mark the twelve locations anointed by the Bishop with Sacred Chrism during the dedication rite. These candles are only lit on the anniversary of the dedication and on other solemnities. The cross itself, as well as the crosses in the fabric panels in each transept and at the back of the nave, are Eastern in tradition, in deference to Saint Pope John Paul II ‘s call that the “Church must breath with her two lungs!”, and restore balance between the Latin and Eastern traditions of the Church.

Reconciliation Rooms

Four Reconciliation Rooms can be found in the east and west transepts.  These rooms are designed to accommodate the Sacrament of Reconciliation either face to face with the priest or using the confessional screen.  The Reconciliation screen has fleur-de-lis embroidery (a symbol of Mary) to recall the intercession of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy.

Calming Rooms

Also located in the east and west transepts are three calming rooms.  Furnished with pews for seating and glass windows looking into the church, these rooms are quieting spaces where disruptive children could be removed to briefly while a parent calms them down.