Holy Rosary Church
Mario Agustin Montenegro Locsin
Liturgical Artist and Designer, Interior Designer, Architect
Artist Mario Locsin's reputation as a Liturgical artist is well-known across the United States. His works can be found in churches and cathedrals in New York, Michigan, Florida, California and Oregon. Robert Rambusch, a former associate describes Mario, "He was genius. Mario is extraordinary. " Another friend and fan of his work says, "Mario's work inspired many people to pray ... even harder. What a legacy and honor to have one's work found in churches. What a divine gift." Mario's renown creative genius is sought-after, he was always invited to be an honored speaker in Liturgical juries and conferences in America. His work was featured in many Architectural books and magazines. Read Robert Rambusch's profile of Mario on this site.
The Renovation of the Holy Rosary Church is one of his best work. Mario, his firm Locsin Design was the Liturgical Consultant of the renovation of this early 20th century church. Click HERE to read a published document about the amazing history and renovation of this historic Catholic church.
Mario was also one of the early Liturgical Artist consultants of the Los Angeles Cathedral of Angels. He brought
forth the idea of re-using the stained glass windows at St. Vibiana's church in the Cathedral's mausoleum. Another idea he contributed to the project but was not implemented was the use of local materials from the state of California. One of Mario's artistic concepts include what is natural and local to the area whether it's using homegrown woods for scultures or incorporating the state's flower into one of his designs. For example, the design of a California church door handle is the state's flower, the Poppy. Many of his wooden designs for crosses, lecterns, and altars in his Midwest projects were interpreted with native woods. St. Catherine of Siena chapel in Michigan and the Cathedral of St. Ignatius was designed to use natural light. The Diocese of Palm Beach,
Florida describes their Cathedral, "the centrally located St. Ignatius Loyola Cathedral in Palm Beach Gardens was dedicated. Founded in 1970 with 400 families, the St. Ignatius Loyola parish had outgrown its multi-purpose building. The new diocesan cathedral was designed to utilize natural light. It has stunning stained glass windows and native Florida coral rock walls. "
Mario Locsin's "East Window" at the Church of St. Ignatius in Palm Beach Florida was featured in an article by Liturgical Consultant and Designer, Viggo B. Rambusch published in Church Solutions Magazine
Rambusch describes Locsin's window:
"The church with the highest light transmission--almost 100 percent in its windows--is the new St. Ignatius cathedral in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Using pure, colored glass and forgoing paint created an impossible glare, so the congregants could not face the windows. To combat this problem, stained glass was incorporated into the sides of the sanctuary and across the back wall. The one exception is the stained glass window that stretches to the floor in a niche created for the Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. The East window, designed by Mario Locsin, sets the theme window for the rest: a rising sun with an Egyptian feel. Here, three-dimensional, clear "jewels" enliven flat, colored glass, actually catching and dispersing light."
courtesy of www.churchsolutionsmag.com
Mario Locsin also writes. He was the Liturgical Designer of St. Philomena's church and here he describes the church's Stations of the Cross. His knowledge and interpretation of liturgy and attention to detail is very apparent.
St Philomena’s Stations of the Cross.
"The Stations of the Cross are significant and evocative of an important event in the Life of Jesus Christ. Representing specific scenes in his Passion, each Station corresponds to the event that took place. Historically, the Catholic Church always had the tradition of allowing all forms of expression through appropriate art and architecture for its church buildings. The people who make the church here at Saint Philomena have been blessed with that tradition and deeper understanding of who already are, the Body of Christ. This is evident in our new church building and why it is different from other churches. We have been inspired to create our own sacred space primarily for the Eucharist,
Sacraments and spaces for devotion such as the Stations of the Cross. Like the altar, ambo, baptismal font and tabernacle, our Stations are designed to complement the style of our liturgical furnishings and architecture.
Created specifically for Saint Philomena, they are original works of art. The concept, design and execution celebrate the uniqueness of our community and love for one another in Christ. The basic forms are simple yet dignified. Richness achieved by the combination of natural materials of wood and bronze bas-reliefs are real and expresses our identity. The design and placement is liturgically correct and solidly grounded on tradition. They are meant to be timeless, for all generations
to come. The Season of Lent is a natural time for this devotion.
After Jesus died and rose again, people felt the need to reflect on His Passion, death and victory through the Resurrection. People began visiting the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem to walk and follow His footsteps. Places were designated for people to stop along the way. They were later on referred to as “pilgrims”. As Christianity spread throughout the world, the distance to Jerusalem was nearly impossible. By the twelfth century, a growing devotion to the Passion of Jesus demanded representation.
The Creation and use of the Stations were not generally adapted until the end of the seventeenth. As the years passed, many Catholic Churches had Stations of the Cross along the walls of their worship space. “Pilgrims” could now come to Church any time, praying while moving from Station to Station. It is important to know and remember that the purpose of the figurative bas-relief is to evoke spiritual reflection of the event in a Station. It is to the Wood of the Cross where our devotion is attachéd, not the image. The Placement and sequence of the fourteen Stations of the Cross was carefully considered. Facing the wall, they start with the first Station from right to left, ending with the last fourteenth Station, near the baptismal font. The font is where we are baptized and reminded of new life through Jesus’ death and glory in the Resurrection.
Incorporated in the overall design concept are differences in shapes and proportions to accentuate certain scenes such as the three falls, Christ's face wiped by Veronica, the women of Jerusalem and crucifixion.
From right to left, the proper sequence for the Stations are:
I Jesus is condemned to death
II The cross is laid upon him
III His first fall*
*the upper panel suggest movement and wood cross is placed below the image
IV Jesus meets his Blessed Mother
V Simon of Cyrene helping bear the cross
VI Christ’s face is wiped by Veronica*
*the back ground panel for the bas-relief curves to suggest cloth
VII His second fall*
* the upper panel and wood cross below begin to descend
VIII He meets the women of Jerusalem*
*the cross is placed off the side and on center to honor the role of women at Saint Philomena
IX His third fall*
*the upper portion and wood cross below has descended
X He is stripped of his garment
XI His crucifixion*
*the cutout of the upper portion is shaped like the outline of the church
XII His death on the Cross
XIII He is taken down from the Cross
XIV Jesus is taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb "
Written by our nationally renowned liturgical designer, Mario Locsin of Locsin Design Miami Beach, Florida "
Link to St. Philomena's Church
The Renovation of the Holy Rosary Church is one of his best work. Mario, his firm Locsin Design was the Liturgical Consultant of the renovation of this early 20th century church. Click HERE to read a published document about the amazing history and renovation of this historic Catholic church.
Mario was also one of the early Liturgical Artist consultants of the Los Angeles Cathedral of Angels. He brought
forth the idea of re-using the stained glass windows at St. Vibiana's church in the Cathedral's mausoleum. Another idea he contributed to the project but was not implemented was the use of local materials from the state of California. One of Mario's artistic concepts include what is natural and local to the area whether it's using homegrown woods for scultures or incorporating the state's flower into one of his designs. For example, the design of a California church door handle is the state's flower, the Poppy. Many of his wooden designs for crosses, lecterns, and altars in his Midwest projects were interpreted with native woods. St. Catherine of Siena chapel in Michigan and the Cathedral of St. Ignatius was designed to use natural light. The Diocese of Palm Beach,
Florida describes their Cathedral, "the centrally located St. Ignatius Loyola Cathedral in Palm Beach Gardens was dedicated. Founded in 1970 with 400 families, the St. Ignatius Loyola parish had outgrown its multi-purpose building. The new diocesan cathedral was designed to utilize natural light. It has stunning stained glass windows and native Florida coral rock walls. "
Mario Locsin's "East Window" at the Church of St. Ignatius in Palm Beach Florida was featured in an article by Liturgical Consultant and Designer, Viggo B. Rambusch published in Church Solutions Magazine
Rambusch describes Locsin's window:
"The church with the highest light transmission--almost 100 percent in its windows--is the new St. Ignatius cathedral in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Using pure, colored glass and forgoing paint created an impossible glare, so the congregants could not face the windows. To combat this problem, stained glass was incorporated into the sides of the sanctuary and across the back wall. The one exception is the stained glass window that stretches to the floor in a niche created for the Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. The East window, designed by Mario Locsin, sets the theme window for the rest: a rising sun with an Egyptian feel. Here, three-dimensional, clear "jewels" enliven flat, colored glass, actually catching and dispersing light."
courtesy of www.churchsolutionsmag.com
Mario Locsin also writes. He was the Liturgical Designer of St. Philomena's church and here he describes the church's Stations of the Cross. His knowledge and interpretation of liturgy and attention to detail is very apparent.
St Philomena’s Stations of the Cross.
"The Stations of the Cross are significant and evocative of an important event in the Life of Jesus Christ. Representing specific scenes in his Passion, each Station corresponds to the event that took place. Historically, the Catholic Church always had the tradition of allowing all forms of expression through appropriate art and architecture for its church buildings. The people who make the church here at Saint Philomena have been blessed with that tradition and deeper understanding of who already are, the Body of Christ. This is evident in our new church building and why it is different from other churches. We have been inspired to create our own sacred space primarily for the Eucharist,
Sacraments and spaces for devotion such as the Stations of the Cross. Like the altar, ambo, baptismal font and tabernacle, our Stations are designed to complement the style of our liturgical furnishings and architecture.
Created specifically for Saint Philomena, they are original works of art. The concept, design and execution celebrate the uniqueness of our community and love for one another in Christ. The basic forms are simple yet dignified. Richness achieved by the combination of natural materials of wood and bronze bas-reliefs are real and expresses our identity. The design and placement is liturgically correct and solidly grounded on tradition. They are meant to be timeless, for all generations
to come. The Season of Lent is a natural time for this devotion.
After Jesus died and rose again, people felt the need to reflect on His Passion, death and victory through the Resurrection. People began visiting the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem to walk and follow His footsteps. Places were designated for people to stop along the way. They were later on referred to as “pilgrims”. As Christianity spread throughout the world, the distance to Jerusalem was nearly impossible. By the twelfth century, a growing devotion to the Passion of Jesus demanded representation.
The Creation and use of the Stations were not generally adapted until the end of the seventeenth. As the years passed, many Catholic Churches had Stations of the Cross along the walls of their worship space. “Pilgrims” could now come to Church any time, praying while moving from Station to Station. It is important to know and remember that the purpose of the figurative bas-relief is to evoke spiritual reflection of the event in a Station. It is to the Wood of the Cross where our devotion is attachéd, not the image. The Placement and sequence of the fourteen Stations of the Cross was carefully considered. Facing the wall, they start with the first Station from right to left, ending with the last fourteenth Station, near the baptismal font. The font is where we are baptized and reminded of new life through Jesus’ death and glory in the Resurrection.
Incorporated in the overall design concept are differences in shapes and proportions to accentuate certain scenes such as the three falls, Christ's face wiped by Veronica, the women of Jerusalem and crucifixion.
From right to left, the proper sequence for the Stations are:
I Jesus is condemned to death
II The cross is laid upon him
III His first fall*
*the upper panel suggest movement and wood cross is placed below the image
IV Jesus meets his Blessed Mother
V Simon of Cyrene helping bear the cross
VI Christ’s face is wiped by Veronica*
*the back ground panel for the bas-relief curves to suggest cloth
VII His second fall*
* the upper panel and wood cross below begin to descend
VIII He meets the women of Jerusalem*
*the cross is placed off the side and on center to honor the role of women at Saint Philomena
IX His third fall*
*the upper portion and wood cross below has descended
X He is stripped of his garment
XI His crucifixion*
*the cutout of the upper portion is shaped like the outline of the church
XII His death on the Cross
XIII He is taken down from the Cross
XIV Jesus is taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb "
Written by our nationally renowned liturgical designer, Mario Locsin of Locsin Design Miami Beach, Florida "
Link to St. Philomena's Church
