Every project is important to H.J. Holtz & Son team members. But some touch the soul more than others. That was the case for Holtz craftspeople participating in the creation of a new chapel on the campus of Saint Gertrude High School in Goochland County.
“A lot of folks who work here are faithful people, and we take working in a church very seriously,” says Kelly Kutchey, Holtz production manager. “A project like this definitely adds a little weight to the work.”
Saint Gertrude relocated from its original home in the city of Richmond to its current campus in 2023. After a period of fundraising, the school turned to finishing its worship space in 2025. Named the Sullivan Chapel in honor of donors, the focal point of the space is the high altar, where hand-applied gold leaf provides a glowing backdrop for the school’s original wood crucifix and flanking angels.
Holtz team members painstakingly applied each piece of 23.5-karat gold leaf in the chapel – covering the front sanctuary wall and edging arches and wall elements. Gold leaf was also applied to the alcoves holding statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.
Kutchey says the project required 4,228 linear feet of gold leaf, each piece 4.25” wide. Laid side by side, that quantity of gold leaf would span the length of 14 football fields. “[Applying] that amount of gold leafing is not something we do all the time,” he says.
Applying gold leaf is challenging, Kutchey says, because it is so delicate. But even before the work could begin, the Holtz team had to source the material. “We had to find a supplier who could provide the amount we needed,” he says.
The company found SeppLeaf Products in New York City and developed a relationship that went beyond a simple purchase. “Lauren Sepp was extremely helpful,” Kutchey says. “We had experience with gold leaf, but because of the size of the job, we had to train more people. Lauren helped with that.”
Part of the training included how to handle the leaf. “It’s incredibly thin,” Kutchey notes. “A cross breeze through the space would blow it to pieces. You have to handle it with tools, not bare fingers, because it’s so delicate and will tarnish just like solid gold.”
In addition to applying the gold leaf, H.J. Holtz & Son team members installed six murals, painted, and stained a door. The scope of the project meant that Holtz often had half a dozen workers in the space daily for months.
A fall 2025 article in a school magazine notes a goal of the chapel’s design was for it to be beautiful, to reflect the glory of God. That’s a goal that Holtz team members strive for every time, Kutchey says.
“We always try to make everything look beautiful, whether it’s running white trim or adding wallpaper,” he says. “We want crisp, straight lines – clean and beautiful. Whatever we do, we want it to look the best.”
