2026 Bernini Award Winner:
Churches, Shrines & Ecclesiastical Buildings
Carmelite Monastery of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Fairfield, PA
The Catholic Art Institue’s Bernini Awards:
Honoring Excellence in Sacred Architecture
Named in honor of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), whose masterpieces shaped the visual language of the Church, the Bernini Awards recognize outstanding achievement in the creation, restoration, and support of Catholic sacred spaces and the allied arts. Presented by the Catholic Art Institute and sponsored by Canning Liturgical Arts, these national awards affirm that beauty is essential to the Church's mission of evangelization, worship, and the sanctification of culture. Rather than rewarding novelty, the awards celebrate enduring excellence rooted in tradition, theological integrity, and fidelity to Catholic teaching.
By recognizing projects that balance functional stewardship with transcendent design, the Bernini Awards continue a living tradition of sacred architecture that points beyond the material world toward eternal truths.
Our Recognition: Churches, Shrines & Ecclesiastical Buildings
We are deeply humbled and profoundly grateful to receive the 2026 Bernini Award for Churches, Shrines & Ecclesiastical Buildings for our work on the Carmelite Monastery of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Fairfield, PA. This category honors architectural and design excellence in structures that quietly sustain the broader life of the Church, from rectories and formation centers to religious houses where prayer anchors the community.
Bernini Award Criteria
Architectural harmony with the church building
Human scale and dignity
Contribution to community life
Beauty appropriate to function
Integration of Catholic identity in design
Bringing this sacred monastery to life was a labor of love made possible through the shared dedication of many hands and faithful hearts. Above all, we owe an immense debt of gratitude to the sisters for their deep trust, gracious partnership, and constant collaboration; this recognition belongs just as much to their prayers and unwavering commitment as it does to our architectural work. We share this distinct honor with all our collaborators, remaining steadfast in our dedication to a standard of beauty that lifts the human spirit upward.
Carmelite Monastery of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Fairfield, PA
About the Project: The Recreation-Workroom Building
The Recreation-Workroom Building is the first completed major structure in a new monastery project for Discalced Carmelite nuns. Serving as both a recreation hall and workroom, the building establishes the architectural, material, and construction principles that will guide every future phase of the monastery.
Completed in 2021, the building is constructed with two-foot-thick load-bearing stone masonry walls laid in lime mortar, hand-hewn oak timber framing, lime plaster finishes, and a natural slate roof. These durable, time-tested materials were selected not only for their longevity but also for their ability to foster an atmosphere of quiet contemplation.
The design extends beyond the building envelope to embrace a model of self-reliance rooted in both the monastic tradition and the rural landscape, where the surrounding agricultural lands sustain the community through cultivation and husbandry.
The building's principal space is the Recreation Room. A double-height volume filled with natural light from tall windows and crowned by a ventilating cupola that brings daylight and passive airflow deep into the interior. An oversized Rumford fireplace anchors the room, providing warmth and serving as the symbolic heart of communal life.
Other spaces in the main block host a series of activities such as candle making, sewing rooms called vestries, and dedicated areas equipped with looms for textile production where members produce woven fabrics for making of their religious garments and everyday clothing.
These workspaces form an integral part of the monastic environment, housed within an architecture defined by massive stone walls and an exposed timber structure. This architecture emerges as a resilient framework, drawing from established typologies, time-honored construction methods and the local vernacular tradition. The design embodies a sense of permanence while fostering an adaptable environment that can support generations of Catholic contemplative nuns.
A Word of Thanks
We are honored to receive the Bernini Award for Churches, Shrines and Ecclesiastical Buildings for the Carmelite Monastery of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
We are grateful to everyone whose talent, dedication, and faith helped us bring this monastery to life. And more importantly, a huge thanks to the sisters for their trust, partnership, and collaboration on this project. This award is just as much a reflection of their prayers and commitment as it is of the team’s work.
- Riccardo S. Vicenzino
Bernini Awards identity, medallion design, and program materials © 2026 Catholic Art Institute. Bernini Awards medallion designed by Kathleen Carr using hand drawing, transformed into final graphic using Photoshop and not AI or Photoshop AI tools.