Church Architecture

[picchick]

[quote name='Justin86' post='1517928' date='May 4 2008, 12:19 AM'][img]http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc131/justin86_bucket/Faith/DSC01117.jpg[/img][/quote]


Ok this is unacceptable. It is against code. Where is Jesus? He is suppose to be in the center. The altar is suppose to be in the East so that everyone is facing the East. How are the people facing the West suppose to see Jesus when He comes. unacceptable.

[StColette]

Sadly, part of the reason for our lack of beautiful architechture that was found in older European and some American Churches is that we no longer can afford such things. Many parishes can barely afford to build their Churches let alone make them extravigant. I do believe they should try a little hard not to make them look so modern. Currently the parish that I work for is finishing up their renovations of their Church. Now from the outside it doesn't look like anything special, still nice looking but nothing like gothic arch. But the inside is beautiful. I would say its more of the inside of the Church that matters. The inside should lift one to the vertical not to the horizontal.

Here's a pic of some of the renovations of the parish I work for. There will be very traditional looking stained glass windows instead of the regular ones that are in the pic.

[img]http://www.stjosephchurch.net/RENO_165_THUMB.jpg[/img]

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='StColette' post='1518184' date='May 4 2008, 04:14 PM']Sadly, part of the reason for our lack of beautiful architechture that was found in older European and some American Churches is that we no longer can afford such things. Many parishes can barely afford to build their Churches let alone make them extravigant. I do believe they should try a little hard not to make them look so modern. Currently the parish that I work for is finishing up their renovations of their Church. Now from the outside it doesn't look like anything special, still nice looking but nothing like gothic arch. But the inside is beautiful. I would say its more of the inside of the Church that matters. The inside should lift one to the vertical not to the horizontal.[/quote]
Yeah, I agree. My parish is quite old, and yet from the outside it would be difficult to tell it's a church (from the entrance side, the other side you can see stained glass, but that side doesn't face the street). Inside, it's very beautiful and the immediate focus is the Tabernacle.

[cathoholic_anonymous]

I believe that churches should be designed in such a way as to make people think of God as soon as they walk in. A Gothic-style church near me has a beautiful vaulted ceiling that draws the eye to the crucifix hanging over the communion rails, as the arches all seem to point in that direction. It's difficult to describe.

That said, I'm wary about criticising any church - no matter how hideous it is - as recent events have made me realise that I should be grateful to have a church at all. I have two very close friends who both want to convert to Catholicism. One is severely autistic and is dependent on her fundamentalist Christian parents for transport and personal care. They won't take her to Mass, so she hasn't been able to go since Easter 2007. (She lives in New Zealand, so I can't be of much help at the moment.) The other friend is in a similar position. Her parents are Jewish. A couple of weeks ago I invited her on a retreat, and her mum agreed to let her go on condition that she could clarify a few things with the local church first. My friend went with her to meet the priests and told me afterward, "I could hardly hide my glee at being inside a Catholic church." I doubt whether she would have cared if it had been the most beautiful edifice ever designed or a concrete-and-metal monstrosity. If you have the privilege of going every Sunday it is easy to forget what it's like not to have any church to go to.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='Cathoholic Anonymous' post='1518485' date='May 4 2008, 10:22 PM']I believe that churches should be designed in such a way as to make people think of God as soon as they walk in. A Gothic-style church near me has a beautiful vaulted ceiling that draws the eye to the crucifix hanging over the communion rails, as the arches all seem to point in that direction. It's difficult to describe.

That said, I'm wary about criticising any church - no matter how hideous it is - as recent events have made me realise that I should be grateful to have a church at all. I have two very close friends who both want to convert to Catholicism. One is severely autistic and is dependent on her fundamentalist Christian parents for transport and personal care. They won't take her to Mass, so she hasn't been able to go since Easter 2007. (She lives in New Zealand, so I can't be of much help at the moment.) The other friend is in a similar position. Her parents are Jewish. A couple of weeks ago I invited her on a retreat, and her mum agreed to let her go on condition that she could clarify a few things with the local church first. My friend went with her to meet the priests and told me afterward, "I could hardly hide my glee at being inside a Catholic church." I doubt whether she would have cared if it had been the most beautiful edifice ever designed or a concrete-and-metal monstrosity. If you have the privilege of going every Sunday it is easy to forget what it's like not to have any church to go to.[/quote]
Thank you for that reminder.

[CatherineM]

Could St. Micheal's wavy sword mean that it is supposed to a flaming sword?

[Galloglasses]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1518528' date='May 4 2008, 04:53 PM']Could St. Micheal's wavy sword mean that it is supposed to a flaming sword?[/quote]
That would make a kind of sense. Perhaps thats what they meant. Confusing at first glance however.

[jeffpugh]

[quote name='Justin86' post='1517928' date='May 4 2008, 12:19 AM']Tell me about it. This is the church my sister was baptized in. The round table was where they say Mass, I kid you not.

[img]http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc131/justin86_bucket/Faith/DSC01117.jpg[/img]

I didn't even consider it an altar, it's pit. They have stadium seating so you literally go down to receive communion. It looks ridiculous when they are saying Mass too. Like Father is King Arthur and the deacons are his Knights.

Oh, they had liturgical dancing at the Easter Vigil too. I had to stop myself from bursting out laughing at it. Come to think of it, I've had to stop myself from bursting out laughing several times that I've been there. I can't stand the place.[/quote]
Man... that's a huge abuse... Kirie Elaison! I'm tryin to think how the extraordinary form would be celebrated there... like.... ugh... nvm... huge can of worms there.

[quote name='Justin86' post='1518014' date='May 4 2008, 02:46 AM']I dug up some more photos of that church I was talking about. Here's a photo of a St. Michael statue (St. Michael is the church's patron). Everything looks fine at first glance

[img]http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc131/justin86_bucket/DSC01112.jpg[/img]

Until, that is, you get an up close look at his sword.

[img]http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc131/justin86_bucket/DSC01113.jpg[/img]



What is up with that?[/quote]

His sword is wavy cause he just layed the smackdown on the devil. From the awexome clash they made, it made his sword wavy when he smote his face to the firey pits

[Thy Geekdom Come]

Modern churches are often ugly. The more I look into theology, the more I realize why good church architecture is important.

Here's a little fun for you...download Google Sketch-up and design the kind of church you'd like to see...it's a fun program once you get used to it...I've made lots of cool church designs.

The following is one example...it's not transparent, I just made it look that way so you could see the inside and outside at once:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/PrRaphael/TranslucentChurch.jpg[/img]

[kujo]

I think it's all a matter of taste, anyway. We may not like it, but some people do. I think it's kind of condescending to say that because you don't like the architecture of a Church that it's somehow less glorifying to God. Quite snooty, actually.

[quote name='mortify' post='1517852' date='May 4 2008, 12:15 AM']Church architecture has certainly gone down, as has her music, art, and other things I dare not mention.[/quote]

I think the music is good. Matt Maher and Tom Booth are making some good stuff along with Kathy Triccoli and Steve Angrisano.


[quote name='StColette' post='1518184' date='May 4 2008, 12:14 PM']Sadly, part of the reason for our lack of beautiful architechture that was found in older European and some American Churches is that we no longer can[/quote]

Yeah, exactly. A priest friend of mine was asked by our bishop to build a new Catholic community/church out in a suburb of Orlando. They've been celebrating mass in an elementary school cafeteria, waiting and saving money to build a real church. It takes a long time...and a lot of money!

[KnightofChrist]

Hey buddy we're not snooty. Money's no excuse. The churches in question off times lack catholic symbolism, and if there is any its greatly watered down. Thats the real problem "ugliness" could be forgotten if not for almost the complete lack of actual Crucifixes, icons, statues, and other catholic works of art.

Edited May 5, 2008 by KnightofChrist

[kujo]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' post='1519859' date='May 5 2008, 08:41 PM']Hey buddy we're not snooty. Money's no excuse. The churches in question off times lack catholic symbolism, and if there is any its greatly watered down. Thats the real problem "ugliness" could be forgotten if not for almost the complete lack of actual Crucifixes, icons, statues, and other catholic works of art.[/quote]

What churches are you talking about? All modern architecture or specific ones. If you are complaining about specific churches, that's one thing. But to make a sweeping generalization about all modern churches being inferior or not conducive to worship is pretty snooty. I mean, in college, we had mass in an empty classroom! We had a table and a tiny Crucifix. But we didn't feel like we weren't able to participate fully in the mass.

That's all I'm saying.

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='kujo' post='1519872' date='May 5 2008, 06:47 PM']What churches are you talking about? All modern architecture or specific ones. If you are complaining about specific churches, that's one thing. But to make a sweeping generalization about all modern churches being inferior or not conducive to worship is pretty snooty. I mean, in college, we had mass in an empty classroom! We had a table and a tiny Crucifix. But we didn't feel like we weren't able to participate fully in the mass.

That's all I'm saying.[/quote]

Again, the ones that lack Catholic artwork, with only a very watered down cross without a Christ, no real catholic symboism and no actual message in the stain glass windows, things or lack of things of this nature. A basement is one thing, even there you had a Crucifix, but many of these churches do not even have that.

Edited May 5, 2008 by KnightofChrist

[kujo]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' post='1519886' date='May 5 2008, 08:54 PM']Again, the ones that lack Catholic artwork, with only a very watered down cross without a Christ, no real catholic symboism and no actual message in the stain glass windows, things or lack of things of this nature. A basement is one thing, even there you had a Crucifix, but many of these churches do not even have that.[/quote]

I think the heart of worship is in the community, not the structure. But I see your point.

[KnightofChrist]

I know what you mean and I agree its the people who are the Church not the building. I would say the heart of worship is in Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. I'm sure you agree.