Make Catholic Churches Catholic Again! (While you are at it, burn all the felt banners.)
Amen!
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
There’s an interesting OT story about King Ahaz in 2 Kings 16. After being “rescued” by the Assyrians, in the spirit of ecumenism he went to Damascus and took a fancy to the altar there, and had a priest make an altar for the temple in Jerusalem like it. He also had the original brazen altar taken out and moved to the side of the new altar, and commanded the priest to offer the sacrifices on the new altar. He also very ecumenically had other aspects of the temple modified in deference to the king of Assyria.
I know I’ve read this story before, but I never appreciated the aphorism about history rhyming until I became Catholic.
I didn’t know “restorationism” looked so beautiful! Must be why so many bad Catholics are for it, and Pope Chastisement is attacking it.
What, you don’t like a butcher block altar? Multi use.
That’s handsome. I assume that’s a parish that returned to the original configuration, no?
Parishes could accomplish a great deal and spend not a cent. Plainchant, antiphony between a choir in the balcony and a schola in the sanctuary – one doing the ordinary, one the propers, the priest ad orientem, consistent recitation of the canon, male acolytes only, eucharistic ministers made use of only at Christmas and Easter services, use of the ancient tongue at the change of the liturgical season, homilies which consist of a reflection on the Gospel and perhaps other readings of the day and drawn from a file the pastor builds throughout his ministry, and confessions scheduled each day, some days in the morning, some days the evening. Except for the confessions, it would take less time than the current menu of activities and require no more expenditure. And they Just.Don’t.Feel.Like.It.
Parishes could accomplish a great deal and spend not a cent.
Yes. Have been to Parishes with beautiful traditional architecture yet the homily has been flat, the choir non-existent, the Eucharistic minister clueless and the priest rushed. Modernist architecture (which in itself is beautiful) has been done poorly in Churches. Blame the 60’s and onwards…
Amen to felt banners, unless they are made by a First Communion class or Confirmation class and taken down after the service.
Working in Kansas City for a week, I walked to Sunday Mass at the Cathedral. The beautiful exterior of the cathedral has been maintained with its golden dome and bell tower. The inside had been modernized. I could tell from the before pictures in the vestibule it had been a beautiful church with intrically carved high altar, stained glass windows and side altars. After modernization in the 60s it was a sad, dark church. Going on the website I see that it now has been turned into a church in the round. Where the altar table and high altar had been, the floor was lowered and the area is now rows of pews.
In the center pews were removed and a round altar table is atop a large raised marble platform so that all attendees can view the altar. Apparently the renovators are very proud of this second butchering of an historic 19th century church.
Cam I noticed they don’t employ good professionals (ie. good architects) to do the task of renovating Churches and the decision are usually done by whoever is controlling the Churches purse strings as well as getting Fathers intermittent input to sign off on the works.
In Australia, unless the building is a heritage listed building with local council with strict criteria to what changes are allowed, they will basically do whatever is most cost effective.
Modern architecture can be beautiful if done well. This is not a Catholic Church, and it may divide opinions, but I personally think it’s absolutely beautiful.
https://www.architectural-review.com/architects/shigeru-ban/cardboard-cathedral-by-shigeru-ban-in-christchurch-new-zealand