Liturgical Design requires Prayer and Special Considerations

When it comes to the design and architecture of a sacred space for the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy there should always be considerable amount of time, consideration and prayer that is incorporated into making the decision. Additionally, if the Church is being "retro" renovated, perhaps to provide for an oversight in the building process, or modernization of an antiquated structure, or for that matter, the redesign of an overly modern space into something more traditional priests and people need to pay particular attention and respect to the architectural details and the proper context in which the Church was originally designed.
It has recently been noted in the secular press, (The News Journal of Wilmington) that Saint Cornelius Church in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania is undergoing a "liturgical" makeover. What that means is that this church, designed and built in the early 1990's, is receiving a transformation of sorts into a pre-Vatican II church. This is a change from its intended modern industrial design that was conceived by the original architect and parishioners when the building was constructed.
In its inception, Saint Cornelius Church in Chadds Ford was perhaps one of the finest examples of liturgical design that was heralded by the Second Vatican Council, and by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops. The church reflected the needs of a living and growing parish community. There was a large baptismal font, a singular stone altar for the Eucharistic celebration, a chapel of the Blessed Sacrament completely apart from the active space of liturgical worship and a large area of plain white walls intended to focus the attention on the altar, around which the entire assembly was gathered.
Recently in the past few years, the space proper to the celebration of the Eucharist has received a refit, complete with catalogue ordered statues of Mary and Joseph, a raised platform to elevate the sanctuary, a dislocated and reworked tabernacle, a series of wooden partitions behind the altar and faux marble painting throughout the structure. A faux Florentine style crucifix has replaced a very well-detailed representation of Christ on the Cross, and local Philadelphia and American Saints are portrayed each in their own panel as additional distractions in a rather busy and now cluttered sanctuary.
When the Church was designed by Philadelphia architect George Yu, the space was intentionally designed to avoid visual noise around the Eucharistic Altar of Sacrifice. It is a magnificent stone altar that sat prominently in the sanctuary and clearly was the focus of all sacred celebrations. The presidents' chair was also placed on the same axis as the altar and the baptismal font and there was a clear indication that the Sacraments of Initiation placed at the entrance of the Church lead us to participation in the Eucharistic Celebration, with the Celebrant, the presiding minister directing the entire liturgy. The space was quiet, void of too much furniture or statues or images. The clear indication of the space reflected the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, two manners in which Christ Jesus reveals himself in the Eucharistic Sacrifice.
One aspect of the Church that was unique was the lack of a physical tabernacle in the large body of the Church. The Blessed Sacrament was reserved in an atrium like area in a tabernacle that was starkly placed on a column. The area of reservation was accessible even if there was a Mass going on in the Church, people could spend meditative time with the Eucharistic Lord, without attending the celebration of the Eucharist. The space was clearly designed to accentuate the ancient tradition of the Church of reserving the Blessed Sacrament in an area for private prayer as well as a repository for the Eucharistic species, as well as Viaticum.
Today the Church has the tabernacle placed in the center of the sanctuary. The altar is surrounded with a raised floor, images of saints and statues have been introduced into the liturgical space and the entire Church has been redesigned to reflect a Catholic Church of long ago. Respect for the intrinsic design and function of the original structure has quite literally been lost…if not destroyed or to say the least vandalized by pastoral intentions to "warm" up the space.
The points that really need a consideration are these:
Should a parish community be allowed to redesign or retro fit its liturgical space without the counsel and direction of qualified architects, designers and artists?
Should sacred space be determined by at the discretion of the pastor?
What objective norms are used to determine this renovation?
Is there professional planning and design involved?
IWhat was or how was the space designed to function?

Of course, since 1991 this Church has seen quite a few changes to the liturgy. Even the American Conference of Bishops has expressed opposing points of view among themselves regarding the position and placement of the tabernacle in the Church. Traditionalists (namely architectural) have opposed Modernists (sometimes reactionary) throughout the history of ecclesial design and implementation.
However the real matter here is not one that concerns itself with traditional verses modernistic, but rather a question of artistic design and functional integrity for our most sacred of spaces, our Catholic Churches. My biggest concern is not simply that the liturgical space has been altered or amended. My greatest concern is by what objective and normative architectural, artistic and liturgical guidelines have these changes been made?
What would stop a parish pastor from making more changes again in 15 years? Perhaps we could lower the ceilings and Astroturf the sanctuary in 2020 if the latest pastor really feels this necessary!
Catholic parishioners need to pay careful attention to the activities that are going on in their parishes. While the bishop is the chief liturgical agent in a diocese, with the local parish pastor as his representative, parishioners should not just blindly let liturgical renovations happen without serious discussion and debate about the intended results. What I precisely mean by this is that while the bishop and priests of the parish are the theological and liturgical end points that decide the project under our Code of Canon law, parishioners need to acquaint themselves with the nature and scope of the project.
Factors that additionally need to be considered include the choice of artisans and craftsmen that are engaged to complete this renovation. If there are local craftsmen and artisans that are able to provide the parish community with quality artistic presentations, they really should be considered.
In our local area as well, there are numerous talented and trained artists and craftsmen that could provide idea-services to renovate a parish church. However I do believe that the integrity of a building’s design should be respected and preserved. For example, one would hope the columns of Bernini at Saint Peters in Rome, would not be replaced with arbitrary columns of concrete. It is the same way in a parish church, the design and architecture needs to work properly with the function of the celebration. If indeed there needs to be an inclusion of something missing (for example a centrally located tabernacle), that project should really be completed with the highest consideration and respect for the original design of the Church. Just plopping a tabernacle into the central praxis of the church is not the best esthetical practice. Nor would it help the situation to just randomly pick a tabernacle from stock, when a uniquely modern design was needed for the liturgical space. It would be akin to placing a Victorian sofa in a home surrounded with Chippendale chairs! The two just don't work together.
Finally, as always, we need to utilize the best design and materials that a parish can afford when they renovate, redesign or replace a sacred space. After all, we are talking about our liturgical expressions of prayer and sacraments destined to glorify almighty God. Only after careful prayer, planning and exceptional implementation should we be satisfied with offering our highest praise to God in our just as exceptional sacred spaces.
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Hugh McNichol is a Catholic author and journalist that writes on Catholic topics and issues. Hugh studied both philosophy and theology at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. He writes daily at: http://verbumcarofactumest.blogspot.com & http://catholicsacredarts.com
Nothing Left Unsaid!” is his daily column @ http://catholicnewsagency.com
Comments are always welcome @ hugh.mcnichol@trinettc.com

Establishment of parish communities for Sacred Art and Artists!!

I suppose there is a theme emerging here. Over the past few writings, I have called for the development of a Sacred Art Institute within the Catholic Church in the United States. Perhaps the foundation of this educational facility would be best placed here in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which is one of the four original dioceses (Boston, Philadelphia, New York & Bardstown), carved from the Primal See of Baltimore , two hundred years ago. Such a location would make a lot of sense. Not only is Philadelphia rich in its artistic heritage, it also offers quite a few artisans and artists that make the area their home.
Now I am not really talking about a new art school, but rather a unique collective space that could be devoted to the study and development of sacred and liturgical arts. One of the best places I could imagine would be to house such an institute in a former Catholic school with an adjacent church. I could think of half a dozen such examples of such sites within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that would make perfect spots for an arts campus. Quite a few urban parishes with changing population shifts come first to mind. The site could be leased to artists at a reasonable cost and developed into a studio complex where the sharing of artistic skills and intellectual curiosity could be freely exchanged. In the same manner, such a gathering of individuals might also stimulate new life into a parish community that is in a state of urban flux.
There are quite a few points that would justify such an institution. The first point should be a revitalization of good quality and artistic works for our sacred spaces. This community would be exclusively designated as a “Catholic” Sacred Art Institute, so there would be no confusion of artists, patrons and sponsors of its singular purpose.
Secondly, the endeavor would provide good reutilization of parish resources in a period when quite a bit of existing church real estate sits cavernously vacant. Old classrooms not only seem appropriate for the space required by artists, but I would think the quality of natural light would be excellent. If the Catholic parish needs to continue providing minimal heat and electricity to keep a vacant building in “dry-dock” state, then it should not be wasted.
Next the message would be abundantly clear that the Bishop, or in this case Cardinal Archbishop, takes the entire notion of quality art and architecture for Catholic worship seriously and is intent on the success of such a collective group within their jurisdiction. We commonly as a Church provide space to other groups, such as AAA, Knights of Columbus; Red Cross etc…why not provide a permanent and reasonably available place for artisans and artisans. Most importantly, the institute should be adjacent to a living and active parish community. This way the artisan community can truly begin to incorporate the axiom, Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi into their sacred art and ministry.
Recently in the Catholic press there has been some interesting reflections on parishes of historical significance within the Philadelphia Archdiocese. When we think of parishes, one usually associates lots of activity within a parish community. However, this is not the case with some of the older and historic churches of Philadelphia. Most are closed on a regular basis and the Eucharistic Sacrifice is only offered on a monthly basis. It is really unfortunate that historical sites such as Holy Trinity in Philadelphia are celebrated as “architectural jewels”, when in reality they are no longer the active expression of the Sacred Mysteries, but just dead buildings. Old churches especially those with American historical significance should be vibrant, living parish communities regardless of their neighborhoods or ethnic populations. Anything less than an active Catholic Church in the community frankly says to the local community…you are too poor for sacraments. Twenty-first century believers can coexist and even flourish in eighteenth century buildings. Such a disregard for the spiritual integrity of a local community is elitist and at times racist. Church buildings and sites exist for worship and praise of God, not the historical highlighting of antiquated historical accessories. Perhaps the area around this parish church would benefit from a living group of artisans and faithful Catholics. Think about the great influence an arts community would have on the spiritual life of a quasi-existent parish structure.
The catechetical importance of the establishment of such a site would be an invaluable resource to Catholics everywhere as well. Not only would the knowledge and expertise of Catholic artists be preserved and passed on to new generations, such a site would be a shining example of the importance Catholic art and architecture in every age. The availability and fluidity towards an appreciation and experience of “works in progress” would enable educators and faithful to experience “living” artists’ expressions of faith. Such a place could also serve as a showcase for priests and parishioners that are considering the acquisition of new liturgical accessories for their sacred spaces. Priests could speak with artists and watch the entire process of artistic revelation as pieces are created. At the same time, the mistaken concept of mass produced religious articles would be discouraged, and execution of qualitative art would occur. Perhaps even this “studio” would serve as a catalyst for artists and artisans to consider religious art as a Catholic vocation, through which they might serve Christ’s Church. Regardless of the effect, such a place would enable the story of Catholic faith to be promoted and taught through sacred and liturgical art. That has to be a great catechetical effect.
Finally, consider the need for evangelization. Mgsr. Michael Carroll, an old seminary professor, used to say that…”catechesis and evangelization go hand in hand!” There is a lot of significance in this statement. Artistic expression in a parish community really teaches Catholics about their past, present and future as a worshiping community. The visual arts also communicate the pervasive power of God’s Word, as we try to understand and appreciate God in our artistic expressions and symbols. In turn, we try to share and communicate this faith to others in hopes that they might experience the Catholic faith. Such a vehicle for theological evangelization really does exist in the simple paintbrush of an artist. If that were not the case, why would anyone visit the Sistine Chapel?
Sacred and liturgical arts are perhaps a very broad phrase meant to describe those artisans and artisans that embrace their faith in their artistic works. For all of us a Catholics the phrase really should signify the need to teach and spread the Gospel message through the visual arts. Not all art is Catholic. Not all art is worth mentioning. However, sacred art is something, which has had little attention paid to it. It is long overdue. After all, it is only a human expression of our human condition that seeks to know God.
Saint Augustine is appropriate here,”…our hearts are restless until they rest in You. Fulfill this longing through Jesus the Bread of Life.” Confessions of Saint Augustine & partial prayer of the 41st International Congress, Philadelphia 1976

Reuse our Catholic materials!

Stained Glass at the now suppressed St.Aloysius Church, Philadelphia, Pa.

April 28, 2008 - There is no such thing as “desanctification” within the Catholic Church. That is precisely the reason we need to develop good stewardship practices. The Church needs to reuse, restore and refurbish materials when new parishes are built, not loot the parishes that are closed and sell our religious patrimony to the high bidder, only to be reused and profaned in some secular setting.

Recently in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Cardinal Archbishop of Philadelphia dedicated the parish of Saint Mary Magdalen in Media, Pa. The new church incorporated stained glass and other liturgical pieces that were taken from parishes suppressed in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia a few years ago. Saint Aloysius Church formerly in South Philadelphia was the source for the stained glass windows that now grace Saint Mary Magdalen Parish in Media, Pa. The former St.Aloysius Church was a national parish, dedicated to the needs of immigrant German Catholics in the 19th and 20th centuries. The stained glass dates from the 1890’s was originally produced in Germany for the original parish church.

This is the type of architectural integration and design integrity we need to foster in our Catholic Churches in the United States…quality reintegration of well-executed artistic pieces.

When we are considering the construction of a new parish community, existing resources of materials, statues, altars and so on should be considered for inclusion in the new church building. Not only does the practice conserve parish financial resources, it incorporates the historical and artistic elements of former parishes into the living organic activities of the new parish community. An organic bridge of continuity is built between the faithful communities of the past and the members of the Church present. In the same manner, the theological continuity of the Body of Christ is realized as well.

Parish communities need to be taught that the worshiping Church is a compilation of past, present and future members of the Mystical Body. We are all uniquely joined with all of our brothers and sisters in faith from all ages when we celebrate our Eucharistic sacrifice and the mysteries of our Catholic faith.

Saint Mary Magdalen Parish seems to have gotten it right in even reusing the altar of sacrifice from another suppressed parish, St. Clement, formerly in Southwest Philadelphia. The entire understanding of what the concept of “sacred” invokes is signified by the reintegration of the sacred altar from an old place of worship into a new, sacred place of worship clearly indicates the transcendent nature of our religious beliefs as well as the chronological continuity that endures in our Catholic rites. An altar, consecrated a century ago still represents the sacred mysteries of our Eucharistic faith even when that altar has been transported to a new environment.

Part of the movement in the United States regarding our Catholic Churches is the reinforcement and the reiteration of our churches as sacred space. They are not multi-purpose buildings that have multiple functions…they are our Catholic Churches specifically for the ritual celebration of our most sacred and holy rites. When any Catholic group finds it necessary to build or renovate the parish church, the ritual and sacramental purpose for the new building should always be first in the minds of those responsible for the planning and implementation.

While the Church is indeed composed of living people, we need a temporal place to celebrate our faith. With this in mind, every attempt to preserve quality objects and materials of our historical Catholicism should be integrated with our new sites for Catholic worship. Perhaps the best solution would be to educate clergy, religious and parishioners on the history and symbolism of Catholic art and architecture so they might better comprehend the unique social, cultural and artistic responsibility we as Church are called to preserve. As a Church we are responsible for catechesis and evangelization, but also reflection and comprehension of our most ancient and prolific historical foundations. Between our Catholic past and our Catholic present, there is a theological continuity that exists and deserves fostering and preservation. Perhaps if we consider this organic continuity, understanding Pope Benedict’s rationalization in restoring the Mass of Blessed John XXIII is better understood in terms of a “bridge” rather than an alternative means of liturgical worship.

The Pope clearly understands and wants the entire Church to understand that our Catholic identity is a cumulative appreciation of our past and our present and is continuously growing and evolving as a living, dynamic expression of our faith. In most cases, especially in the United States we sometime forget to realize there is a constant connection between the dimensions of the past, present and future.

In a society that exists in the constant, NOW of our society, the critical heritage of our foundational past is often forgotten. Additionally, the instantaneous demands of immediacy forget to consider the future implications of our actions. As Catholics, we are called to a greater sense of personal and historical responsibility in our actions. Our identity as Catholics is integrated to our theological past and our eschatological future. When we design, plan and build places for our liturgical worship, we should always be aware of this transcendent reality of our mysterious faith.

We are being called in the 21st century to a new age of Catholicism. Namely, a Catholicism that transcends geopolitical and social boundaries, one that integrates our qualitative liturgical and artistic traditions and attempts to adapt our cumulative Catholic identity into a new evangelization and catechesis for the whole world. Perhaps just a simple start of recycling our sacred objects and artistic expressions into modern houses of prayer, we can send a strong message to the entire world regarding our seriousness to instill religious and ecological quality to the next generation of Catholic faithful.

Hugh McNichol is a Catholic author and journalist that writes on Catholic topics and issues. He writes daily at http://verbumcarofactumest.blogspot.com & http://pewsitter.com “Nothing Left Unsaid!” is his daily column @ http://catholicnewsagency.com Comments are always welcome @ hugh.mcnichol@trinettc.com

Caveat emptor!

There are a couple of things that really seem to be popular in the world of liturgical art and architecture. The first thing is to make parishioners and clergy aware of the fact that they both have a responsibility to procure the highest quality of available materials available for use in their sacred liturgical space. Quite frequently, renovation of parish facilities and the decision to make such renovations is made without the input or use of parishioner's individual expertise. It is really a sorry state of affairs when a community of faith cannot rely on its own individual members and resources to discuss, plan and implement architectural and artistic enhancements in a parish without distractions towards external influences. What I mean by this is quite simple, the parish community with should investigate all of the potential resources available within a local parish or diocese or region to fulfill their artistic needs and expectations. There is no need to go to Italy or Spain or anywhere else to see exceptional examples of artistic works in various mediums. There are quite a few local artists and craftsmen available in our own faith communities. Frequently, there is a misrepresentation made by architects that quality artisans are not easily available in the United States. This is just plainly false. Just about every type of artistic and architectural craftsmen and artisans can be found in our own country. While I am not anti-foreign trade, it just seems that often parishioners and priests alike are misled to believe that if something is commissioned from a European source, it must be better, original and more superlative in every way than the American counterpart. That quite honestly is an example of unsurpassed artistic snobbery and ignorance of what is available throughout the United States.

There are a lot of things that need to be considered when a parish community decides to commission a new statue, or an altar or some other liturgical accessory. One thing that especially and foremost needs to be considered is this…we are an American church, not a Spanish one, or an Italian one and so on. As a faithful community, our worship space, or rather our churches should reflect our American identity. It seems that one of the biggest problems that are faced by American artists and craftsmen is the feigned and often unsupported notion that non-domestic artists must be better trained; more experienced and yes…the ugly word…CHEAPER than their American counterparts. Unfortunately, there is a misconception that foreign labor is less expensive than individually crafted American labor. Well, this is just an underrated untruth with the intent to deceive. In other words, it is a lie.

Quite often American architects and liturgical design studios use the opportunity to travel abroad to visit liturgical guilds and artisans studios as an excuse to use the trip as a professional perk or a fact-finding junket. There is never really an intention to utilize an American artist…these architectural professionals just "pick the brains" of the American artists, solicit drawings and bids from them, and just use the foreign "artistic-factories" because they mass produce drawings and sculpture designed to fit in anywhere with just a few modifications. These modifications, then make, the work an "original" designed and conceived for your church or parish. The only true original feature that results from the studio in Italy or Spain is the packing crate with an original address where the work needs to be shipped.

As a Church, we need to educate everyone about the true value of procuring quality examples of liturgical art that are not only of the highest quality, but truly unique and original to each situation in which they are injected. That is not to say there cannot be a good and acceptable reproduction of an artistic work in a local parish church…but if there is an "original" example of an artistic representation of a saint or patron, why not commission the original work? Really, there is only one…Pieta…and it is in the Vatican. Why not, if your parish wants a Pieta, search for an artist that can provide a new and original interpretation of the image for your parish.

Also, it seems that as always price is the major consideration in all of the artistic endeavors we encounter on a parish level. Our concept is that expensive is best, regardless of the quality of materials or integrity of the artist. Well…that is really not a realistic expectation and appreciation of the purpose of sacred and liturgical art. The monetary factor involved in the commissioning of a piece of statuary or liturgical renovations should be commensurate with the budget your parish community has to allocate to the work of art or the project. Don't be misled as a parish into purchasing a piece of art for the Church environment that is disproportionately valued in its cost…if the quality is poor. Artists and craftsmen are more than willing to work within a projected budget and will be very thankful for a parish's honesty regarding their financial resources (or lack there of)!

Finally, I guess the most important thing to consider is that an artistic project or liturgical renovation is intended as a parish's intention to glorify God, and enhance the prayer experience for a local parish community. We need to always remember that it is about deepening our understanding and appreciation of our ever developing relationship with God that is important here. We are a faithful people that are trying to enhance and develop our communal act of liturgical worship and praise. If we can go about including artistic expressions that keep this point in mind, we are at least at some point towards a deeper theological appreciation through our liturgical art closer to the Deity.

Holy Week...Holy Time!

Once again as Catholics we gather to commemorate and celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entrance into the City of David on Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. This liturgical observation starts the beginning of Holy Week, where faithful Catholics follow the actions of Jesus towards the fulfillment of the Paschal Mystery. This period should present a reflective and holy period for the worlds Christian faithful. Not only do we celebrate the historical events of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, we proclaim the transcendent power of God’s eternal mystery and salvation that continues to transform the entire world through the message of Jesus Christ.
As a Catholic , the rituals and ceremonies of Holy Week indicate for me very clearly the true historical character and roots grounded in antiquity of our Catholic faith. The week clearly reminds all of us, that our Church and it’s liturgical expressions are critically important for our present Catholic faith as we recall the institution of our sacred Sacraments during this symbolically rich week.
On Sunday, parishes will wave palm to recall the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Our priests, bishops and deacons will wear the liturgical color of red to accentuate the significance of this day on the liturgical calendar but also to highlight the journey that begins towards Calvary after this triumphal reception of Jesus.
The Catholic Sacred liturgy during this week presents all of the richness of signs and symbols through visual use of vestments, the shouts of the hostile crowd during the narration of the Passion, and the tactile reverencing of the Cross on Good Friday. Truly this week is one that is most sacred and our Catholic liturgical traditions reflect the rich tapestry of woven traditions that make up the Church’s worshipping life.
Holy Week also provides a great pastoral opportunity to educate parishioners about the various signs and symbols that the celebrations offer to the faithful. It is an opportune time to teach all ages of the faithful about the historical development of the Roman Liturgy, the importance of Holy Orders and the Eucharist and how this week represents our continuity of faith with the Church of the past, the present and the future.
For this author, Holy Week is the time to immerse oneself in ritual and sacramental appreciation of every sacred day, because our common faith is being demonstrated through our liturgy. Catholics should have a special appreciation for our Holy Week rites, because they most significantly reflect our Catholic Passover through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. The rites of Holy Week indicate the Church’s anticipation of Jesus as the New Moses and our belief that the Kingdom of God is truly manifested in the Church and her sacraments.
This week when you participate in the most ancient and sacred celebrations of the Church, remember this is our celebration of new life in Jesus Christ. The sacred time we enter into during Holy Week, calls all Catholic believers into an expression of “kairotic” time every day of the year. That is why we celebrate and remember, so our faith will be manifested in our actions every day.

Less paper...better liturgy!

This article is a second release of this musing. It was published last June, but should have another revisit by Catholic readers. In light of the recently listed "sins" that include those against the environment. HJMN

There are always ways that the Catholic Church can join in the environmental movement in small but yet effective ways. One of the things I frequently think about is the considerable amount of paper resources that are generated at a parish on a weekly basis. Think about it, most parishes generate thousands of copies of their parish bulletin. For the most part the parish bulletin is a redundant method of communicating all of the same old stuff. The weekly Mass intentions are noted, the parish organizations make announcements, sometimes the altar boys schedule is included and at my parish the tally from the previous weeks collection. My question is this, do we really need to keep printing off all of the same information, week in and week out. There is a place in the Liturgy of the Eucharist for the celebrant to insert a few announcements. This is right before the final blessing. It would be a great example of ecological stewardship if priests and people would consider using this appropriate time to make announcements that are important each week. Of course this time is not a license to proclaim a mini-homily, but it is a good time to bring everyone up to date in a few concise points about parish activities.
While on the subject of printing a lot of materials, most parishes print their Mass schedules in the bulletin. Additionally each December they print and distribute thousands of monthly calendars that quite honestly contain all of the same old information as the bulletins. Why don’t we take a bold step and realize that in the 21st century, most people don’t even use wall mounted calendars. An insert for someone’s Day-Timer, or Filofax or even a refrigerator magnet would be better utilized. Besides, how many times do most Catholics change their schedule of going to Mass. Not a lot. It also presents an opportunity for the local parish priests to really look at what Masses are not well attended, and make changes. There is a lot of heat, fuel, electricity and other resources that are consumed to have a Eucharistic liturgy for a handful of people. Perhaps fewer slots for Masses would produce larger congregations for a better qualitative Liturgy! Remember all of the pastors out there; good stewardship of a parish’s environmental resources makes for a good and happy parish.
For Catholics that remember pre-Vatican II, they will also recall with fondness the Catholic Missals they used to carry to church each week. All of the prayers of the Mass were contained in the Missal, including the Latin and English translations of the Mass. You could follow along and respond just with the flip of a few ribbons. In our modern parish community we are inundated with the Missalette. They come from a liturgical publishing house, are replaced on a monthly if not quarterly basis and they use up a lot of paper. Why don’t we just get back to using a Missal? When our children are confirmed, it would be a great gift to receive. It would save a lot of trees and cut out all of the costs associated with the use and distribution of the low quality and time endangered Missalettes. An added incentive would also be that if people did not spend so much time turning pages and following the readings, they would make a prayerful attempt to LISTEN to the proclamation of God’s Word. All in all the results would be better for everyone. Less paper, less noise and no need to constantly replace and restore cluttering missalettes.Besides the use of a missal would be a great incentive to Catholic publishing houses to provide a well produced and highly qualitative missal for Catholics to use.
While I am on the point of “highly qualitative”, we need to revisit the requirements for the candles that are used in our liturgies as well. Everywhere you go there are different types of candles, made of all sorts of artificial materials being used to illuminate the Sacred liturgy. There are even candles that are “spring-fed” to keep the melting pseudo wax in a state of constant replenishment. Whatever happened to using good old bees-wax candles? The burned evenly, they were naturally produced and the looked great. Besides, what a better way to illuminate the Sacred Mysteries than by using an entirely natural material, made from the work of bees! There is such an organic and natural factor to our celebration of the Sacraments that using naturally derived candles would provide an illuminated ecologically sensitive message.
Of course in previous writings I have always advocated the use of “natural” environmental spaces. Just to put it plainly, open the windows and the doors and let some fresh air into our Church celebrations. Our liturgy was never intended to be hermetically sealed away from externally natural elements. A little fresh air never hurt anyone. It would also cut down on the use of expensive heating and cooling resources…not to mention artificial lighting.
While we contemplate various methods with which our Catholic communities can contribute to the “ecosphere” we need to remember that it is about the worship of God, and not designing a church that mimics a theatrical boutique. Our sacred space is reflective of the living people that are the People of God, let’s not commercialize it up and keep adding unnecessary “things” to clutter God’s house. If we just took the time to look around our parishes and churches there are many inexpensive ways we could make a positive contribution to the planet’s environment…let’s start with less paper.

Peaceful harmony between ordinary and extraordinary celebrations.

There seems to be many stirrings around the Church about the return of the Mass of Blessed John XXIII. Seemingly, the desire to celebrate this liturgy is spreading in the Catholic world. Maybe now is the best opportunity for the Church to declare a renovation moratorium on all of the Catholic Churches in the world, so an effective study of current liturgical design and the implementation of the Mass of Blessed John XXIII might be best integrated.
Since the end of the Second Vatican Council, the Church worldwide has been involved in extensive projects that have modified our Holy places of the ability to celebrate the ordinary and the extraordinary rites of the celebration of the Eucharist conveniently in one place. As was the practice, the former altar was removed in most cases, and a freestanding altar was the replacement. At the time, there was no indication that the liturgy prior to the changes of the Second Vatican Council would be restored on a universal level. Well, the permission for this rite of liturgical worship is here, and we need to make our Catholic Churches once again acceptable for the celebration of both forms of the Sacred Liturgy.
A freestanding altar offers the best opportunity for the celebration of either of these forms, because the celebrant is able to adapt the posture ad populum or ad oriens for the liturgical celebration. There are more points as well that need to be included, such as the capability of the reception of Holy Communion with an altar rail and in the kneeling posture and a reappreciation of the sacred space of the sanctuary as part of the ritual observation. With this reevaluation, there is also another point worth considering, and that is the continued use of non-ordained extraordinary ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion, and even the practice of Communion in the hand to be more deeply considered.
The rite of the celebration of the Eucharist according to John XXIII did not offer the possibility of the reception of Holy Communion in the hand, nor did it envision the usage of extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist. One discussion that rightly needs consideration is the further consideration by the Holy See and the Bishop’s Conferences are the need to truly implement the teachings of Paul VI and provide for a stable ministry of instituted acolytes and instituted readers in our parish communities. This author is instituted to both the Ministry of Reader and the Ministry of Acolyte and experience regularly the confusion most parishes have regarding the “stable” nature of these obligations, and the lack of appreciation for each as a specific ministry in the Universal Church. If indeed, the local parishes were able to designate specific men to the ministry of acolyte provisions would then be accomplished for the proper distribution of Holy Communion according to the intended goals of the Second Vatican Council. The abolition of the minor orders and the restoration of the “lay ministries” of Reader and Acolyte are significant because the Council provided another form of participation for the laity, right down to a parochial level in regards to the proclamation of the Sacred Word, and the distribution of the Holy Eucharist. Unfortunately, these ministries are often considered as obligations and offices…picked up on the way to deaconate and priesthood. However, the stable exercise of the ministries of reader and acolyte in this authors own experiences have provided me with greater responsibility and understanding of the importance of specific roles in the ministry of the Church.
One misconception that needs to be clearly corrected is the notion that everyone has the right to participate in the Church’s ministry. This is perhaps the strongest and most erroneous interpretation of Christian rights and responsibilities since Vatican II. No one person or group of persons has the right to participate in any ministry in the Church without proper catechesis and most importantly the permission of the Bishop. The local ordinary, the Bishop is the true priest in any diocese and all functions associated with sacramental and liturgical worship emanate from his Holy Orders. That is specifically why, the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council specifically called for a restoration of the permanent diaconate, to manifest the three distinct orders that are contained in Holy Orders, namely Bishop, Deacon and Priest.
As we develop a more consistent parish structure that involves the presence of just one priest in each community, the responsibility to participate in the Bishop’s ministry will increasingly fall upon deacons and of course the parish community to assist in the parish life. A greater catechesis and understanding on the essential importance of the order of deacons is essential to the development of the Church’s liturgical and pastoral life in the 21st century. In the same manner, a deeper consideration on the roles and responsibilities of laypersons in the sacramental and pastoral life of the Church is critical to the Church’s survival. Instituted Acolytes and Readers present the opportunity for men of the parish community to provide service in real and important ministries that provide unique obligations and responsibilities through the ministries in the development of the parish life of communio.
As we begin to examine our evolving liturgical life in the modern Church, clearly the need to examine not only our liturgical space is overdue, but the need to implement the directives of the Second Vatican Council more fully is overdue as well. While we examine the externals that constitute our sacred liturgical spaces, as a worshipping community we also need to coexist with the celebration of two rites as possible in our own Latin Church. If indeed we make provisions in the design and implementation of our liturgical buildings, we can accommodate the ritual needs of both the ordinary and extraordinary forms with a keen appreciation of each rites requirements and sensitivities.
While we are on this project of self examination the time is right to consider the proper development and appreciation of the roles each person plays in our liturgical and pastoral practice of Catholicism. If we examine and study the teachings of the Second Vatican Council more closely we might discover a new consistency in our beliefs and how they adequately apply to both ministry and service for all of the baptized in Christ’s Church.
Starting with an appreciation of our sacred and liturgical space, we can then provide a proper implementation of liturgical norms and ministries that compliments and enhances each ritual celebration with pastoral service and liturgical dignity.