Faith Lutheran Church is about to celebrate its diamond jubilee marking 75 years for the midtown church. Faith features an iconic mid-century modern building, making it iconic in Tucson.
“This is supposed to represent the steps to heaven,” said Connie Pintozzi. “And the spires were two represent praying hands.”
Pintozzi is describing the outside of Faith Lutheran Church on Fifth Street near Alvernon.
Those twin spires that represent praying hands stand 60 feet high.
Architect Arthur Brown, influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, went away from the traditional European architecture to design Faith Lutheran in the mid-century modern style.
They broke ground on Christmas day 1948.
Once completed, the church gained national recognition in architectural magazines.
Time magazine even featured Faith Lutheran Church for its mid-century modernism.
Faith was built by a congregation that included many World War II veterans — just back from the war — including Connie’s father Virgil Falkner.
“It meant the world to them because they were still alive,” Pintozzi explained. “They were back and the strong faith that they had that got them (through).”
Virgil Falkner was a gunner on a B-24 in World War II.
Before his death in 2011, Virgil helped restore the B-24 on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum.
After World War II, he worked on B-29s at Davis-Monthan and held many positions at Faith Lutheran Church.
He even created a cross out of the aluminum from a B-29 that is still on display.
“You know the men and women who did serve, did such a remarkable thing for us as a country,” said Dave Falkner, Virgil Falkner’s son.
Like Connie, her brother Dave Falkner was baptized, confirmed and married in this church. He says Faith Lutheran is very proud of the contribution to the church made by well-known Tucson artist Ted De Grazia.
“Was asked to do something in support of this church,” said Falkner. “So we have that beautiful cross and the baptismal font. Those were things that he contributed.”
Rev. Dr. Vernon Schindler likes to show the cross to visitors of the church.
“I want to point it out to people because they say ‘That’s unique, I’m not exactly sure what that is.’ At first, unless you look very closely, you don’t even see the corpus. You just see a cross. When you get closer then you get more detail.”
Faith Lutheran also features beautiful stained glass windows in the sanctuary.
Also on the Faith Lutheran campus are a preschool and elementary school.
Principal Esther Lang tells me they offer small class sizes with only about 14 kids in each classroom.
As Faith Lutheran celebrates its 75th anniversary, Connie prays for another 75 years for this close-knit congregation with more young people finding their way to the church.
“It’s in my heart,” said Pintozzi. “It just means so much.”
And Faith Lutheran — and it’s mid-century modern architecture– means so much to midtown Tucson.
Faith Lutheran will hold their diamond jubilee service this Sunday at 2 p.m.