Bishop gets earful on new Cathedral

Oakland Tribune ^ | 08 May 2004 | Peggy Stinnett

[pbear8]

Here is what they want to build...

Looks like the shark from Jaws getting ready to devour the faithful.

[sinkspur]

Yet another liberal bishop surrounded by trendy liturgist and trendy advisers, completely without taste, seeking to be remembered as the great founder of a great building.

I thought Vigneron was a conservative. You mean there's trouble in paradise?

This thing will cost more than the Taj Mahoney before it's finished, you watch. And it looks just as hideous.

Catholics are tired of this extravagance in church buildings. It sounds as if he won't have much of a parish for this Cathedral, as it will be a kluge pulled together of Vietnamese and poor congregations.

[VOA]

"Looks like the shark from Jaws getting ready to devour the faithful."

Well, like many big projects, it more likely will go for the wallet (not saying such
projects can't be a good thing).

But it's a shame that all that money will be spent and not even get a space-age
prayer tower that would make NASA jealous.

http://www.oru.edu/secondary/about.html
1. Click for Campus Tour
2. Then click Take A Campus Tour (on the new screen)
3. Click #14 Prayer Tower

PS: There are many good folks at Oral Roberts University, but some of the
"George Jetson" architecture on the campus is almost like a "blast from the past AND
from the future"

[Cicero]

Vigneron may be a conservative in some regards. But this project doesn't strike me as conservative.

Some bishops are hard to type. Cardinal Law always seemed to be theologically sound and conservative, but look what happened to him. He wasn't conservative enough to use elementary common sense in dealing with a pederast priest.

[MegaSilver]

Catholics are tired of this extravagance in church buildings.

Extravagance is fine, as long as it's Hagia Sophia- or Notre Dame- style extravagance.

These space-age buildings are just ghastly to look at.

[sinkspur]

Vigneron may be a conservative in some regards. But this project doesn't strike me as conservative.

It's not. But, it appears that he inherited this project, and that planning was well down the road.

OTOH, he appears to back it, fully.

[Calvin Locke]

At first glance, it's reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House. But looking at more closely, a sea creature might be a better
description. Or possibly a Cylon from the old Battlestar Galactica series.

But architecture goes through phases. I remember a WSJ article on the then new AT&T building. It was supposed to
remind people of a chair. I guess the furniture motif was the big thing ~25 years ago.

Maybe they want to remind us that we're all Jonahs now? Or whathisname, Quint?

[A. Pole]

But looking at more closely, a sea creature might be a better description.

Maybe it the whale which swallowed prophet Jonas? :)

[Drango]

Oakland needs God bigtime, but this cathedral has more to do with what man wants, than with what He wants.

[A. Pole]

Another speaker said, "I will be ashamed to enter the Cathedral if $131 million is spent to build it. That's money that should help the poor and homeless. Our priorities are wrong."

As it is said in the Gospel:

"Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein." (Saint John, 12:3-6)

[MegaSilver]

Oakland needs God bigtime, but this cathedral has more to do with what man wants, than with what He wants.

Still, I can't understand why ANY man would want to look at that horrible building.

[MegaSilver]

Excellent point.

But if they want to anoint Christ, couldn't they at least do it with something that doesn't blind people as they drive past?

[ninenot]

Vigneron is NOT a liberal. Your take is about 180 degrees from the truth, which prompts the question: are you a Catholic, a schismatic, or a Prot?

If you're either of the latter two, why are you opening your mouth?

[ninenot]

Catholics are tired of this extravagance in church buildings. It sounds as if he won't have much of a parish for this Cathedral

None of this bothered Rembert the Poofterwonk when he spent $60mill simply wrecking the interior of the existing building and adding 'garden spaces.'

And I don't recall you objecting to Rembert's expenditure--not that it matters.

[sinkspur]

Cicero's a Catholic, ninenot. And you ought to be ashamed for your reaction.

You don't think this is destined to be Taj Mahoney II?

It certainly mimics the LA Cathedral, complete with columbarium and bookstore.

[sinkspur]

I didn't know a thing about Weakland's renovation. I still don't know much about it.

[ninenot]

Expense for the glorification of God and the edification of the Faithful should not be spared.

Since I don't have a vote, nor more than a passing interest, it's not relevant--but I'd like to see a bigger pic of the proposed building.

[ninenot]

Your math must be the "new math."

I take 110,000 sf and divide it into $100 million (that's the building, not the land)and come up with $909./sf.

That's still a cockamamie figure based on Milwaukee standards--here a commercial building is about $125./sf.

So there's something missing. Even if this building were WILDLY extravagant, it could only be around $500./sf.

We need to find about another 700Ksf someplace to make the numbers make sense.

[A. Pole]

Excellent point. But if they want to anoint Christ, couldn't they at least do it with something that doesn't blind people as they drive past?

Too bad.

[Paul_B]

> Your math must be the "new math."

No, I failed to separate building and land. Your number is more useful. Still a travesty - if my money were at risk.