Catholic Architect Shows Why Churches Should Be Truly Beautiful

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Churches may be closing to the faithful amid the coronavirus outbreak, but the spiritual sustenance they provide continues with livestreamed Masses, prayer services and processions, which reveal the beauty of sacred art.

Many people would be surprised to learn that the topic of beauty in sacred art is addressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in the section on the Eighth Commandment: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

William Heyer , however, is not surprised.

The Columbus, Ohio-based architect, professor and father of six has been studying, teaching and designing for years with beauty in mind. Truth — and goodness, its other counterpart in the transcendental triad — would be incomplete without beauty. Indeed, the Catechism says, in Paragraph 2500, that “truth carries with it the joy and splendor of spiritual beauty.” ❤️
 
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It does! 🙂

CCC 2502:
Sacred art is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its particular vocation: evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God - the surpassing invisible beauty of truth and love visible in Christ, who “reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature,” in whom “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” This spiritual beauty of God is reflected in the most holy Virgin Mother of God, the angels, and saints. Genuine sacred art draws man to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God, Creator and Savior, the Holy One and Sanctifier.
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Dorothy Day worked with the poor. I was trying to find her quote when confronted regarding the Church’s riches and display of art.
Better to display for all to enjoy than to be hidden in a rich man’s vault.
This is the basic idea anyway.
 
DebCWil said:
Dorothy Day worked with the poor. I was trying to find her quote when confronted regarding the Church’s riches and display of art.
Better to display for all to enjoy than to be hidden in a rich man’s vault.
Click to expand...
I’m going to remember that one 🙂
 
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A problem is what is a beautiful church. One thinks of the great cathedrals of Europe. Then personal preferences come in, do you prefer a gothic or a baroque style? Would you like to submit URLs or images of churches you think are beautiful?

You might like to look at University Church | Notre Dame - Newman Centre for Faith and Reason

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This church was influenced very much by St John Henry Newman, first rector of the Catholic University of Ireland, it later was the University College Dublin University Church, now it is under the stewardship/patronage of Notre Dame University, Indiana.

I find it very beautiful and a Mass there with Newman’s hymns, beautiful appearance and uplifting liturgy is very moving.
 
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