Mary Undoer of Knots Byzantine Catholic Shrine
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Liturgy Last Saturday of the Month @ 4 P.M.
The Dome - Pantocrator
Left, Chuck Albanese, Artist at home painting the Pantocrator for the Shrine's Dome. Right, the Dome in place.
Chuck Albanese is a Artist and Retired Architect who's work has spanned decades. One of his greatest challenges was painting the Shrine's Dome. Chuck's artwork is normally seen on flat canvases around the Southwest, but painting such a large scale work in a dome demands a unique skillset which his architectural skills were a perfect fit.
The Dome at Mary Undoer of Knots
Chuck Albanese Interview Part 1
Chuck Albanese Interview Part 2
Dome Timelapse
What is the Pantocrator?
The most common translation of Pantocrator is "Almighty" or "All-powerful." In this understanding, Pantokrator is a compound word formed from the Greek words πᾶς, pas (GEN παντός pantos), i.e. "all"[2] and κράτος, kratos, i.e. "strength," "might," "power."[3] This is often understood in terms of potential power; i.e., ability to do anything, omnipotence.
Another, more literal translation is "Ruler of All" or, less literally, "Sustainer of the World". In this understanding, Pantokrator is a compound word formed from the Greek for "all" and the verb meaning "To accomplish something" or "to sustain something" (κρατεῖν, kratein). This translation speaks more to God's actual power; i.e., God does everything (as opposed to God can do everything).
The Preparation and Mock-up
Months before the actual dome arrived at Chuck's home studio he worked tirelessly in meetings as well as drawing and painting mock-ups as well as a scale model of the dome.
The Dome Arrives and the Painting Begins.
The Shrine's contractor Gary Griffen and his crew built a custom jig for the dome to sit upon so Chuck could start at what would be a challenging five months of back-breaking work.
The Dome is Moved to the Shrine and Lifted in Place
The Dome was transported by Gary to the Shrine's location for storage waiting the completion of the Roof. Once the exterior of the building was completed, Gary's crew carefully raised the dome and protected it from the continued interior work.
