A New Direction in (Catholic) Church Design

Crisis Magazine ^ | August 27, 2014 | MICHAEL TAMARA

[NYer]

Ping!

[CodeToad]

” the vitality that flows from firm Catholic identity and its enduring visible expression”

I’ve never agreed with these temples of wealth. I don’t think Jesus would approve of the untold riches used to build them. The poor the church should be serving could better use the resources.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Jesus Anointed at Bethany
…9”For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. 11”For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.…

[stanne]

Yet the poor can go in to any church and be as welcome as anyone, look at the beauty which Hod provided and men turned into art for the glory of god and you would say no lets all take a vow of poverty

[stanne]

Hod is, of course, God

[CodeToad]

“Yet the poor can go in to any church and be as welcome as anyone”

Not really. They are looked down on. Second, to what purpose? The resources went into multi-million dollar facilities. Nothing left for the poor.

[stanne]

Whatever

[CodeToad]

Yep. Typical attitude. “The poor? Whatever! We’re a social club and need to feel good about ourselves. Have you seen our church?!” Christians in name only. They’ll run you over and flip you the bird on the way to their expensive churches.

[NKP_Vet]

The Catholic Church feeds more people, clothes more people, and educates more people worldwide than any faith in the world.

[goodwithagun]

If your church looks down upon the poor, perhaps it’s time to switch churches. In our community, the Catholic diocese does more for the poor than the other denominations combined.

[Salvation]

Blankets statements like that tend to degrade people.

Prayers for you.

[stanne]

Just for the record, the great churches in Europe and in the US, we’re paid for when they were built. If you can prove they stole from the poor who had no money try. It’s not the same socialist economic system we have now

So what you want the archbishop to pawn and melt the chalices? Smash the statues ?

For what?

This country is 17 trillion in debt. We don’t know how to spend save or utilize money.

Silly

[NYer]

Not really. They are looked down on.

I don't recall the individual's name but the key to his conversion began when he walked into a Catholic Church and saw a poor woman seated next to a wealthy one, both engrossed in prayer. The Catholic Church does not distinguish one from the other. All are welcome and may sit wherever they choose in church.

The resources went into multi-million dollar facilities. Nothing left for the poor.

You have a misinformed understanding of this project. Mother Angelica began this project with only a few dollars, entrusting its outcome to God. I would encourage you to read this book:

Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles

Caution! It may alter any pre-conceived prejudices.

[NoKoolAidforMe]

I love when people purport to know what Jesus would say or do or approve. The Catholic Church does more for the world’s poor, sick, hungry and elderly than any other religion or government. Many of the most magnificent churches in this country were built by Catholics with their own money and their own labor and materials donated. If you don’t like the ‘temples of wealth’, don’t go to one. Traditional Catholic churches were built out of reverence to Providence, not as a showy display of wealth. They were designed to awe and humble those who entered out of respect for God.

[paladinan]

I’m sorry, but you really don’t know what you’re talking about. Some of the most gorgeous churches I’ve ever seen were *built* by the poor! We have a (now abandoned, due to structural problems and a diminishing population) stunning old country church building near us... built as the exact replica of a *huge* and elegant Church in Poland; and the poor mortgaged their farms, contributed hand labor, networked to find an architect from Poland who could recreate it, etc., etc... all in order to glorify God, and to offer Him the very best. They *loved* that Church, and it crushed them when it was finally closed (by those who, ironically, wanted to build the ugly, warehouse-esque buildings which are loosely called “Church buildings” today... and who tore out all the gorgeous statues, stained glass windows, reredos, etc., and AUCTIONED it all off at dirt-cheap prices! The older parishioners still refer to that as “Good Friday”, even though it wasn’t a Friday. Sad.).

And you’re now saying that “the poor are looked down on” (and therefore the building should be cheap and ugly, eh?). Really? I live in a poor farming community where almost *everyone* is poor, by average USA standards... and I’ve seen none of that. But your conclusion (i.e. “therefore, don’t build beautiful buildings”) is—forgive me—just nuts. The poor BUILD those Churches... and you want to stop them, out of some misguided sense which wouldn’t do them any good at all. Think about it: if you tore down every last beautiful Church on Earth, sold every last bit of artwork in those Churches, and fed the poor... THEN what? It would feed the poor (and God only knows how many of them, at that) for about a week, if you were lucky; and then their patrimony would be destroyed. Their cherished building of worship—their offering to God (which few in the following generations can even appreciate, much less replicate!)—and you’d leave them... just as poor, but in a shoebox for a worship space... while you wave and cheerily ride away. Lovely.

FRiend, I can believe that you’re sincere in your views... but can’t you see how off-base they are, and how far removed from the actual poor’s intentions they are?

[Ouchthatonehurt]

The common denominator in all this work is The School of Architecture at Notre Dame. One of the only schools with a classically oriented program.

[stanne]

Mother A is from very humble beginnings. This is a very important and entertaining read

[HarleyD]

I'm glad to see beautiful churches once again.

Exo 28:2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

[informavoracious]

This is what I have seen in our churches. The janitor kneels beside the business owner who kneels beside the elderly widow. There is no entrance fee. When the collection plate is passed, you are free to give or not. You will not be thrown out for being poor. The people who build these churches, who create beautiful art from their God-given talents for the greater glory of the Lord have nothing to be ashamed of.