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Why Catholic churches are like shabby department stores
Telegraph.co ^ | October 8th, 2009 | Damian Thompson

Posted on 10/30/2009 10:20:38 AM PDT by Gamecock

Recently I attended a Catholic service in a church, and a diocese, which shall remain nameless. This is not because there is anything scandalous to report, but because I’m about to compare it to a 1970s department store.

Then, after Vatican II, its interior was modernised. But we’re not talking savage reordering here: just the usual wall-to-wall carpeting of the sanctuary, removal of the altar rails and – unforgivably, not least because it makes a nonsense of the high altar – the removal of the tabernacle to… somewhere.

Sometimes you walk into a modern Catholic church and think: this is really just a community centre with icons.

But then, in the 1970s, younger customers deserted it for chain stores, so someone gave the shop a makeover in brown and cream formica panelling complete with snazzy logo. And the regular customers said: “Ooh, it’s a bit trendy for my tastes, not the same, I can’t get used to it” – but they did get used to it, because the staff were the same and nowhere else sold that colour of stockings that Mum liked.

It was the same story in the sacristy. The priest was wearing a double-breasted polyester alb whose top half resembled a chef’s outfit. I didn’t know such a thing existed. The door of the wardrobe was open, revealing a jumble of highly coloured cheap chasubles (also polyester) that could have been mistaken for the women’s clothing rack in an Oxfam shop.

(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; General Discusssion; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; store
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To: markomalley

we have a church in the area i call “St. Star Trek”....the altar area looks like the bridge of the old enterprise...


21 posted on 10/30/2009 11:07:39 AM PDT by joe fonebone (I am racist, hear me roar....I don't give a crap anymore....)
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To: Mad Dawg
Oh, you haven't seen the best part. Mass is every day at 7. They managed to position the church (whether they used grace or geometry to do this, I'm not sure and they aren't telling) so that the sun bursts through the rose window behind the reredos right around at the consecration during the Easter season.

When the sun lights up all that gold with the priest elevating the Blessed Sacrament at Mass ... well, let's just say you understand how Peter felt at the Transfiguration ... "Lord, it is good for us to be here ... let us build two booths ..."

You gotta go for a visit. Everyone should.

22 posted on 10/30/2009 11:08:58 AM PDT by Campion ("President Barack Obama" is an anagram for "An Arab-backed Imposter")
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To: Carpe Cerevisi

“I’ve stepped into several non-Catholic churches with nary a cross or stained glass in sight.”

Yes, but they have whompingly ginormous video screens and state of the art rock band equipment.


23 posted on 10/30/2009 11:15:42 AM PDT by OpusatFR (Tagline not State Approved.)
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To: markomalley

Geez, that church looks like Space Mountain in Disney.


24 posted on 10/30/2009 11:15:49 AM PDT by Shethink13
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To: Campion
That shouldn't be too hard to do. We know the sun is going to rise a little north of east at Easter. We can work out the angle for the latitude of the Church, then it's just a matter of designing in a month's worth of slack.

I designed, but never built, a sheep barn where the sun reached all a cross the floor in winter but nearly then entire floor was in shade for most of the summer. (The south wall was going to be fabric and there was an overhang.) All you need is an architect who cares about beauty and who has a little skill at his racket.

25 posted on 10/30/2009 11:27:27 AM PDT by Mad Dawg (Oh Mary, conceived without sin: pray for us who have recourse to thee.)
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To: Gamecock

Acknowledging the ugly modern Catholic church design which is self-inflicted, it’s still ironic to read this in the British press, considering the beauty of the art and architecture of Catholic churches which was destroyed during the English reformation. Beautiful stained-glass windows, high altars, statues, etc. - lost forever.


26 posted on 10/30/2009 11:40:49 AM PDT by Lorica
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To: La Lydia
Unless there is a conscious effort to recreate some well documented historical appearance, some of them can look pretty shabby, or so charmlessly modern you think you’re in a Toyota dealership.

Great description!

27 posted on 10/30/2009 11:41:41 AM PDT by Alex Murphy ("Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" - Job 13:15)
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To: OpusatFR; Gamecock
....they have whompingly ginormous video screens and state of the art rock band equipment.

Something that I find equally sad and humorous is that those whompingly ginormous video screens (which aren't cheap, mind you) often display images of crosses and stained glass windows during holiday services. The money that was spent on electronics could have been spent on beauty.

I'll take a cathedral over a theatre any day (and especially on Sunday).

28 posted on 10/30/2009 11:49:12 AM PDT by Alex Murphy ("Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" - Job 13:15)
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To: Alex Murphy

It is sad how beauty has been neglected in many areas of life, and how much ugliness is promoted.


29 posted on 10/30/2009 11:51:20 AM PDT by Dante3
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To: Shethink13; markomalley

Geez, that church looks like Space Mountain in Disney.

RIPLEY
That the atmosphere processor?

BURKE
Uh-hunh. One of thirty or so, all over the planet. They're completely automated. We manufacture them, by the way.


30 posted on 10/30/2009 11:54:26 AM PDT by Alex Murphy ("Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" - Job 13:15)
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To: Campion
"President Barack Obama" is an anagram for "An Arab-backed Imposter"

A most impressive anagram! Well done! < :D

31 posted on 10/30/2009 2:00:20 PM PDT by my_pointy_head_is_sharp (The Libs play dirty because the Libs ARE dirty.)
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To: markomalley
We had this cathedral until it burned in the early 70s.

The diocese rebuilt with this.

The worst part is that they built on the cheap but it is far too small to serve as a proper cathedral. So now they have named another (much larger) church that is just a few blocks away to be the co-cathedral. Sigh.

32 posted on 10/30/2009 2:10:09 PM PDT by Straight Vermonter (Posting from deep behind the Maple Curtain)
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To: my_pointy_head_is_sharp

Thanks, but I can’t take the credit. I just want it kept in front of people. Actually, it’s only part of the truth. He’s really a “Soros- and Arab-backed imposter”.


33 posted on 10/30/2009 2:11:20 PM PDT by Campion ("President Barack Obama" is an anagram for "An Arab-backed Imposter")
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To: Straight Vermonter

No way...really? The second is really a church?


34 posted on 10/30/2009 3:20:23 PM PDT by Lorica
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To: Campion

What church is that? It’s ethereal.


35 posted on 10/30/2009 3:23:29 PM PDT by Lorica
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To: markomalley

You know what is really sad? This is how the Liverpool Cathedral was SUPPOSED to look:

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/conservation/departments/models/lutyens/


36 posted on 10/30/2009 4:39:05 PM PDT by vladimir998
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To: Mad Dawg
I'm seeing a backing away from the "ugly is good" approach

Actually, even here in Florida, a liturgical and ecclesiastical wasteland, I'm seeing that too. I think there's hope...

37 posted on 10/30/2009 5:42:27 PM PDT by livius
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To: Straight Vermonter

Yipes. Your cathedral ALMOST makes the Taj Mahony look good!


38 posted on 10/30/2009 5:44:47 PM PDT by livius
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To: livius
Way back when, the inner cities had beautiful churches...My husband took me to a church he use to go to in Detroit...(Back in the 1960's) It was closing up shop and we had to go next door to the convent to get a nun to let us in...The church was built in the 1800's and everything was hand carved. Pews were beautiful, the sanctuary was awesome, had carved cross's, stations of the cross, and the priest didn't give the sermon from the sanctuary, He walked down the middle isle and there were circular steps to a podium (?) that rose above the pews and gave his sermon. Everything even the steps were works of art...

All those beautiful church's are gone along with the large cities...No more parishioners, they moved out to the subs. when forced busing started...

There would be a church like that every 1/2 mile...

39 posted on 10/30/2009 6:33:34 PM PDT by goat granny
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To: goat granny

It’s really sad. Those churches cost those people a lot of money and they were very proud of them.

I always think that the real problem was that the Church just shrugged and walked away, instead of trying to convert the new residents of the area. They shouldn’t have let it all go so easily. Also, once the Church gave up, the whole neighborhood imploded.


40 posted on 10/30/2009 7:30:23 PM PDT by livius
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