Construction crews lifted the 45,000-pound dome onto the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Thursday morning in Oklahoma City. The dome marks one of the largest construction milestones for the shrine, which is expected to be completed in late summer 2022.
“This was a momentous moment in construction of the shrine that will become a visible beacon of faith for thousands of people from around the world. They will come to visit our state and city, and come to learn about our ordinary priest from Okarche who lived an extraordinary life,” said Most Rev. Paul S. Coakley, Archbishop of Oklahoma City. “I am grateful for everyone who has played a part in this project and look forward to the dedication next year.”
The shrine is named for Blessed Stanley Rother (ROW-THER), an Okarche farmer who became a priest and served as a missionary in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. In 1981, Father Rother was murdered in his rectory during a violent civil war. The perpetrators have never been caught. In 2016, Pope Francis declared him a martyr for the faith – the first recognized Catholic martyr from the United States. Blessed Stanley Rother was beatified in 2017 in Oklahoma City, making him the first priest born in the United States to be beatified.
“Now we’ve crowned this church. In this church, we endeavor to show Christ, to exalt Christ, and to manifest Christ to his people,” said Leif Arvidson, executive director of the shrine. “Thank you to Archbishop Coakley and archdiocesan staff for bringing us to this milestone, and to everyone from The Boldt Company, along with all of your subcontractors, for your good work. Thank you to Franck & Lohsen, ADG, Cooper Project Advisors, building committee members and board members. Thank you to our priests and benefactors. All of your prayers, support and hard work has brought us to this point.”
The dome for the shrine was built on the ground using cold-formed metal steel before being lifted onto the church. The dome weighs 45,000 pounds, is 34 feet tall and has a circumference of about 40 feet. Crews used a crane that towered more than 200 feet into the air to lift it into place.
“It’s an emotional moment to see the dome put in place. The innovative engineering and planning to build the dome on the ground made it faster, safer and less expensive. Boldt is proud to use our skills to benefit the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine,” said Tony Yanda, senior director of construction operations at The Boldt Company.
The $40 million shrine is the signature element of the first-ever capital campaign for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, “One Church, Many Disciples.” The site will include the 2,000-seat church, a chapel where Blessed Stanley will be entombed, an education building, an event space and several areas designated for shrines and devotion. The site will be developed over time.
Along with the Spanish colonial-style church – which will be the largest Catholic Church in Oklahoma – an additional element will be a museum and pilgrim center, which will be an additional $5 million. The center will welcome thousands of visitors each year to an experience that leads them through the life, witness and martyrdom of Blessed Stanley.
The church will host many large diocesan events and will help accommodate the growing Hispanic population whose parishes are significantly overcrowded.
The design architect for the project is Franck & Lohsen Architects in Washington D.C. They are supported by local architectural firm ADG. The general contractor is The Boldt Company in Oklahoma City with Cooper Project Advisors serving as the owner’s representative.
Learn more about Blessed Stanley Rother at stanleyrother.org or rothershrine.org.
To sign up for updates on the shrine, view a video tour or to give a gift to the Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma’s Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Endowment Fund, go online to archokc.org/shrinesupport or call (405) 709-2745.
Watch a live webcam of shrine construction at archokc.org/shrinewebcam.