“And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.”
Exodus 35:31-33 alludes to Bezalel of Judah, during the time of Moses, who served as the chief builder of the Ark of the Covenant in accordance with God’s grand design, but this passage is embraced by Catholic artisans today who use their God-given talents to glorify the Lord.
Robert Paradis, a woodworker from Ogdensburg, New York, is such a craftsman seeking to venerate the Church with his creations. An enthusiast of Gothic architecture, he became enamoured with the idea three years ago of fashioning a miniature replica of a house of worship constructed in this style.
Following a meticulous Internet search, Paradis chose St. Patrick's Church in Medicine Hat, a small Alberta city over 3,000 kilometres from his home in New York's St. Lawrence County, as the apple of his designer's eye.
“I knew that was the church I had to try and copy,” said Paradis in an interview with The Catholic Register. “I liked the two tall towers, the pinnacles connected to the towers, the spires and the support of the ballast going around the church, which I think gave it a lot of character.”
The congregant of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg said he also appreciated the history of the current St. Patrick’s parish, formed by Manley N. Cutter, an architect from Montclair, New Jersey, in 1912. Cutter’s vision, realized in 1914, was a novelty as he erected one of the first Canadian church buildings constructed wholly with reinforced concrete.
According to the parish website, “the huge task required a large motor-driven concrete mixer in connection with a 75-foot tower elevator. Concrete was hoisted by drum and cable, then delivered to parts of the wall by means of immense conveyor pipes.”
Paradis simulated St. Patrick’s distinctive concrete aesthetic using wood experimentation with 14 different paint colours.
“All my shades are white, some around the gray area, some around the beige background,” said Paradis.” They're all done with paintbrushes, sponges, rags and a lot of blotching. The surface of this miniature even has the texture of concrete or stucco. I was very pleased with how it turned out.”
Crafting a 1/70th-scale replica of St. Patrick’s 170-foot gothic tower required Paradis to create jigs for each of his woodworking instruments to mitigate the risk of losing his finger as he completed the difficult task of cutting miniature pieces using full-size tools.
While there is an informational bounty of historical details about St. Patrick’s available online, Paradis knew there are structural and artistic distinctions that can only be noticed and appreciated by observing the church in person. Paradis found a way to discover some of these nuances without completing international travel. He corresponded with Fr. Fred Monk, pastor of St. Patrick’s from 1994-98, who provided details about the windows on the second floor above the drop ceiling. He also posted a picture of his nearly completed replica to Ask the Hat's Facebook page and asked residents for helpful tidbits. He has received over 1,000 emails with suggestions and expressions of support.
A few Medicine Hat natives have requested that Paradis add the cupola with the statue of St. Teresa. He will examine in the days ahead if that is feasible. He is also ruminating about how to make the replica more interactive. He would like to include the sound of the church bells tolling, and some people have sent him cellphone recordings, but there are people talking, wind noises, traffic horns and other distracting background sounds. He continues to search for a solution.
Paradis estimates he is approximately two months from finalizing his three-year labour of love.
Upon completion, Paradis is “hoping that someone would show interest in Medicine Hat and want to display it.” Still, he is not at the stage yet of pitching museums, government establishments with display space or St. Patrick’s directly about showcasing his miniature replica.
Fr. Roque Pereira, the pastor of St. Patrick’s since 2020, is receptive to the parish showcasing the replica.
“It is an honour and privilege coming from (someone in) New York that he recognizes the beauty and architecture of St. Patrick’s,” said Pereira. "It would be an honour to see the style of the woodworking, and it would be good to acknowledge the beauty of the work.”