Sitzmann Hall
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Sitzmann Hall
January 6, 2003 marked the beginning of a new era for the Center for Catholic Studies as it settled into its new home at 2055 Summit Ave.
Sitzmann Hall, at 7,800 square feet, is roughly three times the size of the Center’s previous location and allows all the programs, faculty, and staff to be housed under the same roof for the first time. The new location is also an affirmation of the university’s commitment to ensuring the center’s further development.
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Seen from the street, it’s easy to mistake Sitzmann Hall, built in the late 1920s, for the family home it once was. It is virtually indistinguishable from the neighboring stately residences along Summit Avenue, except for a sign above the front entry.
The building, however, has been part of St. Thomas since the 1940s, serving for many years as the university’s Music Department, and later as home to the St. Thomas Conservatory of Music. Until recently, the building was known as Chiuminatto Hall in honor of a former chair of the Music Department.
Beginning in the summer of 2002, the building received an extensive overhaul in anticipation of its new use. At a cost of more than $1.25 million, the renovation and restoration project was a significant undertaking that would not have been possible without a major gift from Eugene and Faye Sitzmann, for whom the facility has been named.
Although exterior renovations were less extensive – the outer walls and distinctive tile roof were carefully restored in accordance with regulations governing the Summit Avenue Historic District – the interior underwent a striking transformation that left it virtually unrecognizable from its previous condition.
The center’s full-time faculty and staff, previously located throughout campus, now have offices in one building to facilitate personal interaction and greater coordination of programs.
Sitzmann Hall also boasts a well-equipped computer lab, a sizable student library and lounge, conference room, and reception area.
The most fitting and important addition to the Center for Catholic Studies is the Eucharistic chapel, that reminds all who enter the building that the Eucharist is the “source and summit” of the Christian life. The chapel was dedicated in February and contains a tabernacle, altar, seating for 15, and a small sacristy.
The chapel is available to students, faculty and staff for prayer during the day, and Mass is held once a week. At the initiative of a Catholic Studies student group, weekly Eucharistic adoration also was held this past semester and will continue in the fall.
As the new home of the Center for Catholic Studies, Sitzmann Hall is yet another expression of the university’s commitment to its Catholic identity. The facility acknowledges in a concrete way the place of Catholic Studies at St. Thomas and provides expanded opportunities for the center to better serve the university, the Church and the world.
**Adapted from Perspectives, May 2003.
