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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Sacred Architecture & the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Fr. David Friel · November 9, 2014

HE LORD’S DAY this week presents us with the unusual opportunity to celebrate a very special feast—the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. The Lateran Basilica is the cathedral church of the pope and the Diocese of Rome, and, as such, it is considered the mother church of the universal Church. Just as Saint Patrick Cathedral is the mother church of the Archdiocese of New York, so the Lateran Basilica is the mother church of the universal Church. This distinctive feast is always a good opportunity to reflect a bit on the value of church buildings & the importance of sacred architecture.

I’ve attended Mass in many different locations: in high school auditoriums, at scout camps, even in St. Peter’s Basilica. I, myself, have celebrated Mass in some unique places: on the top of a mountain, on Copacabana Beach (during World Youth Day), and on the hood of a Humvee. So, who needs a church building?

There is nothing inherently wrong with any of the Masses I just mentioned. Each of them, in context, made sense. But their locations are nevertheless exceptional—that is, meant to be exceptions to the norm. In normal circumstances, the Holy Sacrifice ought to be offered in a consecrated church. Why?

Because a church building that is well designed contributes important aspects to our public worship and helps to nourish our faith.

A well-designed church will have a sanctuary that is stunningly beautiful. The sanctuary is meant to symbolize the heavenly realm, which is why it should be separated from the rest of the building by a communion rail and elevated by several steps. For this reason, also, the sanctuary is usually adorned with statues or other images of angels and saints. It is usually decorated with flowers, and sometimes it will have floral patterns built into the walls or painted on them as symbols of the great fullness of life to be found in heaven.

A well-designed church will have windows made from stained glass. This isn’t just something the Church made up one day. It comes from Sacred Scripture, in the Book of Revelation, chapter 21, where we find a description of heaven. Heaven is described there as having high walls, “decorated with every kind of precious stone.” So, the Church over time developed stained glass to give us a foretaste of what life in heaven will be like.

In a well-designed church, the central feature will always be the altar of sacrifice. A Catholic church is not simply a meetinghouse, so the central focus of our sacred space is not the pews. A Catholic church is not a concert hall, so the central focus is not the pipe organ or the choir area. The central features, rather, are the ambo, from which the Word of God is proclaimed, and the altar, where the sacrifice of Christ is renewed.

A building that has these characteristics is a truly sacred space—an environment that physically assists us in our efforts to experience God’s Presence and to communicate with Him. When we come to church, there should be no question whether we are in a church or in a coffeehouse or in a multipurpose gym.

T THIS YEAR’S Sacred Music Colloquium, we heard a keynote talk on sacred architecture given by Denis R. McNamara, Ph.D. As I noted HERE, his presentation was one of the best received addresses I have witnessed during a Colloquium. Dr. McNamara is an architectural historian who specializes in American church architecture, and he also serves as the Assistant Director of the Liturgical Institute of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake (Mundelein Seminary).

Among other things, Dr. McNamara’s lecture made the point that the various liturgical disciplines overlap and intersect in many ways. Thus, we who are invested in the world of sacred music might stand to benefit from paying attention to what’s going on in the world of sacred architecture.

A great way to do that is to peruse the field’s recently established journal, aptly titled Sacred Architecture. Published by The Institute for Sacred Architecture at Notre Dame and edited by Duncan Stroik, the journal describes itself as “dedicated to a renewal of beauty in contemporary church design.” In addition his articles in the journal, Stroik’s has a 2012 book that is worth a careful read: The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal.

Finally, check out this awesome post from Msgr. Charles Pope over at the blog of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

HE HIGH SCHOOL CYO group at my parish recently made a trip to the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. As we walked through the neighborhood, we passed by St. Francis Xavier Church at 24th & Green Streets. (This church is also home to the Secular Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Philadelphia.) When we stopped at the corner to take a look at the front of the church, I heard a number of the young people in our group remark how beautiful that church building is (and it certainly is). A church that is well suited to its purpose will always be beautiful.

Essential to every aspect of a church building is beauty. Why? Because the church building is a reflection of God, Himself, Who is utterly beautiful. Pope Benedict XVI once said that beauty “is not mere decoration, but rather an essential element of the liturgical action, since it is an attribute of God, Himself” (Sacramentum Caritatis, #35). He went on to explain that the sacred liturgy is meant to be “a glimpse of heaven on earth” (SC #35). Our faith is not abstract, utilitarian, or pragmatic. Christian faith is Incarnational. The experience of truly sacred architecture in this world should be a foretaste of the beauty we hope to experience in the life to come.

Prisons should look like prisons; subway stations should look like subway stations; and churches should look like heaven.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Beauty, Pope Benedict XVI, Reform of the Reform, Sacred Architecture, Sacred Music Colloquium Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Pope Francis breaks Catholic traditions whenever he wants because he is free from disordered attachments. Our Church has indeed entered a new phase: with the advent of this first Jesuit pope, it is openly ruled by an individual rather than by the authority of Scripture alone or even its own dictates of tradition plus Scripture.”

— Fr. Thomas Rosica (31 July 2018)

Recent Posts

  • PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Flor Peeters In A Weird Mood?
  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
  • Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser

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