Building a Church...lets buy back our Catholic heritage!

A marble Angel of the Lord (1 of 2 angels)salvaged from the former Saint Aloysius Church in Philadelphia, being held hostage by King Richard's Religious Antiques.Throughout the United States, there was a terrible practice of designing our Catholic Churches as “multi-purpose “buildings. Often such a designation included an area for the celebration of the Mass, parish social activities and clerical space for administrative duties of the parish. While the intent was to make the Catholic Church portray a more open and modern religious institution the effect backfired and destroyed our artistic patronages and our architectural heritages. Churches that were constructed during the 40 or so years after the Second Vatican Council is was always most appropriate for pastors and priests to modernize their Churches by taking out the altar rails, removing the statues, modifying or removing completely confessionals and sadly removing the Tridentate Altar of Sacrifice. During these years, we searched as a Church for religious expression; we searched even for the Real Presence of Jesus, because the Eucharistic species was moved around the Church from place to place. First there was a Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, sometimes there were dueling tabernacles, and finally in some archdioceses and dioceses…Jesus is back in the center. He is right back where he started.
Because the Second Vatican Council encouraged a new openness to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, some pastors saw this as an opportunity to replace traditional Catholic liturgical accessories with new and modernized vestments, chalices…the seemingly always present liturgical banner and finally plastic floral designs.
With the new appreciation of the Liturgy of Blessed John XXIII and the papal permission issued by Benedict XVI for unrestricted celebration of this rite, Catholic parishes are hurriedly looking for the liturgical accessories they basically have sold off in liturgical yard sales in the past 40 years. Firms that specialize in reclaiming religious materials from closing Catholic Churches have proliferated in the Catholic world. Sacred articles such as statues, stained glass, liturgical vessels and even vestments are offered for sale on E-Bay, at King Richard’s.com and numerous other sites via the internet.
Our Catholic Church has allowed our donated and gifted materials to become part of a secular antiques auction. Signs and symbols that adorned our most sacred spaces can be found as decorative accessories in hotels, bars, dance clubs and yes even non-Catholic religious buildings. A few weeks ago there was a loud outcry regarding the sale of saint’s relics on EBay. While the Church maintains the buying and selling of sacred relics is considered the sin of simony. What do you call selling the pews, stained glass, marble, sacred vessels and vestments from parish Churches that have closed, modernized or consolidated? This author firmly states such materials are for Catholic sacred purposes and not an architectural harvest for salvage dealers that resell our own Catholic fixtures back to us at obscenely inflated price.
While the American Catholic Church is shifting in the demographic distribution of its Catholic population, carefull consideration and reintegration of sacred spaces materials and accessories should always be a primary concern. In a ever conscious eco-friendly world, the Catholic Church needs to reconstitute its sacred materials into new and renovated sacred spaces as an ecological message to the world, and as a gesture of good financial stewardship. Faithful Catholics that struggled and provided the financial resources to provide for our older parishes never imagined their donation, intended for perpetual memorial to find new homes as designer accessories or surplus architectural details. Furthermore, the priests and pastors that have sold off these materials, regardless of bishop’s directives, or well founded intentions have surpassed the limit of fiducial responsibility we entrusted to them.
As we begin to acknowledge our Catholic architectural and artistic heritage, it is time to design, build and worship in Catholic Churches that identify us as Catholics. Incorporating materials from other Catholic sites as appropriate provides a keen tie to our history in both secular and religious forms.
As a parishioner, I strongly shout to all of those responsible for new Catholic buildings and their planning. Utilize an architectural firm that is knowledgeable of the history of Catholic art and architecture. Plan to reuse materials from suppressed or closed parishes. Remember the truly tangible connection that exists between our Catholic ancestors and their aspirations they left us a spiritual and physical legacy. Incorporate old and new, modern with antique, such integration will allow the parish to experience the physical and historical continuity of an inherited Catholicism.

Happy Birthday Pope Paul III

It is fitting that in the period of the restoration of the Liturgy of Blessed John XXIII sometimes (in error) called the Tridentine Mass that we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Pope Paul III in 1468.
He is the pope that called the Council of Trent and is largely credited with his inability to effectively deal with the Protestant Reformation as they (the Protestants) like to call it.
Born Alessandro Farnese, Paul III was also related to Pope Boniface VIII.
Paul III also appointed two of his grandsons to the College of Cardinals.
His birthday is February 29,1468.
For lovers of the leap year he would only be a young 135 years old in 2008.
For the Tridentine Traditionalist he would be 540 years young.

No Bishop Bashing permitted!

You can always tell when the political season opens on Catholics. There is a trend towards Catholic bashing in the press and media. More precisely, in this case there is an attempt by the secular press at Bishop Bashing while trying to play down our Catholic moral, social and ethical principles.
The Catholic League has recently noted a journalistic bashing of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops in a recent article by Joe Feuerherd in The Washington Post. Well Mr. Feuerherd, any detrimental comments one makes in the secular press is an outright attack on Catholic religious freedom of expression. Political pundits might consider the Catholic Bishops as fair game during the political hunting season, but they are not collectively intended for political or journalistic target practice.
Catholic faithful maintain the office of Bishop is directly descended from the Apostles. We also believe that collectively, the Bishops in the United States and throughout the world speak with moral certitude for our Catholic beliefs and values. Any journalistic attempt at editorial sarcasm against the Catholic bishops is a direct affront to millions of Catholics in the United States and indeed the world.
Catholic moral and social teachings that proclaim respect for the dignity of all human life are the hallmarks of our Catholic Bishops teachings throughout the world. For a newspaper to attack our hierarchy of Bishops, through whatever means, they attack our theological sanctity and traditions on and in an insensitive, anti-Catholic manner.
Regardless of any journalists sentiments regarding political issues or topics, there is no room for any blanket condemnation of our American Catholic Bishops and their human life teachings and policies. As a Catholic author and as a faithful Catholic…such arrogance and sentiments against our religious expressions of faith are beyond journalistic integrities. Journalists have, and indeed the Press collectively has a responsibility to objectively report and recount events as they simply ARE, without any indication of political, theological or social sentimentality.
As a Catholic, I am offended by the blatant lack of sensitivity to issues of human life, values and moral convictions by the Washington Press. Similarly, intentional “Bishop Bashing” against the collective teachings of a Catholic entity is not acceptable and should not be tolerated by any religious organization including Catholics. We share the same constitutional rights as all religious groups in the United States and oppose such overt anti-Catholic rhetoric as totally inexcusable and not acceptable.
Mr. Feuerherd …if you want to bash any ideological philosophy or hypothetical collection of personal beliefs you are free to do so. However, any editorial comments that collectively attack the American Catholic Bishops for their correctly stated opinions on our Catholic views of human life are wrong and unacceptable.
Catholic voters have a responsibility and obligation to support our Catholic Bishops in their teachings during the political campaign. They represent for us, as Catholics, the collective voice of our moral and ethical message from Jesus Christ and the Apostles. To diminish any teachings from the American Catholic Bishops that fosters a deeper appreciation and understanding of the dignity inherent to all human life diminishes our Catholic message and freedom of theological expression.

Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi

The phrase, "Lex Orandi, lex credendi" has always been the battle cry of good liturgical practices. Namely, "the Church prays as the Church believes". This theological tidbit of liturgical continuity has guided the actions of the universal Church in its expressions of prayer. Whether it is the Liturgy of the Eucharist or a celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours...the prayerful actions of the priest and the faithful always reflects the foundational roots of what the Church believes.
These beliefs are appropriately expressed in our various liturgies.
This does not mean however, there is never a diverse group of alternative rituals and prayers that might be used in worship.
The penitential rite offers various forms that may be used in the Liturgy. One option is to include the revised form of the Confiteor, and sing the Kyrie. During the liturgical season of Lent perhaps it is appropriate and fitting that we focus more distinctly on our call to penance and conversion and express our needs for forgiveness in alternative forms. Reciting this form of the penitential rite not only recalls our pre-Vatican II traditions of liturgy, but also recalls the Roman and Greek influences that have affected our worship throughout the centuries. Remember, the Kyrie is a Greek invocation that is rooted in our prayers before the Great Western Schism. While it might imply there is a true lack of unity between Occidental and Oriental, East and West parts of our Church most clearly it is an invocation to the Father of mercies for universal forgiveness. Once again, our active praying expresses the belief we foster in a merciful God that calls all peoples to salvation.
The Liturgy is also a form of teaching all of us about the rich traditions that play a part in our Catholic lives. Our liturgical expression is reflective of the cumulative journey our Church has experienced since the time of the Apostles. It is also reflective of the diverse cultural contributions that have been made to the form of our liturgical expression for centuries. Our linguistic roots in the Roman Rite are in Latin, but even liturgical development recalls that Greek is an integral tongue of prayer in the Catholic experience worldwide.
In the United States, especially since the liturgical reforms of Vatican II, there has been a tendency to forget our Roman and therefore Latin roots in the liturgy.
The concilliar fathers of Vatican II indicated very clearly that all Catholics should be able to celebrate the essential parts of the Mass in both their native tongues( in our case...English), and in Latin (the traditional language of the Church of Rome).Perhaps only we as Americans have this aversion to foreign languages and perhaps a fear of Latin. Maybe it reflects an antiquated Church or a deeply seated phobia of gerunds and gerundives. Whatever the reason it is refreshing to see the celebrant of the liturgy exercise true leadership of the prayerful assembly and use all available forms and options available to make the Eucharistic liturgy reflect both the beliefs of our Church as well as the traditions of our Roman Rite.
Recently in my parish, in addition to intoning the Kyrie Eleison, the priest celebrants have varied the use of Eucharistic prayers at Mass. The quickie and old favorite Eucharistic prayer number 2...which begins, “Lord you are holy indeed..." has been legitimately replaced with Eucharistic prayer number 4, which uses a different narrative to trace salvation history to the Eucharistic confection.
Once again, lex orandi, lex credendi...does not preclude variety and options, but rather calls celebrant and the people to an active appreciation of the Liturgy, past and present.
Often it is noticed that people seem confused and caught off guard when the celebrant offers various options to our liturgical expression. Perhaps they do not know the responses, do not recognize the language or just do not know that a different form is capable of being used by the celebrant. Excellent opportunity for education in liturgy, church history and sacramental theology. Our expressions of faith not only recall unchanging sacramental truths, but also reflect the active living Church, which offers its message of salvation through changing manners and forms throughout the ages.
The next time you hear the celebrant intoning, Agnus Dei...in place of Lamb of God, recall that our faith is a rich inheritance of traditions and expressions of prayer. Embrace the linguistic and cultural heritage of our Catholic Church, learn how to sing along in various languages, and perhaps Lex Orandi, lex credendi will no longer seem like a frenzied St.Prosper of Aquitaine running across the Pont du Gard in an anti-Pelagian seizure, but another appreciation of our faith's vast history and traditions.

... Lenten journey into Sacred Art!

In Extreme Humility, by Susan Kelly vonMedicus. Used with permission of the artist.
The Sacred Art community and all faithful believers, in and around the City of Philadelphia should take particular notice of the exhibition at Villanova University taking place in the sacred space of the Corr Chapel.
The exhibition is a joint effort of both Mary Ellen Bilisnansky-McMorrow and Susan Kelly vonMedicus.
The works are on view from 2/1/08- until -3/25/08.
The exhibition features works of various mediums that express a global awareness and thankfulness to the mystery of Christ’s Passion. The theme of the exhibit is, Witness to the Passion.
The Corr Chapel is open daily for prayer, reflection and worship.
The Eucharistic Liturgy is celebrated at 12:05 and 5:45 daily.
Visitors should remember that this is an active sacred space for prayer and worship and not a gallery environment. Please respect the integrity of the sacred surroundings should you visit.

Response to column on Sacred Art from Houston!

Dear Hugh - Although very late, I just found your post of 09/03/07 on Sacred Art and Architecture. Bravo! Are you working or making progress on developing an American Institute for the Sacred Arts? Would be very interested to hear the latest on this.

The closest thing I know of is The Foundation for Sacred Arts with H. Reed Armstrong, who holds very similar views as yours, and mine by the way!

There is also the more ecumenical CIVA - Christians in the Visual Arts, which is open to protestants, Catholics and everything else in Christendom too.

One thing I believe regarding the sacred arts is that our Church, pastors, building committees, "liturgical designers" and donors must recalibrate expectations for religious art -- it must be made to teach the faith as did the great sacred art of millennia past. Figurative art must be re-emphasized in order to speak in a universal language that all can read and learn from when they come to the church and thereby come across the art therein...

For example, what can one learn from abstract expressionist swishes and swoops that are very often erected in a Catholic church in the space where real(istic) Stations Of The Cross should be, or in all the modernistic stained glass that is wholly unitelligible? What kind of conversion of the heart can be inspired from confusion of the eyes?

And I would agree wholeheartedly with the comment that Catholic artists should be commissioned to do art for Catholic churches. Why do so many buy into the fallacy that transmittal of the Catholic faith via art can be done by artists who arent Catholic at all, or perhaps even militant atheists with deep contempt for Catholicism or faith in any form?

You may be able to tell that I am very interested in this subject of art for the Catholic Church. Through the grace of God, I have made a career switch and am now working as a mosaic artist in traditional Roman marble and Byzantine glass styles. I have recently completed 4 lifesize mosaic panels for a catholic church here in Houston featuring the 4 evangelists. I look forward to doing more, and there are irons in the fire across the southwest. We can do similar quality work for 1/3rd the cost of that done in Italy.

I read a good many books on Catholic art and architecture and would be interested in seeing a list of your favorites. Mine include Doorley, Rose, Armstrong, McNamara, etc...
Also am reading Couturier to see where it all started to go wrong...dont think I am yet strong enough to stomach reading any of Vosko.

I welcome your reply, and will also try to become a more frequent reader of your blog, but I cannot leave comments since I dont have google mail.

All the best, and I welcome your reply,

Catholic Brotherhood with the People of the Covenant

Since the Last Supper the Catholic Church has been greatly influenced by our close cousins in faith the Jewish People. It is disturbing that in this era of theological reconciliation and ecumenical dialogue there is even a suggestion of anti-Semitism on the part of Catholics worldwide. Recently, Benedict XVI permitted the restoration of the Tridentine liturgy in the Church. There were anti-Semitic parts of the Good Friday liturgy prior to Vatican II. However since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council the Catholic Church has been instrumental in pioneering a new and restored relationship with the Children of Israel. Our Catholic liturgy now reflects the ancient relationship with the Jewish people as one of evolving theological revelation through both the Old and New Testaments and the secular events of the past two thousand years. Catholic-Jewish dialogue exists today in a social, cultural and theological environment quite different from the pre-Vatican II Church. Any suggestion that derogatory roots of our old misunderstandings and misinterpretations of theological beliefs between Catholicism and Judaism are just plain wrong, and need to be dispelled.
In the period since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has made great progress towards developing positive relationships with our Jewish cousins. John-Paul II was the first pope in history to visit the synagogue of Rome, he offered prayers and requested harmony at the Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem and proclaimed contrition on behalf of the Church for sins committed against the Jews. His successor Benedict XVI has visited the notorious concentration camp at Auschwitz, prayed at the synagogue in Cologne, Germany and repeatedly called for interfaith dialogue with all faithful peoples.
The speculation in the secular press that the permission to restore elements of the Tridentine Rite that implies a restoration of anti-Semitism is completely unfounded and just plainly erroneous. The Holy See has been quite clear in this message, and all Catholics should protest any suggestions that indicate the Holy Father suggests otherwise.
Our liturgical Liturgy of the Word has as its foundation the ancient synagogue services of Judaism in the first century a.d. The Liturgy of the Eucharist is rooted in the ancient celebration of the Passover meal. Our Catholic altars and even our tabernacles are based upon the sacred altar of the Temple of Jerusalem and the presence of God in the Old Testament, Holy of Holies. We Catholic are dedicated to a deepening understanding and participation in faith with the first called People of God more today than perhaps anytime since the Apostolic era.
It is our prayerful obligation and responsibility as both Catholics and Jews to work together in mutual cooperation towards a deeper relationship in faith between our 2 faiths. Any notion by the media or the secular press, or indeed any religious groups that the embers of anti-Semitism are freshly ignited in the Catholic Church are wrong. Lets all take this period of Lenten self-examination to realize the great common heritage we Catholic faithful and the Jewish people share in our profession of monotheism in light of both the Old and New Testaments.

Praying with icons...

Icon of the Holy Trinity by Andrew Rublev circa 1425



Behold the Beauty of the Lord, Praying with icons, by Henri J.M.Nouwen
Published by Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN.
www.avemariapress.com
The writings of Father Nouwen are treasuries for the modern Catholic that seeks to develop and maintain a deeper prayer relationship within the vast life of Catholicism. In one of his last books, Fr.Nouwen develops and probes into the developing relationship of prayer that is associated with four icons, that depict various religious subjects. He leads the reader to prayerfully rediscover the iconography of the Easter Church that has traditionally been overlooked by Western Catholics. In his very spiritual descriptions, the author expounds on many aspects of Catholic salvation history and how such a redaction of that history is quietly, yet loudly proclaimed in sacred art, especially Icons.
Icons that depict The Holy Trinity by Andrew Rublev (1425),The Icon of the Virgin of Vladimir , (anonymous Greek artist circa 1395),The Icon of the Savior of Zvenigorod by Andrew Rublev (circa 1440), and the Icon of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, ( anonymous Russian artist, circa 1450) are beautifully included in the body of this prayerful work so the reader might spiritually develop an understanding of the points made by Father Nouwen.
As always the writings of Father Nouwen, inspire all readers to embrace the call of spirituality that pervades our human nature. For us believers, especially in the West, the book presents a great collection of insights on the powerful spirituality that icons present as implements towards spiritual growth and development. This book is a must have for anyone that wants to develop a desire to do some spiritual reading in the midst of a hectic secular society.