St. John Neumann
Catholic Church

Profiling Key Players in our Building a Legacy of Faith Project – Meet Ernest C. (Terry) Biglow, III

Who could provide the best insight as to what we need in our Building a Legacy of Faith (BLF) project – an architect or a Catholic deacon? Fortunately for St. John Neumann Parish, that's a choice we did not have to make in selecting our BLF architect. We found both in one individual at CDH Partners, Inc., the Marietta architectural firm hired to design our new worship space.

Meet Terry Biglow, the Project Architect for BLF. Terry is responsible for the SJN campus master plan and also for the design of the new facility. He received his training at the University of Florida, where he received a Bachelor of Design degree with honors, and a Master of Arts in Architecture.

A 1982 convert from the Episcopal Church, Terry was ordained a Catholic deacon in February of 2003 by former Archbishop John F. Donoghue at the Cathedral of Christ the King. The Biglow family members have been parishioners at Our Lady of the Assumption for the past 27 years. Originally from Bronxville, NY, Terry and Anicia, his wife of 36 years, have three sons – Charlie, Michael, and David.
Terry brings a unique perspective to our BLF project, given his strong Catholic faith and his impressive resume as an architect specializing in the design of churches and schools throughout the Southeast. Asked his thoughts regarding our particular project, Terry offered this viewpoint:

"The design of space for catholic worship should respond to the requirements of the liturgy, from the Easter Vigil to the typical Mass in Ordinary Time. The worship space is a place for celebrating the liturgy, so there needs to be room for processions, a central focus on the place of sacrifice, the altar, and attention paid to the relationship of the ambo, the altar, and the president's chair in the sanctuary. The space needs to allow for the procession of the Gospel and the flow of people at communion. There is also the question of where the musicians sit and how the choir gets in and out of the space. The room should respond to the movements of each liturgy so that the celebration of God's word and His Holy Eucharist flow gracefully from opening hymn to dismissal."

Terry added that he feels his faith and experience as a Catholic deacon are beneficial to the BLF project. They inform his professional decisions as he designs a worship space sure to "… support and enrich the celebration of the liturgy." SJN is fortunate to have Terry Biglow, architect and deacon, filling a key role in this important parish project.

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