Did you ever read Michael Rose's book, Ugly as Sin? It describes the impact of ugly churches on the faith. The Russians knew all about how to dehumanize. They adopted the bauhaus style of architecture which is promoted as simple and functional. But, in reality, it is boring and ugly. One can hardly even call it an architectural style. It's like children cutting holes in a box to make a door and windows and calling it a house. The purpose, in an atheistic society, was to treat man like a beast, eliminating the true, the good, and the beautiful from his life.
A modern church architect, Edward Sovik (deceased) was correct when he said, "architecture is a more influential factor in the life of society than most people suppose." Michael Rose quotes him in the forward to his book and continues:
Church architecture affects the way man worships; the way he worships affects what he believes; and what he believes affects not only his personal relationship with God but how he conducts himself in his daily life....Successful, authentic church architecture reflects the doctrines of the faith it represents. A Gothic cathedral no more reflects the faith of the Quakers than the Quaker meetinghouse reflects the truths of the Catholic Faith.
Sovik designed St. Leo in Pipestone, Minnesota, back in 1968-69, the decade of architectural disaster for Catholic churches. Everything about the church architecture violates the principles described in the video above. Here's the exterior of the church. It could be the design for the local WalMart.
I would have preferred a photo of the interior without the children but couldn't find any. Note that the tabernacle is not in the center, but off to the side and set back on a narrow stand. The stained glass is like a child's painting. The different wall coverings don't unify but, in my opinion, create a disunity that's disorienting.
This next photo of the interior at least indicates that the priests may let the faithful receive Communion kneeling. God bless them if they do!
It's certainly no fault of the priests serving that parish today who no doubt had absolutely nothing to do with the design. Looking at their website, they have many good programs: adoration on Thursdays, a homeschool co-op group, rosary before the vigil and Sunday Masses, etc. They also have a financial problem. Despite the slight uptake in converts to the Church the overall number of Catholics has been in a downward collapse for decades.
How many ugly churches are in your diocese? How many lift your heart and mind to God the minute you enter? Does your church have "claritas?" Or does it feel spiritually empty? It all begins with claritas, instant recognition of the space as sacred because the church itself "speaks clearly" about its purpose and what's important. So if the tabernacle is off to the side or in the back or in another room altogether, what does that say? Worship of God is less important that whatever draws your eye. The altar? A huge banner? An "All Are Welcome" sign next to a rainbow flag? How much clarity and integrity and mystery
Watch the video and think about your own church. "Does the space clearly reveal what matters? Because if it doesn't, no amount of correction later will fix it." Remember the four important things:
- claritas -- clarity
- integritas -- order
- concordia -- harmony
- mysterium - mystery
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