Sacred Space completed

Three and a half years after launch, the students of Cross & Passion College now have their own ‘sacred space’ building, writes Brian Byrne.

It’s the realisation of a dream, the provision of a place for reflection and spiritual reinvigoration not just for the pupils of the college, but for anyone else in the town who wants to go there. Something of a bridge between the community and the school and the pupils and the inner self of all three.

The project is unique in many respects. Not least in how it fits into the environment of the school itself, and its sustainability. But the important thing is that it is a place where those going there will feel 'relaxed, safe and protected'.

The concept was devised by CPC staff members Margaret Aspell and Dennis Dennehy. RTE architect Duncan Stewart provided his own thoughts during a visit to the site.

Originally conceived as an extension to the main school building, to provide a place for liturgy left vacant when the Cross & Passion sisters departed the convent and its associated chapel, the idea quickly 'moved away' to be a central part of the grass 'quadrangle' at the centre of the school buildings complex. The evolution of the design, with the building being semi underground and incorporating a grassy roof garden, quickly led to an in-house labelling of 'our own little Newgrange'.

After going through the hoops of design and planning permissions, the sod was turned on 30 October 2008—in a snowstorm!

By March 2010 the structural steelwork was in place, and the blockwork begun. But the completion of the project was dependent on another one, the recent lowering of the wall between the college and Kilcullen’s main street.

The spare stone from that work has been used to clad the new Sacred Space, and the final work on landscaping the building has now been completed.

Inside is a space which can cater for up to 120 people for a special occasion, but most of the time there will be small groups or individuals, come for a bit of quiet time.

The sign above the door says it all. ‘Suaimhneas’, or peace.

(This article was originally published on the Kilcullen Page of The Kildare Nationalist.)


Click on the ad for details