Rochester 101

Best church interior

By Steve Lange

The lighting alone, a unique, soft, majestic glow that emanates from the diffusion of the sun through amber cathedral glass, in the 400- seat chapel at St. Marys Hospital, makes this the church with the most beautiful interior in Rochester. But there is endless, spectacular beauty to be found in every inch here: ceiling castings created at the turn of the 20th century by Italian artisans, a red velvet and bronze baldachino altar canopy, Appalachian oak handcrafted pews, massive unpolished pearl white granite pillars from Cold Springs, Minn., and solid bronze altar gates. The chapel is actually two separate structures integrated by an open concourse. The narthex is an Italian Renaissance styled chapel built in 1904; the “new chapel” a 1933 basilica. Ivory, ruby, and deep green marble are used extensively throughout with midnight blue and gray detailings. Adding to the beauty: both Protestant and Catholic services are held here.