28 May 2004
So, it's off with the glass and in with the gewgaws
BY MICHAEL S. ROSEThe following is presented in response to the letter by Father Joseph Fessio, Chancellor of Ave Maria University.
At left, Ave Maria's March 24 proposal for the new campus chapel. At right, Notre Dame student Michael Enquist's design for Ave Maria's new campus chapel.
So, the glass is out and the gewgaws are forthcoming, says Fr. Fessio. Does that mean Ave Maria is now headed down the path of tradition and sanity? Judging from the Chancellor’s response, I doubt it. Hiring Talleres de Arte Granda as the project’s "liturgical design consultant," while forging ahead with the same architects and the same general scheme, shouldn’t put anyone’s mind at ease. Sure, the venerable Spanish group may have been serving sacred art since 1891—admittedly much of the work they do is admirable—but dressing up a cold, steel behemoth in hopes of giving it a traditional feel will be quite a charge even for them. Such a modus operandi echoes the modernist liturgical divorce of the church interior from its "skin for liturgical action." Arguing with Fr. Fessio about whether or not Ave Maria’s design reflects the historical tradition of Catholic church architecture, is like debating the appropriateness of whitewashing Michelangelo’s murals in the Sistine Chapel. Yet Fr. Fessio not only defends his project as consonant with tradition, he is so bold as to call it "essentially Gothic." In fact, Fr. Fessio says he hopes critical discussion will center around the question of "whether what we are developing is a legitimate expression of the Gothic style." I can answer that one right now: no—and you’re not even close. In order for a building to be "essentially gothic" it must successfully withstand not only formal, but also stylistic, artistic, and theological scrutiny. Thus far, the Ave Maria proposal fails in every respect—regardless of whether the church is sheathed in glass, slate tiles, or riveted aluminum plating, regardless of whatever liturgical gewgaws a Spanish design consultant may bring in with him. If Ave Maria is so dead-set on the idea of raising a Gothic structure (and, considering that Frank Lloyd Wright detested Gothic architecture, it’s still not clear why the university sees this as desirable or appropriate), what Fr. Fessio hopes to achieve is possible, but not with the current scheme. The university need only look at the hundreds of Victorian Gothic revival churches built throughout North America from 1850-1950 to see how the Gothic idiom can be successfully reinterpreted for modern times. Look for example at the—ahem—University of Notre Dame’s Sacred Heart Basilica, study the work and writings of Ralph Adams Cram and his modern successor Ethan Anthony of Cram and Ferguson, who has designed a recently completed Gothic revival church in Houston. Furthermore, it is naïve for Fr. Fessio to charge that Notre Dame’s School of Architecture is limited to churning out "linear, classical style" churches. I admit I’m not certain what this is meant to imply, but I do know that professors and students have never been limited to designing in a particular "style" at Notre Dame. I’m sure every last one of them would be astonished—and, frankly, offended—at such a charge, first and foremost because it’s just not true. Fr. Fessio confesses to prefer the Romanesque and Gothic styles with their "curves and arches." A quick look through the portfolios of Notre Dame’s students and faculty reveals any number of projects that are inspired by the ecclesial architecture of those epochs.
Clearcreek Benedictine Monastery, designed by Notre Dame's Thomas Gordon Smith. With its "curves and arches, the design is undeniably inspired by the Romanesque.
Thomas Gordon Smith, for example, designed the seminary and chapel for the Fraternity of St. Peter in Denton, Nebraska. With their "curves and arches," they are undeniably inspired by the Romanesque. Same goes for his Benedictine Monastery in Clear Creek, Oklahoma and Duncan Stroik’s St. Margaret Mary Church and the interior of his chapel for Thomas Aquinas College. Michael Meszaros, another architecture student at Notre Dame, recently completed designs for a Franciscan church in New York. It serves as another excellent example of a successful modern interpretation of the Gothic idiom (see image below).
Notre Dame architecture student Michael Meszaros's Gothic-inspired design for Our Lady, Spouse of the Holy Spirit Church in Binghampton, N.Y.
A little background about the "alternative proposal" for Ave Maria designed by the three Notre Dame architecture students: First, they were not in any way "protesting" the Florida university’s plans, as Fr. Fessio suggests. In fact, they undertook the hypothetical project last Fall for their architectural design thesis. The official plans for the glass hothouse were not released by Ave Maria until late March. By that time, the students had completed their project and were preparing their final drawings. The "protest" has instead come from Ave Maria donors, many of whom have been taken aback by the inappropriateness of the design that was reproduced in newspapers all over the country. Even my article wasn’t so much a protest as it was a courtesy wake-up call. For Fr. Fessio to summarily dismiss the Notre Dame proposal as a "non-starter" speaks volumes. It’s not as if the students were competing for a commission. Cruxnews.com published the Notre Dame images to demonstrate to the general public that it is indeed possible to design and build a campus—including a church—that is both beautiful and an appropriate manifestation of the tradition and faith the university ostensibly claims to represent. The Notre Dame students did that, and judging from the dozens of reactions we’ve received about their project, the public was impressed—in this case, very pleasantly impressed. Fr. Fessio also defends the size of the proposed Ave Maria chapel—"the largest in the country"—against charges of megalomania and absurdity. The fact that the cathedral at Chartres was built when there were but 7,000 inhabitants is wholly irrelevant. First, the Bishop of Chartres commissioned the cathedral, which was built over a century (not in two years as Ave Maria proposes). Second, Chartres—and, similarly, other French cathedrals of the same era—were built as much or more for pilgrims as for locals. Fr. Fessio’s response belies a lack of understanding of the medieval agrarian Catholic culture that gave rise to the splendors of Gothic cathedrals. But that’s not the only issue when it comes to size. Fr. Fessio also appeals to utility. The size is not only justified, he claims, it’s necessary. According to the university’s projections, 20,000 Catholics, immigrants from all over the country, will eventually live in the budding town of Ave Maria. All of them, it is reasoned, will want to go to Mass every day—therefore the size of the campus chapel is justified. But that reasoning flies in the face of the way the Catholic Church’s parochial system works and has always worked in this country and most others. When new towns are founded or when cities grow, the local bishop is charged with caring for the influx of new Catholics. Typically he will do this by founding new parishes. Each parish builds its own campus—usually to include a church, a rectory, and perhaps a school. The largest parishes in the country rarely have even half that number of parishioners, nor would it be desirable. Twenty thousand Catholics served by a single parish—no matter how big the church might be—under the same pastor would be a pastoral nightmare. Building a campus chapel is appropriate for the university, but Ave Maria cannot justify an outsized monstrosity by claiming to serve a hypothetical community that does not yet exist. The bishop—not Fr. Fessio, not Tom Monaghan, not the town mayor—is charged with the pastoral care of Catholics within his diocese. 
Thorncrown Chapel, the inspiration for the Ave Maria Chapel.
Finally, Fr. Fessio admits that the Ave Maria chapel design was inspired by Thorncrown Chapel in Arkansas (above). It is instructive to note that Thorncrown Chapel is a glass-skinned Protestant church designed for one to contemplate nature. The same can be said for the Mildred Cooper chapel, which according to Fr. Fessio, was admired by Ave Maria honchos as "Gothic" and "beautiful." Well… I had intended the Notre Dame proposal to generate some positive discussion among those involved in the Ave Maria development project. Maybe that’s happening, but if it is it’s not evident from Fr. Fessio, who instead seems to be seizing the opportunity to justify the direction that Ave Maria has taken to date. To that I say, alack! Michael S. Rose is the author a several books on church architecture including Ugly As Sin. His forthcoming book In Tiers of Glory: A History of Catholic Church Architecture in 100 Pages is due out in November. He is editor of Cruxnews.com. Email editor: editor@cruxnews.com |
