Builders of Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine project that has unique support system get awards

The company that built the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine has received several project awards for its construction.

The shrine, 700 SE 89, was completed in February 2023 and it is the largest Catholic church in Oklahoma. The Catholic Church in Oklahoma had the shrine built to help share the life and legacy of Blessed Stanley Rother with the world.

Over the years, thousands of pilgrims from around the globe are expected to visit the huge shrine church and campus named for Rother, an Oklahoma priest who is on the path to Roman Catholic sainthood . Pope Francis proclaimed Rother a martyr for the faith in 2016. He is the first martyr from the United States and the first U.S.-born priest to be beatified.

Boldt is headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, and has 18 offices nationwide. Throughout the shrine project, Boldt engaged more than 30 local trade contractors and employed 100 to 150 workers on-site most days, with 90% of these being local Oklahoma companies. Boldt worked with diverse materials like bricks, stone, glass, tile and copper and installed 17 ^th century, handcrafted liturgical pieces, statues and murals to give the shrine more meaning.

Also, a 55-foot replica of Mexico’s Tepeyac Hill took nine months to build and required Boldt to create a unique support system to ensure the landmark will remain in place.

More: Oklahoma's largest Catholic Church ready to honor Oklahoman priest on path to sainthood

Most notably, Boldt overcame challenges to install a 65,000-pound, 34-foot-tall dome on the shrine more than 200 feet in the air. Boldt prefabricated the dome on the ground before lifting it into place to ensure accuracy, as well as safety for their crew.

The result is an intricate, 36,000-square-foot Spanish Colonial building that pays homage to Rother, who was murdered in Guatemala in 1981.

In recognition of the innovation and significance of this project, Boldt was awarded several accolades, including: Associated General Contractors (AGC) Construction Partners Risk 2023 Build America Award; AGC Oklahoma (AGCOK) 2023 Best of the Best Award (institutional category, $20-$50M); AGCOK 2023 Build Oklahoma Award; and Journal Record 2023 Top Projects (commercial category).

Tony Yanda, Boldt's senior director who led the project, said the construction of the shrine was a culmination of dedication, innovation and community.

"This isn’t just another church," Yanda, who is Catholic, said in a news release. "It has special meaning because of the purpose it serves here in Oklahoma and for the global community of faith. It’s a privilege to receive recognition for building something that means so much to so many people.

The shrine campus includes the Sacred Heart Church at the shrine, a museum and gift shop, plus a replication of Tepeyac Hill and the adjacent basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe.

"A lot of time and extra care were dedicated to this project, including high attention to detail," Yanda said. "In the end, the beauty inside and out were well worth the effort, and we’re grateful to our skilled team of builders and other partners who helped bring this project to life."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Builders of Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine project that has unique support system get awards