The guidance for the arrangement of the new appointments created during the renovation comes from the liturgical documents of the church. These documents include the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, Environment and Art in Catholic Worship and Built of Living Stones, written by the United States Conference of Christ, Prince of Peace included the reorientation of existing furnishings and the addition of several new works of art.

Sacred Art glorifies God and invites the contemplation of the Paschal Mystery. This Mystery of God's love for us is utterly beyond our ability to describe fully in images and words. Yet, we perceive glimmers of God's loving presence in what we see and hear and touch. It is through our senses that God is made known to us in the liturgy.

By examining the Church's writings on architecture and art, the words, nobility, integrity, simplicity and authenticity frequently appear. These terms refer to criteria by which we judge the quality of the objects to be used for worship. Objects made of natural materials such as wood, stone, metals and glass are consistent with the Church's ideas of genuineness and quality. Because our worship offers to God the very best of our gifts, mass-produced items from catalogs are generally discouraged. Those things used for worship should reflect a care for design and a respect of the materials, which an artist can provide. Materials worked by human hands rather than those that are machined are infused with the soul of the artist.

The Church also encourages us to focus our attention on a limited number of appointments in the sanctuary and assembly. We strive for elegant simplicity rather than a sumptuous display. Those objects not directly used in the celebration of the Eucharist do not have an appropriate place in the sanctuary. Great care is taken so that the action at the altar and the ambo are the primary focal points of the liturgy. Liturgy involves the whole person - body, mind, senses, imagination, emotions and memory. Good liturgical art enhances that experience.

It started with the need to replace the red carpeting. In 1995, the parish council began discussing the need for some necessities for the church to "freshen up a bit." The thoughts started pouring in, the lighting was dark, there were not enough pews to seat everyone at all of the masses, the vinyl on the kneelers needed repair and the sacristy was much too crowded. In May of 1995, the chairman for the Commission for Sacred Art and Architecture came to Christ, Prince of Peace for an evaluation and advice. His suggestions included using hard flooring instead of carpeting for acoustic purposes, moving the altar forward, relocating the tabernacle, the ambo and the presider's chair, and expanding the worship space. The dream of a complete renovation received its foundation.

Questions arose such as can we afford this now? How big would we go? How do we go about this process? Who should receive the contract for the project? These questions took almost 3 years of discussion and thought. Ultimately, the Matlock Architectural Group and Steve Erspamer, S.M., a liturgical consultant, were chosen to lead the project.

There were still an insurmountable number of choices to be made. The building committee was formed and began holding some lengthy meetings. Steve Erspamer S.M. held a meeting to gather a cross-section of the group's perceptions of the importance of the various aspects of the renovation. Not surprisingly, there was a diversity of opinion. With careful and patient guidance, the committee was walked through the process of the impending renovation. We formed smaller working groups for financial efforts, communication of the renovation and the interior committee. Slowly,, but surely, the renovation moved forward.

Bids were submitted to the Archdiocese from various builders and subcontractors. The Archdiocese would have the final decision in who would be chosen for the construction. In November 1999, the McGrath Construction Company received the contract for the church construction and in the spring of 2000, we broke ground

Every effort was made to make decisions to represent all groups of the parish instead of satisfying individual need. Fr. Joe made tremendous sacrifices during this time, overseeing the daily headaches of any construction project, but most of all being open to new idea, and putting aside his own wishes on many occasions to provide what the parishioners were calling for. In addition, the community responded with such overwhelming generosity that the entire project was completed with elegance. We started out just wanting more seating and so forth. We received so much more, a spiritual renew al for our entire parish, a new way of looking at and celebrating our liturgy and greater insight into the meaning of the sacraments in our lives. We owe these unforseen treasures to our liturgical consultant, Steve Erspamer S.M. and then liturgy director, Judy Duncan, who then put the ideas into action.

The rededication of Christ, Prince of Peace Church took place on January 21, 2001. Presiders were The Most Reverend Justin Rigali, Archbishop of St. Louis, Pastor Reverend Joseph Wormek and Senior Associate Reverend Robert Corbett