By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic
Curved walls, coral facade and low silhouette mark the main complex at Our Lady of the Lakes. The rounded shape emphasizes the "communal" nature of worship, says Father Jose Alvarez.
The tower at Our Lady of the Lakes holds three bronze bells.
The chancel area at Our Lady of the Lakes blends wood, stone and metal. Overhead are colored panels resembling a stained-glass skylight.
The life-size Christ figure on the cross at Our Lady of the Lakes is said to be more than 200 years old. The church designer found the hand-carved wooden statue at an art store in Rio de Janeiro.
Windows at Our Lady of the Lakes tell the history of salvation, starting here in the Garden of Eden.
Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus in this faceted-glass window at Our Lady of the Lakes.
Two walls of faceted glass depict Jesus calling apostles at the Sea of Galilee.
Detail of the Galilee window at Our Lady of the Lakes shows a fisherman casting a net.
Close-up of Jesus in the Galilee window at Our Lady of the Lakes.
Baptismal font at Our Lady of the Lakes takes an unusual, modern shape. Even the vessel for pouring water over a person's head, at upper right, is unusual: It's an abalone seashell.
El Divino Niño welcomes visitors to the office at Our Lady of the Lakes School. The pink-robed statue of the Christ Child, a special devotion of Colombians, is based on a vision of a Salesian Father in Bogota.
Bas-relief of Mary with children overlooks a hallway at Our Lady of the Lakes School. The artwork honors founding principal Sister Mary Carol Koester, who served for 10 years ending 1996.
Fiftieth anniversary ornament hangs on a Christmas tree in the lobby at Our Lady of the Lakes School.
Statuette of Joseph, holding the Baby Jesus, stands in a corridor at Our Lady of the Lakes Church. He also holds a spray of lilies, symbolizing purity.
Facing the Joseph statuette at Our Lady of the Lakes is a figure of Mary as Our Lady of Fatima.
Mary grieves over her Son in this Pieta in a corridor at Our Lady of the Lakes.
Metal statue of Mary holds out a cross and orb in the courtyard patio at Our Lady of the Lakes.
Bas-relief of Mary spreads her hands above a plaque reciting the Magnificat, her speech to Elizabeth when she was bearing Jesus. The artwork stands amid nameplates of parishioners of Our Lady of the Lakes who donated toward the building of the school.
This stylized dove is part of a stained glass panel in the foyer of Our Lady of the Lakes Church in Miami Lakes. (JONATHAN MARTINEZ | FC)
The tower at Our Lady of the Lakes holds three bronze bells.
The chancel area at Our Lady of the Lakes blends wood, stone and metal. Overhead are colored panels resembling a stained-glass skylight.
The life-size Christ figure on the cross at Our Lady of the Lakes is said to be more than 200 years old. The church designer found the hand-carved wooden statue at an art store in Rio de Janeiro.
Windows at Our Lady of the Lakes tell the history of salvation, starting here in the Garden of Eden.
Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus in this faceted-glass window at Our Lady of the Lakes.
Two walls of faceted glass depict Jesus calling apostles at the Sea of Galilee.
Detail of the Galilee window at Our Lady of the Lakes shows a fisherman casting a net.
Close-up of Jesus in the Galilee window at Our Lady of the Lakes.
Baptismal font at Our Lady of the Lakes takes an unusual, modern shape. Even the vessel for pouring water over a person's head, at upper right, is unusual: It's an abalone seashell.
El Divino Niño welcomes visitors to the office at Our Lady of the Lakes School. The pink-robed statue of the Christ Child, a special devotion of Colombians, is based on a vision of a Salesian Father in Bogota.
Bas-relief of Mary with children overlooks a hallway at Our Lady of the Lakes School. The artwork honors founding principal Sister Mary Carol Koester, who served for 10 years ending 1996.
Fiftieth anniversary ornament hangs on a Christmas tree in the lobby at Our Lady of the Lakes School.
Statuette of Joseph, holding the Baby Jesus, stands in a corridor at Our Lady of the Lakes Church. He also holds a spray of lilies, symbolizing purity.
Facing the Joseph statuette at Our Lady of the Lakes is a figure of Mary as Our Lady of Fatima.
Mary grieves over her Son in this Pieta in a corridor at Our Lady of the Lakes.
Metal statue of Mary holds out a cross and orb in the courtyard patio at Our Lady of the Lakes.
Bas-relief of Mary spreads her hands above a plaque reciting the Magnificat, her speech to Elizabeth when she was bearing Jesus. The artwork stands amid nameplates of parishioners of Our Lady of the Lakes who donated toward the building of the school.
This stylized dove is part of a stained glass panel in the foyer of Our Lady of the Lakes Church in Miami Lakes. (JONATHAN MARTINEZ | FC)
Photography: JIM DAVIS | FC
MIAMI LAKES | Curved walls, a low profile and a fan-shaped sanctuary mark Our Lady of the Lakes as a church influenced by Vatican II.
"Previous churches emphasized the sacrificial aspect of the Mass," said Father Jose Alvarez, the current pastor. "After Vatican II, the emphasis was more on the communal meal."
Our Lady of the Lakes has several other distinctive features, including:
- A crucifix with a man-size wooden statue of Christ. The hand-carved figure, imported from Brazil, is believed to be more than 200 years old.
- A baptismal font that looks like it was sculpted by water -- with a separate abalone seashell for pouring water over a person's head.
- A bell tower with three bronze bells.
- Lighted ceiling panels over the chancel area, colored to look like a stained-glass skylight.
- Faceted-glass windows on the Annunciation and the Garden of Eden.
- A two-part window showing Jesus and the disciples at the Sea of Galilee.
The parish school also has its own artworks. They include
a courtyard statue of Our Lady of Fatima; a statuette of El Divino Niño, a special
devotion of Colombian Catholics; and a bas-relief honoring the late founding
principal, Sister Mary Carol Koester.
