October 12, 2011, New York, NY – The Rev. John A. Runkle has been named Consulting Project Manager to work with the Project Team implementing the reconstruction of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince.
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Bells rescued from the ruins of Holy Trinity Cathedral |
The Diocese of Haiti recognizes that the reconstruction of the church and its institutions is far from being a single activity,” remarked Sikhumbuzo Vundla, Chief of Operations, Diocese of Haiti. “Those involved with the design and execution of the project must consider the environmental impact of the job, the successful scheduling, budgeting, availability of building materials, and all of the logistics. With these issues in mind, we are excited to have the Reverend John Ander Runkle arrive with his toolbox.”
In guiding the project forward, Runkle will collaborate with the Project Team to develop a design for the cathedral that will respect and celebrate the Haitian people and their culture, respect the memory of the previous cathedral, incorporating the three surviving murals, comply with international seismic and hurricane building codes, incorporate environmentally-sensitive materials and methods, and include Haitian designers and construction workers on the team.
Runkle’s primary responsibilities will be to develop a strategy to move the project forward, define requirements for the new cathedral, outline the characteristics of the building site (property lines, available utilities, site survey, etc.), set a realistic budget, establish a timeline, select an architect and general contractor, and oversee the construction process. Serving as the Episcopal Church representative, he will provide periodic reports, including to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and the Episcopal Church Executive Council.
“Hiring a project manager with the skills and experience of John Runkle for the reconstruction of the cathedral is a significant step in moving forward with the rebuilding effort,” said the Rev. Joseph Constant, Special Coordinator for Haiti. “John’s project management and detail-oriented skills has been invaluable to the process. Given his background and passion for liturgical spaces, I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with John in building a new Cathedral for a new Haiti.”
As both an Episcopal priest and an architect specializing in liturgical space, Runkle is uniquely qualified to head up this project. He is presently on the staff of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, VA and served as the Canon for Architecture and the Arts in the Diocese of Washington. His career represents a devotion to the care and interpretation of architectural and cultural landmarks. From serving as an architect on staff with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, to surveying archaeological sites of medieval Islamic settlements in the Sahara Desert of North Africa, to preserving, restoring and revitalizing historic worship space in the Anglican tradition, his architectural experience spans over twenty-five years.
A prolific writer, Fr. Runkle’s book, Searching for Sacred Space: Essays on Architecture and Liturgical Design in the Episcopal Church is a collection of thought-provoking essays that focus on liturgical space and its proper support of common worship. A popular speaker at lectures, conferences and retreats, he also teaches at Virginia Theological Seminary and Wesley Theological Seminary on the theology of sacred space and history of religious architecture.
Rebuild Our Church in Haiti is a national, grass-roots effort launched on the 1st anniversary of the magnitude seven earthquake that decimated Haiti in 2010. The appeal was authorized by Executive Council in response to the request from Bishop Jean Zach Duracin and the people of Haiti to help rebuild the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. For more information visit www.episcopalchurch.org/haitiappeal.
For more information, visit www.episcopalchurch.org/haitiappeal or contact Terri Mathes at tmathes@episcopalfoundation.org or 717-599-0627.
Teresa S. Mathes works with the Episcopal Church Foundation.
