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 Im about to compare it to a 1970s department store.
Then, after Vatican II, its interior was modernised. But were 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, its a bit trendy for my tastes, not the same, I cant 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 chefs outfit. I didnt 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 womens clothing rack in an Oxfam shop.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...
we have a church in the area i call “St. Star Trek”....the altar area looks like the bridge of the old enterprise...
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.
“Ive 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.
Geez, that church looks like Space Mountain in Disney.
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.
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.
Great description!
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).
It is sad how beauty has been neglected in many areas of life, and how much ugliness is promoted.
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.
A most impressive anagram! Well done! < :D
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.
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”.
No way...really? The second is really a church?
What church is that? It’s ethereal.
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/
Actually, even here in Florida, a liturgical and ecclesiastical wasteland, I'm seeing that too. I think there's hope...
Yipes. Your cathedral ALMOST makes the Taj Mahony look good!
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...
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.
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