Emile Uhlrich

In the summer of 1912, the new Olean pastor, Rev. Edward Rengel, traveled to regional municipalities like Oil City, Pennsylvania and Steubenville, Ohio to examine other recently built churches and schools. The purpose, it was reported, was to get design ideas for the new Saint Mary of the Angels Church. We can imagine that Father Rengel’s trip to Steubenville took him to Saint Peter’s Roman Catholic Church (1908) and/or Saint Mary of the Assumption (now a minor basilica) in nearby Marietta (1909), both buildings still housing vibrant Catholic communities to this day— both creations of a young architect from Cleveland, Ohio. 

Emile M. Uhlrich (1873-1947), was a French architect classically trained in Paris at Ecole Fenelon, the Lycee St. Nicholas, and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in the “fine art style” which stressed order, symmetry formal design, grandiosity and elaborate ornamentation.

At just 18 years of age, Uhlrich came to the United States and began working for an architectural firm in Cleveland which built several impressive churches and public buildings including some of his designs by this time throughout central Ohio. Uhlrich’s edifices are celebrated for their elegant and classic design, expressing a variety of European styles of ecclesial architecture popular in the late 19th century.

Uhlrich’s architectural blueprints for the new St. Mary of the Angels Church were submitted on September 23, 1912 and accepted by Bishop Colton on December 11. The whole building is a play on gothic revival mixed with different styles, a common practice in architecture at the time and seen in Uhlrich’s designs in some magnificent examples in the Ohio churches like St. Procop’s in Cleveland (1903). Even with the combination of styles, Saint Mary’s is soundly fixed in the 14th century, a marvelous example of an edifice filled with gothic vocabulary. Some would categorize it as “historistic” gothic with medieval elements given a 19th century treatment. The glorious stained glass windows will one day reveal artistic content that reflects more 16th century Renaissance design. In short, the Uhlrich creation, like the architect himself, is firmly planted in 19th century artistic sensibility. It is just the type of Catholic church a man of his exquisite classic Parisian-trained background from his era would design—and then some.

This particular building has two highly unusual characteristics: a southern orientation and windows that far exceed the scale of the building. That latter is a direct result of the former. 
Given the shape of the lot, Saint Mary’s followed the same orientation as the previous Franciscan church with the back wall of the sanctuary facing south instead of the traditional east. The building’s orientation was undoubtedly approved by Bishop Colton who gave final approval in the planning stage. This unusual challenge in ecclesial architecture had to present some disquiet to the very classically-trained Uhlrich.

To make up for this twist in tradition, Uhlrich used the east-west light play to his advantage by designing windows in the nave out of scale with the walls, letting the sun play as it will— rising gloriously though the east wall and blazing mightily at setting through the west wall. Knowing the dramatic effect of Munich-style windows planned for the space, he could feel comfortable that he would produce a show that would be nothing less than spectacular.

Inside, starting at the vestibule, the floor is slightly raked (sloped) to the transept at an incline of 17 inches to help improve the sight line from the back pews to the main altar. This was a common feature in Uhlrich’s churches. And we notice that decoration becomes more ornate the closer one approached the sanctuary, thus drawing the visitor’s eyes to the most important area of the church. 

But the nave certainly can stand on its own with its twelve massive columns (representing the twelve Apostles, pillars of the Church), each gracefully vanishing into arches without capitals. Lining the center aisle, these pillars lead visitors up to the apse containing the sanctuary. 

Electric lighting in this era is exploited for its ability to add drama as well as general illumination. The plan designed for this church hints at an interest to highlight the far reaches of the vaulted ceiling with accent lighting added to the celestory crown. This also allowed for added drama in shutting them off in sequence with the lower column lighting to produce a sunset effect, especially appropriate for a Tenebrae service. 

Monsignor Edward Rengel certainly influenced the architectural spectrum of art in Western New York with his discovery of Emile Uhlrich to design the magnificent Olean church. From this discovery, Monsignor Baker chose Uhlrich to design the opulent Shrine of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna. This multi-million dollar exquisite house of God loaded with precious marble columns/statuary/flooring, lavish paintings and stained-glass windows was Uhlrich’s opus magnum. That the Ohio architect was an orphan himself only added to the allure of the splendid centerpiece to Father Baker’s charitable services for orphans.

The consecration of Our Lady of Victory Shrine was followed by an historic Solemn Pontifical Mass on May 25, 1926. At the banquet afterwards, Father Rengel, who served as Deacon for the Mass, was publicly credited with bringing the architect to Monsignor Baker’s attention.
Two years following this dedication, Pope Pius XI designated Our Lady of Victory National Shrine as a minor basilica—the second church so designated in the United States. Today, four of Uhlrich's churches enjoy this papal distinction. 

Photo (TOP of page): Emile Uhlrich in Olean, NY in 1913 while on an inspection tour of the building site for the new Saint Mary of the Angels Church. Visible in the background is the old Saint Mary of the Angels Church that had been moved across South First Street for use while the new church was being built. --Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels Archives