Sunday, January 17, 2010

Quote of the Day

Why Catholic Churches Should be Tall

I think a lofty church inspires because there is something sacramental about it. Everything in a gothic church points up. When you enter the heart lifts because the building lifts. The gothic structure of solid stone seems to be made instead of something lighter. The delicate tracery, the pointed arches, the finials and filigree transforms the stone and suddenly I am longing that my heart of stone might be re-made and transformed into a heart of fire and light.
Amen.
This and more from Fr. Longenecker

7 comments:

Francesca Pio said...

Lovely! And so true.

Brookie said...

This reminds me of a movie I watched on Gothic architecture and the Church. Very true and beautiful.

I found your blog through a Google search for chapel veils. from your post, to seemed to have acquired quite a few. Do you have any good websites that you purchase from, that offer reasonable prices? I'm destined to be a poor college student for several years to come, so bargains are what I search for!

-Brookie

Margaret Mary said...

Funny you should mention that, Brookie...

We recently found an etsy site (below) that sells nice-looking veils for a very reasonable price AND I'm working on a post right now about making your own veils, be they wedding, first Communion, or chapel. Working with lace is very easy and it can also be priced to fit into your teeny budget. Stay tuned!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/headcoverings

By the way, what was the movie you mentioned?

Molly said...

Beautifully said. We haven't been able to get to COSP for mass for a while and it's interesting to see how the kids have missed it (even though we're enjoying our trips to St Louis and the Cathedral). Max has been saying, "I don't want to go to this church. I want to go to the BROWN church." I guess that's his toddler way of asking to go "home" for mass.

Christina said...

I really think beautiful churches are a form of catechesis. I've seen Protestants and non-Christians stand in awe at the Basilica. Even my stoutly agnostic husband has a fond appreciation of really beautiful churches with artful stained glass. Beauty is a universal language. We Catholics would do well to remember that when building our churches.

Margaret Mary said...

I read a Joseph Pearce book once that began with a chapter on the catechesis of beauty. Maybe that term can be found other places, but I encountered it there and the concept stuck with me.

Molly said...

I realized that I should clarify (even though I think you know this already) that I wouldn't qualify our home parish as the most beautiful church building we've ever been in. I would qualify the other churches we've been visiting while away as incredibly beautiful. I do find it interesting, though, that a child so young has a sense of what feels like home and what doesn't.