1 of 23The church is the very heart of the monastery.

2 of 23The dome of the monastery church rises 87 feet and is 32 ½ feet in diameter. Angels are depicted in its 16 stained glass windows.

3 of 23When you enter the church from Cloister Hall, you enter the church's vestibule. It houses memory books from the restoration and leads you to the back of the church.

4 of 23The Pieta statue is located in the vestibule of the church.

5 of 23The statue that depicts the death of St. Joseph is located in the vestibule of the church.

6 of 23View of the back of the monastery church.

7 of 23During restoration, the sanctuary area was extended so the altar could be closer to the assembly and more integrated into the prayer space.

8 of 23A domed Eucharistic Chapel crafted of oak and etched glass was installed in the rear of the sanctuary.

9 of 23The chapel provides a place within the church for adoration before the Blessed Sacrament (community tradition) and private prayer.

10 of 23The marble altar (from the same Italian quarry as the marble floor tiles) is the center of the sanctuary.

11 of 23The processional cross consists of wood, brass, and glass. The corpus, of hand-carved wood, is from Peru.

12 of 23The church ceiling, consisting of drywall with sprayed acoustical material, is enhanced by ornamental leaf designs.

13 of 23An updated color scheme, detailed highlighting, and gold-leaf application have given new dimension and brilliance to the church’s interior.

14 of 23An updated color scheme, detailed highlighting, and gold-leaf application have given new dimension and brilliance to the church’s interior.

15 of 23The original wooden pews, hand carved by the firm of Anton Lange, Oberammergau, Germany, were cleaned and refinished during restoration.

16 of 23The church's 192 stained-glass windows were designed by Rev. Bede Maler, OSB, and first installed in 1931. Pictured: Benedictine Rose Window.

17 of 23Christ the King Rose Window.

18 of 23Guardian Angel of the Monastery Window.

19 of 23St. Scholastica Window.

20 of 23The Stations of the Cross were designed and molded in plaster by sculptors Joseph and Charles Horchert of Munich, Germany.

21 of 23The holy water font is located near the entrance of the church to recall a Christian's entrance into the Church through baptism.

22 of 23The top level of the monastery church contains wooden pews used for extra seating.

23 of 23The monastery bells call the sisters to prayer three times a day.