Holy Family Shrine
41°04′31″N 96°16′41″W / 41.075252°N 96.278174°W / 41.075252; -96.278174
Location23132 Pflug Road
Gretna, Nebraska 68028
CountryUnited States
DenominationCatholic Church
Websiteholyfamilyshrine.com
History
StatusShrine
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)Jim Dennel
Years built1997-2002
Specifications
Length80 ft 10 in (24.64 m)
Width26 ft 9 in (8.15 m)
Height31 ft 9 in (9.68 m) at eave
48 ft 9 in (14.86 m) at ridge
Floor area1,800 sq ft (170 m2)
Administration
ProvinceOmaha
ArchdioceseOmaha
Clergy
ArchbishopGeorge Joseph Lucas

The Holy Family Shrine is a Roman Catholic shrine located along Interstate 80 outside of Omaha, Nebraska, near the town of Gretna.

History

The idea to build a shrine for travelers on the Interstate was conceived in 1993 when four Catholics—a priest, two architects, and another layperson—were all inspired to build a chapel for travelers "of the road and of the spirit". The land was purchased in 1995, but funding and administrative difficulties delayed the project for two years. Construction of the parking lot and visitor center began in 1997, but further funding to begin construction of the chapel was not secured until 1999. The chapel building topped out in July 2000. The following week, a windstorm destroyed the structure. The chapel was opened to the public in July 2002.[1]

A path of life-size depictions of the stations of the cross was built in 2013.[2] 20,000 people visited the chapel in 2016.[3]

Architecture

The project was designed by Jim Dennel of the Omaha-based firm BCDM Architects. The chapel stands on bluffs that overlook Interstate 80. The chapel building, inspired by Thorncrown Chapel, is made of western red cedar beams and glass walls. The southern window features an etching of the Holy Family, the namesake of the shrine. The primarily glass construction was chosen to allow for unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape. A visitor center inspired by a prairie dugout contains a gift shop, meeting spaces, and restrooms. The entrance to the visitor center is meant to evoke the tomb of Jesus, and a sculpture hanging from a skylight to evoke his shroud. A 40-foot (12 m) cross is located past the front of the shrine, towering over the interstate below.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Our Mission & Story" (PDF). Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "Gretna, Nebraska: The Holy Family Shrine". The Catholic Travel Guide. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  3. ↑ "Holy Family Shrine – Roadside chapel welcomes all near Gretna, Nebraska". The Walking Tourists. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "The Holy Family Shrine". SAH ARCHIPEDIA. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Holy Family Shrine Catholic Church.

Official website

41°04′31″N 96°16′41″W / 41.075252°N 96.278174°W / 41.075252; -96.278174

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.