'Immersive' Stanley Rother shrine museum highlights priest's life, ministry
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Blessed Stanley Rother comes to life ― from his days on an Okarche farm to his ministry as a mission priest in Guatemala ― in a special collection of exhibits at the shrine bearing his name.
That's the premise of the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Museum designed by Ohio-based Exhibit Concepts.
Michael Manrique, the museum's project manager, said the museum is an immersive experience created so that pilgrims will feel they are walking with Rother on his journey from Catholic school to Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, where he served for 13 years until his death.
The museum, which opens to the public at the Feb. 17 shrine dedication, includes numerous images depicting the priest's life and ministry; stories and quotes that help provide context to his journey; and artifacts and detailed reproductions like a replica of a one-room hut like those where many of Rother's impoverished parishioners resided.
"'Immersive' is definitely the word that I would use to describe this," Manrique said. "You could just probably sit in one room for a half hour just reading all the text and quotes from people and stories on his life. You probably have to come here a couple times and each time, you'll probably see something different."
He said his design team wanted pilgrims to walk away feeling inspired.
"Probably the most important thing is understanding the story, and our design team fully embraced the story because it's really an inspirational story about an inspirational person who is obviously very important to the community here in Oklahoma, as well as Guatemala," Manrique said.
"So, that's where Exhibit Concepts started with trying to understand the story, understand his timeline history of all the things that he's done, and incorporate that into the design and layout of an interactive concept for pilgrims or patrons that are going to come here and want to find out about the story of Stanley Rother."
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George Rigazzi, archivist for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, led the effort to pack up and transport Rother's artifacts, mementoes and other items to the shrine at 700 SE 89. He said he and other archdiocese leaders worked with Exhibit Concepts for several years to successfully ensure the museum's quality.
The archivist said some aspects of the museum will help inform pilgrims of some key details that factor into Rother's story. These include a room that focuses on the Guatemalan war and all the things that were happening in the Central American country when the priest was serving there as a missionary. Another area highlights the beatification process and what Rother's canonization will mean.
"It's going to be a big surprise for a lot of people to see how nice it is," Rigazzi said.
Company also has ties to OKC National Memorial & Museum
Rigazzi said one of the reasons the shrine museum shines is because Exhibit Concepts "is one of the best in the business."
He said the company's reputation preceded them because it has ties to another museum in Oklahoma ― the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. Rigazzi was part of the committee that helped select Exhibit Concepts to create the shrine museum, and the company rose to the top of the committee's list for a variety of reasons, including positive feedback from Kari Watkins, the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum's executive director.
"We did the usual process of taking bids, but the fact that they were highly recommended to us and we knew the work that they did, it was a kind of a no-brainer when the committee decided on using them," Rigazzi said.
Watkins said she was pleased to learn that Exhibit Concepts was working with the archdiocese on a museum focusing on Rother's life.
"We've had a 20-year plus partnership with Exhibit Concepts, and we still work with them," she said. "We're thrilled the archdiocese is using them, and I look forward to seeing it."
Watkins said one of the things she liked about working with Exhibit Concepts was its ability to work within a budget and create exhibits that will last for many, many years.
"I mean, if you walked through our museum today, there are many items in the museum that were made 20-plus years ago at least, and they're still in great condition, she said.
"I say this all the time to designers and design schools: Your design is only as good as it can be maintained."
Watkins said Exhibit Concepts typically has a "keen eye and understand what's going to work" and that bodes well for the new shrine museum.
"I think it's going to be spectacular," she said.
Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Dedication
When: Dedication Mass, 11 a.m. Feb. 17. The shrine campus will be open to the public at 8 a.m., but those without reserved seating for the Mass will not be permitted to enter the shrine church until 10:30 a.m. The dedication Mass will be shown on large outdoor screens for the public gathered outside the shrine church. After Mass, the shrine campus will be open to the public, including Tepeyac Hill, the museum and pilgrim center, until 5 p.m.
Where: 700 SE 89.
Admission cost: Free.
Livestream: http://archokc.org/live; also available on Archdiocese of OKC Facebook Page and YouTube Channel; also broadcast on Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).
Information: https://rothershrine.org/dedication
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine Museum to open at complex's dedication
