Eucharistic Rally Mass space will offer familiar look, reflecting Cathedral of the Madeleine interior

Courtesy graphic/Deacon Tom Tosti

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This rendering shows the design of the worship space for the July 9 diocesan Eucharistic Rally, which will be held at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy.

SALT LAKE CITY — At the Mass during the July 9 diocesan Eucharistic Rally and Mass, worshippers entering the space may feel almost like they are in the Cathedral of the Madeleine. This is intentional, said Deacon Tom Tosti, who leads the rally’s arts and environment committee.

“It’s hard to create a sacred space in a big concrete box,” he said of the Mountain America Expo Center, where the rally will be held. 

If the cathedral were large enough to hold all of those expected to attend the rally, “we would be gathered in the cathedral,” he said. “So we thought, ‘Why don’t we try to mimic that and bring in elements of what makes the cathedral special?’”

Deacon Tosti brings a wealth of experience to the assignment. The owner of Tekton Woodworks, he has been working as a liturgical design consultant and fabricator for more than 20 years, building sacred pieces for churches across the country, including fixtures that are used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temples.

The most significant of the fittings for the July 9 Mass is the 9’x6’ altar, which is made up of several panels so that it can be assembled on site and then stored for future use. The altar has a faux finish that resembles the Carrara marble of the cathedral’s own altar. This week Deacon Tosti will put the final hardware on the new altar before disassembling it in preparation for transport to the rally site.

At the expo center, Deacon Tosti’s team will recreate the cathedral’s sanctuary with furnishings similar to what is now found in that building. The centerpiece will be a bishop’s cathedra that was used in the cathedral before its renovation in the early 1990s. More than 10 years ago, after it was discovered in the building’s basement, Deacon Tosti’s firm restored the cathedra, which is now housed at Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper.  

A cathedra is “the symbol of the bishop, so that’s going to be the centerpiece,” Deacon Tosti said. “That’s a great linkage; it also links back to the history of the cathedral, which was built in 1909.”

The team also is in the final stages of building an ambo, which is similar “in look, feel and color to the cathedral’s pulpit,” Deacon Tosti said. In addition, they have created silk banners that feature renditions of the cathedral’s crucifix, which depicts the Trinity. These will hang from the walls and ceilings to help bring the feeling of a sacred space to the expo center. More banners with renditions of many of the cathedral’s stained-glass windows will finish out the space. 

This assignment has been a joyous experience for Deacon Tosti, his professional team and his committee, which is made up of the deacon, fellow Deacon Tom Devereux, Maria Devereux and Arlita Llenares. 

“Being a deacon, liturgy is everything and so to be involved in not just the space but how is the liturgy going to move and flow, it’s really interesting,” Deacon Tosti said. “Every space determines the liturgy to a large degree, so you have to work with what you have. It’s quite a challenge.”

In the end, Deacon Tosti hopes that the space they have created will be a fitting backdrop for the diocesan celebration of the Eucharist. 

“We want to get the excitement built,” he said. “We want people to come and make a joyful noise to the Lord.”

The diocesan Eucharistic Rally and Mass will be July 9 at Mountain America Expo Center, 9579 State St., Sandy. It will begin at 9 a.m. with presentations, family and youth activities, and opportunities for Adoration and Confession. The rally will conclude at 2 p.m. with a Mass at which Bishop Oscar A. Solis will preside. For information, visit https://www.dioslc.org/eucharistic-revival.