About Our Church
above: Statue of the Holy Family Statue located in the Church Narthex.
Welcome to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. The following will acquaint you with our church building, its history, and the significance of its design.
History
As the Catholic community in Hopkinsville continued to grow, it became evident that a larger church was once again needed. Prior to 1995, there were two unsuccessful attempts to plan a new church. Under the leadership of Rev. Gerald Baker, fund raising for this project finally began in 1995.
Construction of this church took about seventeen months, beginning in May of 2001 and reaching completion in October of 2002. The 1927 church and the rectory were both removed to make room for the new church. Father Baker oversaw the design and construction. The church was dedicated in November 2002 by Bishop John McRaith.
It is very fitting that the footprint of our new church covers the land area of both the original 1872 church and the 1927 church. This serves as a reminder that our parish continues to build upon the faith handed down to us by family members and parishioners of earlier generations. In gratitude for their legacy, many treasured elements of the old church buildings have been incorporated into the new church.
This effort to build on the parish’s heritage begins with the physical foundation of this building. The new church is built on a foundation several feet deep of finely crushed rock. Buried beneath the concrete footers are about three hundred holy medals that had belonged to families in our parish. Many of these medals had been in families for many years and represent the patron saints of family members. The medals were donated by parishioners over the course of a few weeks, and Father Baker placed them in the foundation. So our church is truly built on a firm foundation, both physically and spiritually!
The church’s cornerstone is made in two pieces. The cornerstone of the old church was cut in two, and the dates of the old and new churches are engraved in the two sections.
Narthex
The entry, or narthex, includes a baptismal font carved by the artist John Czernosky, a former parishioner now living in Nashville. A number of his works are visible throughout the church. The Latin inscription on the baptismal font is from the third chapter of Matthew’s Gospel:
Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you are born again of water
and the Spirit,
you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
The two stained glass windows in the narthex depict our parish’s patron saints, Peter and Paul. These windows were part of our old church building. Peter is depicted holding keys, since Jesus said to him, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” These keys have been handed down by papal succession to Pope John Paul II. Saint Paul, the author of several letters in the New Testament, is represented holding the Bible and a sword, recalling that Paul said in his letter to the Hebrews that “the word of God … is sharper than any two-edged sword.
All the hanging light fixtures from the old church have been used in this church. Several of them are in the narthex, and the rest are in various locations throughout the church.
The slate flooring you see here and throughout the church is imported from China.
Doors to church, shape of church, pews
(Begin just outside oak doors.)
These doors you are about to pass through are made of solid oak, as is most of the woodwork you will see. Notice the handles on these doors. The fish is one of the earliest symbols of Christianity. While the early Christians were being persecuted, they secretly identified themselves to each other as Christians by drawing a picture of a fish, since the letters of the Greek word for fish, ichthus, are the initial letters of the words Jesus, Christ, God, Son, and Savior.
(Enter into main church, pause just inside door.)
As we enter the church, the first thing you might notice is its shape. In the tradition of the Catholic Church, it is built in the form of a cross. This particular church is in the form of a Greek cross, where all four sides are of the same size. Because of technology available today, this church has been constructed without any pillars that might obstruct the congregation’s view of the altar.
(Pews — move into center of church among pews.)
This church has seating for 610 people. The pews are made of solid Northern Appalachian Red Oak. Long oak boards are hard to come by, so many different sources in about six different states were used to accumulate enough boards for the job.
The pew ends have a classic design called a waterfall slope. The design carved in the pew ends is unique to our church, combining elements seen in different churches or offered by various manufacturers.
Another feature of our pews is the handicap access designed into them. There are some short pews up front where a wheelchair can be placed alongside. Another option in the rear of the church is called “companion seating.” There are four short rows with no pew ends so someone can roll a wheelchair alongside and slide into the pew without being hindered by a pew end.
Altar area
In traditional style, the altar where the Mass is celebrated has been placed at the intersection of the two arms of the cross. That is because the altar symbolizes Christ, who is the heart of the Church. This altar is another work by John Czernosky. It is carved of oak and topped with marble. The Latin words carved around the altar are the angelic hymn that is part of every Mass, taken from the sixth chapter of Isaiah and the twenty-first chapter of Matthew’s Gospel:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of Your
glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He who comes in the name
of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Seating for the congregation is arranged so that the people face east toward the altar, recalling that people look to the East for the coming of Christ.
(Credence table)
This is the credence table. It holds the gifts of bread and wine which are offered in the Mass and which become the Body and Blood of Christ. The Latin words are from the Offertory of the Mass:
Fruit of the earth and work of human
hands,
it will become for us the Bread of
Life.
(Tabernacle and sanctuary lamp)
This is the Tabernacle, which contains the consecrated hosts, the Body of Christ, which were not consumed during Mass. These consecrated hosts are reserved in the Tabernacle for two reasons: so that the priest can bring the Body of Christ to parishioners who are seriously ill and unable to come to Mass, and also so that we can come to adore Jesus who is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. This beautiful Tabernacle formerly belonged to Saint Anthony Church in Browns Valley.
The table upon which the Tabernacle rests bears these Latin words from the sixth chapter of John:
I am the living Bread which came down
from heaven;
if any one eats of this Bread, he
will live forever.
The sanctuary lamp, the red lamp that you see hanging overhead, is present in all Catholic churches. When it is lit, it means that the Body of Christ is present in the Tabernacle.
Confessionals, bell tower, sound system
The church has three confessionals. Two are located here behind the altar. The third is located in the rear of the church on the Ninth Street side. Each confessional is constructed so that a penitent can make his confession either face-to-face with the priest, or anonymously behind a screen.
(Bell tower)
Let’s look inside the bell tower. Notice that it is eight-sided, representing the eight Beatitudes from the fifth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, which are beautifully displayed around the walls.
This small space also holds many cherished elements from the previous two churches. The stained glass windows from the 1927 church have been incorporated into the walls of the tower, along with the capitals from the columns that supported the old church. The beautiful high altar was present in both the 1872 church and the 1927 church. James Western, the great-uncle of Teresa Stites, one of our parishioners, carved it in 1898. The Stations of the Cross, the pews, and the hanging light fixture were all part of the 1927 church, along with the stained glass windows of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the entry to the bell tower. You have probably already seen from outside the old cupola and bronze bell. The bell was added to the original church in 1882. An electronic ringing system was added for use in this new church.
(Sound system — move toward speakers on wall outside bell tower.)
The shape of this church is beautiful and has spiritual significance. But when you have a building of this shape with faceted surfaces and a dome, projecting sound clearly can be a real challenge. We have installed a sound system by Bose, a company renowned for state-of-the-art technology in difficult spaces, like the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s in Rome.
What we have is called a line array system. It has four main speakers, each about 4½ inches wide and three feet tall, arranged in two columns (point them out). They project sound around the entire church, but with a beam of sound confined to a vertical space of about seven feet. Since the sound is projected wide but not tall, it does not bounce all over the ceilings.
All areas of the building are wired for sound, so people will be able to hear Mass even if they have to step out momentarily.
We also have available a few wireless portable personal sound systems for persons who are hearing impaired.
Speaking of electronics, a video system with three camera angles will allow taping of special occasions like weddings without a cameraman disturbing the dignity of the ceremony.
9th Street entrance, votive candles, future art
(9th Street entrance)
These two images represent the archangels Michael and Gabriel. Michael is the archangel who defends us against Satan and all his evil angels. The archangel Gabriel was chosen by God to announce to Mary that she would become the mother of the Savior.
(Bible)
This beautifully illustrated Bible was a gift to our parish from the children of Saints Peter and Paul School.
(Windows, future art)
As often happens when building a new church, our dreams are a little bigger than our budget. I’d like to share with you some of the plans for art and stained glass windows that we will add as funds become available.
First, notice the four blue frames around the altar. In many of the great basilicas of the world, images of the four Evangelists — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — surround the altar. These four frames display these images.
Three eight-foot circular windows have been placed high on the walls, on the north, east, and west sides of the building. Representations of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will be placed in these windows.
Stained glass images of Saints Peter and Paul will be placed in the main picture window, which measures approximately 30 feet high by 13½ feet wide. The seven panels surrounding the central window will depict the seven Sacraments of the Church: Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick.
Notice how, at the four corners of the building, the lower walls ascend to the upper arms of the cross in three sections, for a total of twelve panels — one for each of the twelve Apostles.
Dome, Stations, organ, statues of Holy Family/Peter and Paul
Look overhead and notice that the ceiling is domed at the intersection of the two arms of the cross. The gold stars on a deep blue field represent the heavens. An icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been placed in the center of the dome, representing the Catholic Church’s teaching that Mary was assumed into heaven, body and soul
.
(Organ)
A new organ was purchased for our new church building. It is an Allen Renaissance Series organ made by the Allen Organ Company near Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is an electronic organ with the latest sound technology, giving it the sound quality of a pipe organ. The organ has three ranks and 50 stops, as well as a MIDI box, which adds additional tones. For example, it has a trumpet tone which sounds exactly like a real trumpet.
The organ was hand-made and took about three months to build. There are thirteen speakers — nine here in the choir loft and four behind the crucifix. This will allow an antiphonal effect — almost like having two instruments answering each other.
(Statues)
This is a good place to view the statues of the Holy Family — Jesus, Mary, and Joseph — and the statues of Saints Peter and Paul that were present in the old church.
(Pieta)
This statue is a miniature reproduction of Michelangelo’s famous sculpture, the Pieta. It depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary as she receives Jesus’ lifeless body into her arms after the Crucifixion.
The inscription on the table says, “The Lord loves a cheerful giver.”
Sacristy
This is the sacristy, the room where the priest prepares to celebrate Mass.
(Open cabinets and drawers as appropriate) This room contains the vestments worn by the priest and the altar servers. The priest has vestments in several colors, each of which has a significance related to the liturgical season of the year or the type of feast that is being celebrated. For example, purple is used during Lent to symbolize penitence, and red is used on the feast days of martyrs who shed their blood for Christ.
This room also contains the vessels used during Mass, such as the ciborium and chalice, which hold the bread and wine consecrated during Mass. The books containing the readings from Scripture and the prayers of the Mass are also kept here.
Notice the inscription in the ceiling, which reminds the priest of the sacred importance of what he is about to do:
Priest of God, offer this Mass
as if it were your first Mass,
as is it were your last Mass,as if it were your only Mass.
The beautiful oak cabinets in this room were built by Lester Zimmerman, a Mennonite craftsman who works in nearby Fairview, Kentucky. Notice the inscription around the tops of the cabinets. These words from Psalm 43 were the very first words of the old Latin Mass. As he approached the altar the priest would say,
I will go to the altar of God,
And the altar servers would respond,
to God who is the joy of my youth.
The inscription above the crucifix is a prayer said by the priest and altar servers at the end of the Latin Mass, asking God’s blessing on all His people through the celebration of the Mass:
Let it be for us: for all of us and for each of us.
Notice also the paintings of Saints Peter and Paul. Again, Peter is identified with the keys of the kingdom, and Paul is holding the hilt of a sword.
(Point out sacrarium) Has anyone been wondering about this sink with a locked cover? This is called the sacrarium. It is used for washing the ciborium and chalice after Mass. Because these vessels have contained the Body and Blood of Christ, out of respect we do not want the water used to wash them to enter the sewer system. So this sink drains directly into the ground.
(Bishop’s Room)
This room is called the Bishop’s Room, and will be used for a variety of purposes. It has a one-way mirror and is fairly well soundproofed, and it is equipped with a lavatory. This room can be used as a dressing room for the groom before a wedding, or as a private gathering place for a family prior to a funeral. It can also be used as a respite for a parent with a fussy baby (although it is not meant as a substitute for the nursery in the Parish Center).
(Cross rack in hallway)
Before we go up to the choir loft, I’ll quickly point out the cross rack, carved by John Czernosky, which bears the inscription,
In this sign you will conquer.
(Rest rooms, etc.)
This hallway includes a coat room, the men’s restroom, and the women’s lounge. You can visit them on your own. The women’s lounge is spacious with large mirrors and can be used as a bride’s dressing room. Both restrooms include diaper-changing stations. Faucets and hand driers are activated by motion sensors.
There is also a table on the left side of the hallway where parishioners sign in for Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We have someone in the church 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to pray and adore Jesus who is present in the Blessed Sacrament. Parishioners sign up for an hour each week of personal prayer and meditation. We also write prayer requests in the book so that people who come for adoration can pray for each other’s needs.
Fr. John Thomas with Bishop McRaith at the
Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe December 2004
There have been two previous church buildings on this site. The first church, built in 1872, was a small wooden frame church, about twenty by forty feet in size. It served the needs of Hopkinsville Catholics for fifty-five years.
In 1927, in response to the growth of the Catholic community, a larger brick church was erected immediately to the west of the original frame church. When this second church was completed, the original frame church was torn down and a rectory (priest’s residence) was built on that site.
The artwork overhead depicts Saint John the Baptist baptizing Our Lord. The location of the baptismal font in the narthex reminds us that it is through our baptism that we all entered Christ’s Church.
This painting depicts a story about Saint Peter. According to legend, during Nero’s persecution of the Christians, Peter decided to leave Rome to avoid being persecuted. Our Lord appeared to him on the way, carrying a cross, and Peter asked him, “Where are you going, Lord?” Jesus replied, “I come again to be crucified,” and Peter was ashamed of himself for fleeing. This reminds us that as Christians we must be willing to suffer for Christ, and to unite all our daily sufferings to His.
(Ambo)
This is the ambo, a lectern from which God’s word in Scripture is read during Mass. Also carved by John Czernosky, it has a Latin inscription from the beginning of John’s Gospel that reads,
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
(Reredos and crucifix)
The wall behind the altar, called the reredos, is made of rainbow granite from Brazil, trimmed with oak carved by John Czernosky and accented with gold leaf. Mr. Czernosky also carved the magnificent crucifix. It was a gift to our parish from Mr. Czernosky and his wife, Dr. Ruxandra Mares. The artist considers this crucifix to be one of the finest works of his career. If you look closely, you will see that the artist has depicted Jesus with his eyes not quite closed, and you can imagine how Christ looked lovingly upon us in the moments just before He died.
(Votive candles)
Many people have wondered about the significance of votive candles like these which are present in many Catholic churches. We Catholics use a lot of candles in our celebrations; they remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. But a candle can also symbolize a constant presence. Perhaps we come into the church for a while to pray in the presence of Christ for a special intention, such as a loved one who is sick or suffering. By lighting a candle and leaving it burning, we symbolize that our prayers continue even though we cannot be continually present. We desire to remain present to the Lord in prayer even though we may leave and go about our daily business.
(Stations of the Cross)
Arranged around the walls of the church are the fourteen Stations of the Cross. They commemorate the path Jesus followed through His passion and death, from the time He was condemned to death until the moment He was laid in the tomb. The stations you see here are about 150 years old and made of plaster of Paris. They come to us from Saint Peter’s Church in Lowell, Massachusetts.
