Church styles, though different, have common aim

That's why the award-winning designer and consultant for worship environments (and priest of the Albany Diocese) believes there is room for all kinds of church buildings in today's Church.

The Evangelist recently took a tour with Father Vosko of two very different churches in the Diocese. Along the way, he talked about the art and architecture of each, and discussed trends in worship spaces in the U.S. The two churches are St. Mary's in Albany and Our Lady of Grace in Ballston Lake.

Classical style

He characterizes worship spaces as either "mythic" or "parabolic" -- that is, focusing the worshipper either on looking toward heaven or on the community experience of prayer. St. Mary's is a mythic church, from the statues and paintings set into its oval ceiling to its stately rows of dark-varnished pews that face an altar set behind a polished rail.

The building depicts what the Baltimore Catechism once stated, said Father Vosko: that the best way to foster personal piety would be to go to Mass. Church buildings were therefore designed to focus attention on the altar, to "create a sense of the holy, mysterious, heavenly.

Serene space

Candles (see separate articles in this section) are one feature of a mythic church. At St. Mary's, a bank of votive candles glows red at the front of the church.

"Lighting a candle is a very important human activity," explained Father Vosko, using the secular example of the death of Grateful Dead musician Jerry Garcia. "People set up shrines. No one told them to do that. The lighting of a candle is a whole human ritual that helps you connect with someone [who is] not with you."

People also "love to look at the crucifix, to say, `He did this to save me from my sin,'" the priest said. St. Mary's crucifix tops its gold tabernacle, backed by a painting of Christ's empty tomb.

Different style

That effort begins even before one enters the church, which Father Vosko characterized as a "contemporary suburban style of architecture." He pointed out the cues to a "people-oriented church" in the doorway, from a crib full of items to be donated to Birthright to a box for food pantry donations.

Ample space in Our Lady of Grace's entryway allows parishioners to gather before Mass, he said; as they walk down the hallway, they pass a small altar, plants, a fountain and a podium holding the Bible.

Inside, the large baptismal font catches the eye. With three levels for water to flow across, the priest said, the font meets the Roman Missal's direction that "where there's a body of water in a church, it should be moving."

Orientation

"The way seats are arranged can affect the behavior patterns of the people in that pattern," Father Vosko explained. "The theology of the Mass today is that it's the work of the entire assembly." The chairs also have arms to make older parishioners more comfortable.

"Why aren't there kneelers?" the priest asked, and then he answered his own question: so that the chairs can be moved, and to hearken back to the earliest prayer postures, which were standing. Our Lady of Grace is also barrier-free; those with disabilities even have access to the altar.

Touches of art

Down the hall from the worship space, Father Vosko pointed out a small chapel that, he said, fosters private devotions through its image of Mary, Stations of the Cross and tabernacle.

Distinctive features

* At St. Mary's, Father Vosko remarked on the ornate wooden door, which gives the sense of "passing through into a sacred space. One believes something overwhelms you in a way that sickness can give way to health. In a sacred space, anything is possible."

* With its scores of statues and paintings, St. Mary's also follows the practice stated in the Constitution on Sacred Liturgy, which directs that religious art be maintained.

* Our Lady of Grace has a more central altar. Along with its chairs with arms, that creates what the priest termed a "spirit of hospitality."

* The church also has a visual reminder of Baptism in the font that stands in its doorway.

Equal standing

However, the two styles can come together, he added, saying: "Newer churches in the suburbs need to be more beautiful, and older churches need to be updated to accommodate the changes in the liturgy."

From its earliest beginnings in the homes of worshippers, the Church has progressed through "Basilican" models and the dramatic architecture of the Middle Ages to contemporary, more simple buildings. Today, Father Vosko said, "We no longer understand church buildings to be merely containers for religious art or furnishings; rather, they are powerful symbols."

What's to come

"What's going to shape our worship is going to be art, architecture and music," the priest explained, adding his own "M and M theory": "A Roman Catholic building is about movement...mingling...metaphor...'magination...memory...mystery. We try, as designers, to create spaces that are resonators of these very powerful images."

One factor is utmost, he said: "No matter what a church looks like, does it inspire people to do works of peace and justice? That's the bottom line."

(09-10-98) [[In-content Ad]]