Scary Catholic church buildings!

[Ridgerunner]

The OLAM Shrine built for Mother Angelica in Hanceville, AL is modern (within the past 20 years) but highly ornate. At least it looks to be so on tv.

Agreed. Here is a link with some photos. facebook.com/shrinepilgrimages

I don’t know who the architect was, but here are some “modern” architects who use modified traditional themes and modern materials. They have, very recently, done some beautiful work. It’s worthwhile to look at these sites and see some of the truly beautiful things they have done. It’s also important, in look at them, to realize they don’t “copy old churches”. They reinvigorate traditional themes to achieve the kind of beauty some of the older churches had, but in a new and different way.

stroik.com/portfolio/

hmenzies.com/work.html

Mr. Stroik, who is head of the Department of ARchitecture at Notre Dame has written about certain “myths” that have caused American church architecture to go ugly. As to the “costs too much” myth, he said:

Myth: “We can’t afford to build beautiful churches today. The Church doesn’t have the money it had in the past.
In fact, Roman Catholics are the wealthiest denomination in the country today. We have more CEO’s and civic leaders than any other religious group. We have never been wealthier, yet we have never built such cheap churches. This reflects American giving priorities; from 1968 to 1995 the portion of personal income members gave to the Church dropped 21 percent. The people of God need to be encouraged to generously support the construction of houses of prayer. Bishops and dioceses should be encouraged to promote the highest quality rather than placing a cap on construction costs. The faithful should be willing to spend more on the house of God than on their own houses and build with a quality exceeding other public buildings. One story of great philanthropy concerns Holy Spirit Church in Atlanta which received a generous sum of money from a few of its parishioners enabling them to build a very elegant substantial brick Romanesque church in the early 1990’s. Other parishes, in order to build a worthy and beautiful church, have taken the time to raise substantial budgets or have chosen to build in phases.”

 

[LegoGE1947]

I’m sorry to hear that,
It is such a shame that the lies, misconceptions & downright fear mongering tactics that are used to try & keep us from the the truth.
Do you mind me asking, what you were before you became Protestant, & what brought you home to the Catholic Church?

Before I became Protestant, I had no religious upbringing at all. I was, however always drawn to gospel music. My parents believed going to church was just a way to “show off” your nice clothes, fancy cars, etc. so they never went because they didn’t have these things. I tried reading the Bible but I could never make it past Genesis chapter 12. I was trying to read it like any other book but the archaic language bogged me down (King James Version) In the Navy I had to attend Chapel when in recruit training. They had this huge painting of “Jesus, My Pilot” that I couldn’t help but stare at. In 1973 I was approached by a man that was into one of those “born again” Protestant groups. He invited me to attend this church and I did. I had never heard of being “born again” I was sitting with some other college age people who knew I had no idea what was going on. At the end of the pastor’s sermon, he invited anyone who wanted to meet Jesus to come forward. The people I was sitting next to said they’d go with me if I wanted to go up. I did not understand what went on that day. We were led in the Sinners Prayer, herded off into a back room, given a bunch of literature and told we needed to be baptized. The following week I was baptized by immersion, still not knowing what I was doing. A year later, in 1974, the pastor of that church was killed in a plane crash. A new pastor took over, who just was not as charismatic as the first guy who had died. It is a long story that went on from there amidst moving from one church to another over a period of some 30 years of struggling and falling on my face. In the process I got married, had 3 children, got increasingly disgusted with every Protestant group until finally my wife and I both came to a dead end in year 2001.

About that time we got cable tv for the first time. My wife found EWTN and started watching Mother Angelica, became interested in the Catholic faith, was told about RCIA at one of the Catholic parishes nearby. She started to go, I went along just to see, at first thought the Catholic Church would just be another disappointment like every thing else. But I became drawn to it specially after seeing a video of Alex Jones, a black Protestant pastor who became Catholic after studying the early Church. I think it was he that finally convinced me. While I was in RCIA, the diocese sponsored a men’s conference that featured Alex Jones as one of the speakers! My wife and I became Catholic at Easter 2002, much to the dismay of our 3 children who remain Protestant and feel we betrayed them.

Long story, but it’s the best I could do!

 

[sallybutler]

No kidding!

Even in Canada (where we get about two weeks of summer), we still get girls showing up at Mass in tank tops and short shorts. Where has the reverence gone…

I’m happy they are showing up for Mass.

 

[RebeccaJ]

The parish church that we attend just observed its 50th anniversary. It was the first church in the diocese that was constructed using the “new designs” following Vatican II. Pretty stark looking Here is the website www.holyfamilyrockford.org.

Looks like a copy of the parish church closest to me. Does the floor slope like a theatre, towards the altar? It feels very odd to stand during Mass.

 

[LegoGE1947]

Looks like a copy of the parish church closest to me. Does the floor slope like a theatre, towards the altar? It feels very odd to stand during Mass.

I’m not sure if the floor slopes like a theater, but the pews are in the round so that all seats are facing the altar. The walls are like brick with a crucifix on the wall behind the ambo. The tabernacle that holds the consecrated host is directly behind the altar table with the red candle hanging above it. There are no stained glass windows (except when little kids stain them with their hands) Our patrons are the Holy Family and we have statues of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus on the wall opposite the wall where the Cross is hanging.

 

[MrSnaith]

Before I became Protestant, I had no religious upbringing at all. I was, however always drawn to gospel music. My parents believed going to church was just a way to “show off” your nice clothes, fancy cars, etc. so they never went because they didn’t have these things. I tried reading the Bible but I could never make it past Genesis chapter 12. I was trying to read it like any other book but the archaic language bogged me down (King James Version) In the Navy I had to attend Chapel when in recruit training. They had this huge painting of “Jesus, My Pilot” that I couldn’t help but stare at. In 1973 I was approached by a man that was into one of those “born again” Protestant groups. He invited me to attend this church and I did. I had never heard of being “born again” I was sitting with some other college age people who knew I had no idea what was going on. At the end of the pastor’s sermon, he invited anyone who wanted to meet Jesus to come forward. The people I was sitting next to said they’d go with me if I wanted to go up. I did not understand what went on that day. We were led in the Sinners Prayer, herded off into a back room, given a bunch of literature and told we needed to be baptized. The following week I was baptized by immersion, still not knowing what I was doing. A year later, in 1974, the pastor of that church was killed in a plane crash. A new pastor took over, who just was not as charismatic as the first guy who had died. It is a long story that went on from there amidst moving from one church to another over a period of some 30 years of struggling and falling on my face. In the process I got married, had 3 children, got increasingly disgusted with every Protestant group until finally my wife and I both came to a dead end in year 2001.

About that time we got cable tv for the first time. My wife found EWTN and started watching Mother Angelica, became interested in the Catholic faith, was told about RCIA at one of the Catholic parishes nearby. She started to go, I went along just to see, at first thought the Catholic Church would just be another disappointment like every thing else. But I became drawn to it specially after seeing a video of Alex Jones, a black Protestant pastor who became Catholic after studying the early Church. I think it was he that finally convinced me. While I was in RCIA, the diocese sponsored a men’s conference that featured Alex Jones as one of the speakers! My wife and I became Catholic at Easter 2002, much to the dismay of our 3 children who remain Protestant and feel we betrayed them.

Long story, but it’s the best I could do!

Thank you for sharing. I always enjoy hearing conversion stories.

 

[LegoGE1947]

Thank you for sharing. I always enjoy hearing conversion stories.

Sometime in the process, I and my wife and kids got involved in a Protestant group that emphasized the “Word of Faith” or “name it/claim it” theology often taught by the tv preachers. This really messed us up for a long time as it ruined my faith in God when what they taught never seemed to materialize. I was told that I was too “intelligent” for my own good, I had a “demon of intelligence” that needed to be cast out, I have PTSD from the Vietnam War and I was told to simply “get over it” And definitely never seek help from a psychiatrist because I would be in violation of Psalm 1 which is about “seeking counsel from the ungodly.” One other Catholic resource that has been helpful is the tv show “The Journey Home” with Marcus Grodi. Some people might disagree with this one but I also find www.churchmilitant.tv helpful in growing my faith in Christ and His Church.

 

[CruceSignati]

I’m happy they are showing up for Mass.

Sure, they’re showing up for Mass. Because their parents still have them (somewhat) under control and they make them come. But do you really think that teens with that kind of attitude towards the Catholic Church and it’s liturgy will keep coming to Mass once they’re moved away?

 

[Sochi]

I was reflecting today about an occasion at which a non-Catholic came to our church to attend a baptism, and he was dressed to the gills and clearly uncomfortable to no end.

Do Catholic churches scare non-Catholics?

1. Why didn’t you ask him?
2. How does “scare” follow from “uncomfortable?”
3. “Dressed to the gills” might just mean that someone didn’t inform him, or informed him wrongly, of the dress code or he misunderstood it. Anyone might be uncomfortable in that situation. So why did you take it to a question about the Church or building?

 

[debbie_h]

Before I became Protestant, I had no religious upbringing at all. I was, however always drawn to gospel music. My parents believed going to church was just a way to “show off” your nice clothes, fancy cars, etc. so they never went because they didn’t have these things. I tried reading the Bible but I could never make it past Genesis chapter 12. I was trying to read it like any other book but the archaic language bogged me down (King James Version) In the Navy I had to attend Chapel when in recruit training. They had this huge painting of “Jesus, My Pilot” that I couldn’t help but stare at. In 1973 I was approached by a man that was into one of those “born again” Protestant groups. He invited me to attend this church and I did. I had never heard of being “born again” I was sitting with some other college age people who knew I had no idea what was going on. At the end of the pastor’s sermon, he invited anyone who wanted to meet Jesus to come forward. The people I was sitting next to said they’d go with me if I wanted to go up. I did not understand what went on that day. We were led in the Sinners Prayer, herded off into a back room, given a bunch of literature and told we needed to be baptized. The following week I was baptized by immersion, still not knowing what I was doing. A year later, in 1974, the pastor of that church was killed in a plane crash. A new pastor took over, who just was not as charismatic as the first guy who had died. It is a long story that went on from there amidst moving from one church to another over a period of some 30 years of struggling and falling on my face. In the process I got married, had 3 children, got increasingly disgusted with every Protestant group until finally my wife and I both came to a dead end in year 2001.

About that time we got cable tv for the first time. My wife found EWTN and started watching Mother Angelica, became interested in the Catholic faith, was told about RCIA at one of the Catholic parishes nearby. She started to go, I went along just to see, at first thought the Catholic Church would just be another disappointment like every thing else. But I became drawn to it specially after seeing a video of Alex Jones, a black Protestant pastor who became Catholic after studying the early Church. I think it was he that finally convinced me. While I was in RCIA, the diocese sponsored a men’s conference that featured Alex Jones as one of the speakers! My wife and I became Catholic at Easter 2002, much to the dismay of our 3 children who remain Protestant and feel we betrayed them.

Long story, but it’s the best I could do!

I don’t mind, I actually like reading & hearing about everyone’s conversion stories. We are all unique

 

[edwest2]

Sure, they’re showing up for Mass. Because their parents still have them (somewhat) under control and they make them come. But do you really think that teens with that kind of attitude towards the Catholic Church and it’s liturgy will keep coming to Mass once they’re moved away?

They should join Catholic groups like:

lifeteen.com/

ccmanet.org/

focus.org/

catholicyouthministry.com/

And join men and women’s groups at their Church or help form one.

Peace,
Ed

 

[lutheran_farmer]

I was intimidated. I didn’t want to do something wrong and offend. The parish put me at ease by smiling and overlooking my clumsiness.

At first, I thought it was the people, but it wasn’t that as much as His presence. Even when I knew what to do, I still approached with fear and trembling. It wasn’t until I went through reconciliation and prepared for confirmation that I lost the fear. Now, it’s just complete awe.

Welcome everyone. There is plenty of time to gently encourage good habits if they keep coming back. Even tank top wearing kids are trainable. Offer to be their sponsor.

 

[pianistclare]

They should join Catholic groups like:

lifeteen.com/

ccmanet.org/

focus.org/

catholicyouthministry.com/

And join men and women’s groups at their Church or help form one.

Peace,
Ed

Exactly. Kids are not different than adults. They need to become actively engaged.
Give us teens who are doing community service, present at Adoration, and active in ministries any day over kids who are all dressed-up and only come because their parents drag them there. Same with spouses with a sour look on their faces because they only come because their family guilt’s them into going.
Good catechesis is what brings people back.

 

[Avdima]

I’m happy they are showing up for Mass.

No kidding!

Even in Canada (where we get about two weeks of summer), we still get girls showing up at Mass in tank tops and short shorts. Where has the reverence gone…

I used to go to Mass all the time in jogging pants, shorts, tank tops. Reverence is in the heart and soul not by what one wears.

 

[CruceSignati]

I used to go to Mass all the time in jogging pants, shorts, tank tops. Reverence is in the heart and soul not by what one wears.

If thats so, then lets throw out the kneelers and get rid of our fancy vestments and altars! Smash the stained glass windows and burn the communion rail! It doesn’t matter what it looks like; God knows whats in our hearts! sarcasm off

The point of wearing something modest or nice to Mass is not to show off or prove that we’re holier than thou in some way. Its just to be presentable before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords when we receive him in Holy Communion. You wouldn’t go to meet a king or queen wearing a pair of dirty, ripped jeans and an old hoodie, would you? God deserves even more than that.

As well, that age old excuse that God only looks on the heart and soul is getting, well, old! “For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26). Real faith and real love of God is made manifest through outward signs. That is why at Mass we have times when we kneel, genuflect, or bow our heads. Also, because we are human and we have short attention spans, there are other things that draw our minds back to the liturgy, like candles, stained glass windows, statues of Mary and the saints, the priest’s vestments, and the crucifix.These things aren’t without purpose as some people like to believe.

God bless you!

 

[LegoGE1947]

If thats so, then lets throw out the kneelers and get rid of our fancy vestments and altars! Smash the stained glass windows and burn the communion rail! It doesn’t matter what it looks like; God knows whats in our hearts! sarcasm off

The point of wearing something modest or nice to Mass is not to show off or prove that we’re holier than thou in some way. Its just to be presentable before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords when we receive him in Holy Communion. You wouldn’t go to meet a king or queen wearing a pair of dirty, ripped jeans and an old hoodie, would you? God deserves even more than that.

As well, that age old excuse that God only looks on the heart and soul is getting, well, old! “For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26). Real faith and real love of God is made manifest through outward signs. That is why at Mass we have times when we kneel, genuflect, or bow our heads. Also, because we are human and we have short attention spans, there are other things that draw our minds back to the liturgy, like candles, stained glass windows, statues of Mary and the saints, the priest’s vestments, and the crucifix.These things aren’t without purpose as some people like to believe.

God bless you!

In many “modern” Catholic Church buildings they already did get rid of stained glass windows, altar rails, kneelers, etc. Even when I have gone to church in casual clothes, I wear my best jeans, a polo shirt, a clean jacket. The reason for dressing this way? After Mass the parish had a clean up project they needed volunteers for. Most times I wear even nicer clothes than these.

 

[Sochi]

If thats so, then lets throw out the kneelers and get rid of our fancy vestments and altars! Smash the stained glass windows and burn the communion rail! It doesn’t matter what it looks like; God knows whats in our hearts! sarcasm off

The point of wearing something modest or nice to Mass is not to show off or prove that we’re holier than thou in some way. Its just to be presentable before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords when we receive him in Holy Communion. )

Nice rant. I agree with the respect part. My Mentor always wore an impeccable suit when giving his lectures to clergy, monks, and swamis. Lord Buckley wore a suit or tux when doing his rap on “The Naz” and others. Carlos Castaneda wore a tux when speaking of his encounters with Don Juan Matus. Having said that, If someone asks me what church I go to, I tell them I am never out of Church.

 

[Cecilia73]

Pray for our youth, that their eyes may be opened.

Sadly, it’s not just youth. I recently attended a mass where one older lady (late 40s to 50s) was in a very short dress that had sheer (yes, SEE THROUGH!) side panels. I was incredulous that someone would wear that to church.

I think parishes should send out friendly reminders about modesty and reverence at mass.

 

[MrSnaith]

I used to go to Mass all the time in jogging pants, shorts, tank tops. Reverence is in the heart and soul not by what one wears.

This misunderstands what reverence means. Reverence is an outward act that is rooted in an inward disposition. And yes, what you wear is part if it. Suggesting that it isn’t means that wearing a G-string and socks to Mass could be as reverent as wearing a three piece suit.

The simple fact is, the person who takes the time to groom himself and wear formal clothing to Mass has a different inward disposition toward it than the person who wears sweatpants and a tanktop.