Church Architecture

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I prefer the latter, Byz.
So did the ancestors! In fairness, the interior of the new church is quite spectular, but a dome coming right out of the ground is a little surprising to the Byzantine traditionalist, and is more Greek in basis than Carpatho-Rusyn.

Here is the new Epiphany of Our Lord Church in Annandale, VA. Consecrated within the last two years, it was built to modern standards, but with a design faithful to the old wood churches of the Carpatho-Rusyns.

http://epiphanyofourlord.org/galler...ssings, and Construction History/P4070511.JPG
 
I’m going to build a church of onion domes with a Baroque interior!
 
The idea seems to be: you will have less and you will like it, like a crotchety maiden aunt at Christmastime.

I can’t stand minimalism. Amongst other things, it’s lazy; a crafty and cheap way to make an empty room look stylish. A useful byproduct for the Devil in modern times is that, coupled with all the other changes, it’s removing one more way of informing people about their religion.
 
The idea seems to be: you will have less and you will like it, like a crotchety maiden aunt at Christmastime.

I can’t stand minimalism. Amongst other things, it’s lazy; a crafty and cheap way to make an empty room look stylish. A useful byproduct for the Devil in modern times is that, coupled with all the other changes, it’s removing one more way of informing people about their religion.
Well, minimalism certainly has been the monastic way for 1500 years… it can hardly be called lazy. It has its roots in the desire for poverty, keeping in mind that St. Benedict started his monastic journey as a hermit living in a grotto, where his food was lowered to him in a basket (picture of his grotto at Subiaco):



The monastery at Subiaco, founded by St. Benedict, was covered in frescoes, some dating back to the 8th century. Each told a story about scripture, or about the lives of various saints; they have one of the few depictions of St. Francis without the stigmata, as the fresco was painted before he had them, when he visited there (see a picture on this page; the fresco was painted before 1224!).

Telling a story with architecture, stained glass, carvings and icons was necessary in the days before mass literacy. Here are some frescoes at Subiaco being restored:



Here for instance is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, as told in stained glass at the church of Caudebec-en-Caux, Normandy, France; I was taken there by the oblate master at the abbey of St. Wandrille in France, when I visited the abbey in Oct. 2010.



The church:



I think we have to accept that there are many traditions in the Church, some very ancient. And while minimalism might not appeal to all, it has its place-and indeed its tradition-in monasticism.
 
I also think we should accept that minimalism generally does not work well in a parish environment.
 
I think we have to accept that there are many traditions in the Church, some very ancient. And while minimalism might not appeal to all, it has its place-and indeed its tradition-in monasticism.
Surely yes, but parochial settings are certainly different than monastic settings. But one might find at least one icon or religious item even in the smallest of monastic caves.
 
I also think we should accept that minimalism generally does not work well in a parish environment.
I don’t think I’m ready to generalize on that.

Even though this is now an Anglican church with a female pastor, since it was built in the 11th century and added to later in the 13th and 15th centuries (church of St. Senara, Zennor, Cornwall, England), it was obviously once Catholic, and it was quite a find to see a side altar with crucifix. The church was quite simply an amazing find and extremely peaceful:





It’s not unusual to see very bare ancient Catholic churches in Europe. I think rather we have to appreciate that our Catholic tradition is not as homogeneous as we often would like and acknowledge that there is much variety and beauty.
 
Very true, yet the church pictured in your post is austere and proper in many respects. There were basic accompaniments (altar cloths, flowers, etc.).

How about this for bare:

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/3088/churchqz1.jpg

Seem like church?

(see related article @ New Liturgical Movement - Contemporary but Traditional Church)
Looks more like where you’d have a meeting about the parish finances…
Surely yes, but parochial settings are certainly different than monastic settings. But one might find at least one icon or religious item even in the smallest of monastic caves.
True but the religious orders have had tremendous influence also in parish life. Benedictines for instance have run parishes and schools, and I think that’s why it’s not safe to generalize.
 
This was my parish in the UK for 5 years.

I don’t have a better photo. It was very small and simple.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
Very true, yet the church pictured in your post is austere and proper in many respects. There were basic accompaniments (altar cloths, flowers, etc.).

How about this for bare:

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/3088/churchqz1.jpg

Seem like church?

(see related article @ New Liturgical Movement - Contemporary but Traditional Church)
Wow. Is that a Catholic Church? Looks like some of the plainer Scandinavian protestant churches. Not to sound sacreligious, but that table/altar thing would be very nice if it were in a dining room with six matching chairs around it, lol. :cool:
 
Wow. Is that a Catholic Church? Looks like some of the plainer Scandinavian protestant churches. Not to sound sacreligious, but that table/altar thing would be very nice if it were in a dining room with six matching chairs around it, lol. :cool:
I’ve got it now, it’s an Ikea showroom 😃
 
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