New Trinity church hall reaches for the sky New Trinity church hall reaches for the sky (April 20, 2005)

By Rebecca Wallace

Almanac Staff Writer

"Alleluia! Alleluia!" is the headline in the latest newsletter for the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Menlo Park -- and the reason could rightly be called constructive.

Rising toward the sky is the church's new Angus Hall, with two stories where there once was one. The 9,200-square-foot building is replacing the old 3,600-square-foot hall at 330 Ravenswood Ave. in Menlo Park, and is expected to be finished by the end of the summer.

The "jewel" of the new building, said Rector Rob Ross, is an octagonal chapel that will be able to hold 40 to 50 people.

"It's for someone who wants to renew their marriage vows, or for a small service, a quiet, meditative service," he said.

The chapel's wooden floor will have a labyrinth design, similar to (but smaller than) the one in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. Church officials say walking through the labyrinth is an ancient mystical tradition that can quiet the mind and allow for meditation and prayer.

Also important, the new Angus Hall will give the church a precious commodity: more space.

"We always say we're a five-acre church on a two-acre campus. We have so much going on here with different groups wanting space," Mr. Ross said.

The old Angus Hall held mainly classrooms and the Child and Family Institute, which has programs for parents and children. Along with the chapel and classrooms, the new building will also have a music room and several meeting spaces, Mr. Ross said. He declined to comment on the cost of the project.

The project won easy approval from the city's Planning Commission in April 2004, with no residents attending the meeting to speak on the plan.

Church officials periodically post Angus Hall construction photos on their Web site at www.trinitymenlopark.org.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.