Saturday, August 18, 2007
Renovation renews Catholic parish
Tom Heinen reports in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the dedication of the newly renovated All Saints Church.
Fresh life? It's more like putting gold leaf on the "S" in scandal. And scandal is what a speaker at the Peter Favre Forum once called closing those churches, getting a memorably sputtered response from Bishop Sklba.
Among the things they found praiseworthy,
Who expected architects would eventually not only admit but brag that churches are now modeled on theater-in-the-round?
Not when compared to how much seven closed parishes still show the opposite.
She's the same age as my Sunday School students, who, I have found, have similar opinions on church architecture.
Update: And now that it's been admitted that the prevailing liturgical model is theatrical, Pertinacious Papist happens to post on the increasing number of priests in the Archdiocese of Detroit considering the Mass in Latin.
Update 2: at the Spririt of Vatican 2 Catholic Faith Community, Richard Vosko, Liturgical Interiors, and WE WIN!
The prominent baptismal area at All Saints Catholic Church is a strong symbol of the fresh life that has arisen from the difficult days in the mid-1990s when the archdiocese closed and merged nine central-city parishes into two new parishes.
Fresh life? It's more like putting gold leaf on the "S" in scandal. And scandal is what a speaker at the Peter Favre Forum once called closing those churches, getting a memorably sputtered response from Bishop Sklba.
The renovation at All Saints has transformed a boxy, 1960s church with poor acoustics, plain walls and high ceilings and windows.Now it looks pretty much like any other church built or renovated in our current decade, as you can see from the accompanying photo gallery. [Update 3: Compare it to the Vosko portfolio.]
And it got enthusiastic praise from more than 100 architects, Catholic liturgical designers and others who attended a dinner and service there this month as part of a national FORM/REFORM conference, said Terry Wessels, conference director.
Among the things they found praiseworthy,
There is a specially designed sound system for the church's well-known gospel choir, which sings behind the altar. The new altar has been brought forward, and there are theater-in-the-round seating, ceiling-lowering lengths of fabric suspended above the center aisle and stylish sound-absorbent panels on the side walls to dampen reverberations.
Who expected architects would eventually not only admit but brag that churches are now modeled on theater-in-the-round?
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Carl Ashley, a parishioner and head of the building committee, said town hall meetings were held as the parish made difficult choices. ...
The renovation shows a commitment to the central city, he said.
Not when compared to how much seven closed parishes still show the opposite.
Iesha Frazier-Christie, 16, doesn't like the changes and says a number of other teens agree. They liked the old look.
"It felt more homey," said Frazier-Christie, an usher, Eucharistic minister and youth group member. "This feels like the Chris Brown concert I went to at the Bradley Center."
She's the same age as my Sunday School students, who, I have found, have similar opinions on church architecture.
Update: And now that it's been admitted that the prevailing liturgical model is theatrical, Pertinacious Papist happens to post on the increasing number of priests in the Archdiocese of Detroit considering the Mass in Latin.
... much better than driving for two hours or more to escape the horrors of standard AmChurch fare. It's a nice change to go to church expecting to encounter Christ and not come away, as Martin Mosebach says, a theater critic.
Update 2: at the Spririt of Vatican 2 Catholic Faith Community, Richard Vosko, Liturgical Interiors, and WE WIN!
Isn't it much more meaningful to say "we're going to be meeting in the Spirit of Vatican 2 Catholic Faith Community's Liturgical Interior" than something humdrum like "meet us at the church."¶ 8/18/2007 03:57:00 PM
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That young lady has a good deal of talent; someone should take a serious look at her for a design career.
Maybe REAL church architecture?
Maybe REAL church architecture?
I would be interested in hearing the opinions of your Sunday school teens, since you go to uber Amchurch.
Generally, my students wanted the church to be recognizably a church inside and out. "Why does our church look like an auditorium?" was literally one of their rhetorical questions. Some were more familiar than I expected with some of our more ornate old local churches, and found the way they looked appealing.
To them, Mass drags at St. Al's, and the biggest drag is the songs that go on too long. One (to my surprise) literally said if we're going to sing at Mass why don't we just sing the Mass (though they don't mean Gregorian Chant). They've heard, or heard of, the explanation that the song tells a story that is complete only with all the verses. Sounded like they won't be persuaded even if the parish brings back Grayson Warren Brown to say it again.
St. Al's might be nosed out by some other parishes for the uber AmChurch title. For example, I hear our liturgy team tries to have just enough GIRM violations to keep certain folks from leaving for another parish with an even more irregular liturgy.
To them, Mass drags at St. Al's, and the biggest drag is the songs that go on too long. One (to my surprise) literally said if we're going to sing at Mass why don't we just sing the Mass (though they don't mean Gregorian Chant). They've heard, or heard of, the explanation that the song tells a story that is complete only with all the verses. Sounded like they won't be persuaded even if the parish brings back Grayson Warren Brown to say it again.
St. Al's might be nosed out by some other parishes for the uber AmChurch title. For example, I hear our liturgy team tries to have just enough GIRM violations to keep certain folks from leaving for another parish with an even more irregular liturgy.
RE:For example, I hear our liturgy team tries to have just enough GIRM violations to keep certain folks from leaving for another parish with an even more irregular liturgy.
You're kidding!!!!Are they afraid people will trot over to St Mary's Hales Corners?
You're kidding!!!!Are they afraid people will trot over to St Mary's Hales Corners?
Sorry, can't say more. But now that it's in the open that liturgy has become theater-in-the round, maybe we could gather up local bloggers for Sunday Mass, then post liturgical theater reviews.
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