Why Church Architecture DOES Matter

Saturday I got a letter from Br.. Philip Anderson, Abbot of Our Lady of the Annunciation Monastery of Clear Creek about the upcoming start of the construction of their Church for the Monastery. Currently all that exists is the crypt.

As I was reading the letter something caught my eye. The abbott was talking about why the design of a Church IS important. & in doing so, I couldn't help but think that this is exactly why most of these modern church buildings should never have been built. (& I am esp including such monstrosities as the "Cathederal" Cardinal Mahony constructed in LA.) He gave an excellent explanation of the theology behind the design of traditional churches.

He said: "If you have never taken a close look at the layout of a traditional church -- such as the Romanesque church we have designed for Clear Creek -- you might be surprised at how much theology is contained in the design. Mind impregnates matter; in the words of our Blessed Lord -- the very stones seem to cry out. But if you had asked the builders of a Romanesque Church in the 11th Century: "What theological view guided you in the construction of this church?" they might well looked at you in dismay.

In other words, Romanesque builders were not theorists. They were practical men, but their whole life was guided by faith and permeated with the liturgy. Without being aware of it, they manifest their faith in the buildings they made. With time, they realized the close relationship existing between the practical edifices they had erected and their understanding of the world, as they discovered with amazement that these churches expressed in stone what they believed in their souls. Thus, in building they created a tangible expression of the mystery of God and of Christ, as well as the calling of man to eternal life -- a contemplation in stone.

The rounded vaults, which were primarily designed for solidity and acoustical purposes, evoked for them the sky -- Heaven along with the whole supernatural world of Christ in glory and of the Saints. The vertical elements which supported the vault of the nave and the arch of the portal were a symbol of the earthly realities as understood by the men of antiquity, who were familiar with the four winds, the four parts of theearth, and the harmony of the cosmos.

The capitals which served as supports for the form of the arches during their construction received a spiritual meaning and were carved accordingly. They marked the boundary between the earthly world below and the heavenly one above. The ascending levels of steps -- from the portal to the sanctuary -- made the faithful physically experience the fact that the spiritual life is a progressive purification and an ascent towards Christ represented by the altar. Stained-glass windows, frescoes, sculptures and other appointments added to the effect.

Despite its solid walls, a Romanesque church is transparent: the outside archtecture reveals the interior features, that is to say the nave, the aisles and various levels mentioned above. when entering the church, the faithful find themselves surrounded by the blessed Saints, their Queen and Christ Himself. The whole Church is there: the suffering Church of the Purgatory, the militant church on earth, and the glorious one in Heaven. This gathering of the faithful takes on its full meaning in the solemn celebration of Holy Mass and the Divine Office."

What he says is true even of the simple rural church buildings of yore. They may not have been the lofty cathederals of Europe, but even they were built to raise the mind of man to Heaven. How many of these modern churches can make that same claim?

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Our Lady of the Annunciation Monastery of Clear Creek is a Benedictine abbey & is located in Hulbert OK in the diocese of Tulsa. They are a monastic foundation of the French Abbey Notre Dame de Fontgombault, itself a foundation of Saint Pierre de Solesmes.

The Divine Office and Holy Mass are celebrated in Latin & sung in Gregorian Chant. The Liturgy of Mass is celebrated according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The monks also observe the complete Benedictine horarium.

For more about the Monastery as well as the construction of the Church, follow the links to their website. & while there please consider donating to their "Building Something Beautiful for God" that will last a thousand years.