q u o V a d i s ?Three miles from Disneyland thereis another famous theme park,which proclaims itself as “America’sTelevision Church.” <strong>The</strong> CrystalCathedral, perhaps the first megachurchin the United States, is about toundergo conversion classes so that itcan finally get the cathedra and bishopit has always wanted. <strong>The</strong> Diocese ofOrange, Cali<strong>for</strong>nia, has purchased thethirty-one-acre property and its fourbuildings <strong>for</strong> $53 million, a steal evenin this real estate market. Realizing thatrecent cathedrals built from scratchhave cost upwards of $200 and $250million on the West Coast, retrofittingsounds like a financially savvy move.However, turning this prismatic beaconof televangelism into a house ofGod may be easier said than done.Does this purchase signal a new role<strong>for</strong> Catholic charity: to buy up propertiesof bankrupt Protestant ministries?If so, there may be some good opportunitiesin the future. How does thebishop encourage full, active, and consciousparticipation in the liturgy bypurchasing one of the buildings mostassociated with religion as theater? Begunas an open-air service at a driveintheater, the church was designedaround Rev. Schuller’s flamboyantpreaching. Associated with glitz andmoney, it was the site of fancy and expensiveholiday celebrations includingtrapeze artists, live animals <strong>for</strong> Christmas,and a lavish $13 million productioncalled Creation.Said to be the first all-glass structurebuilt <strong>for</strong> religious purposes, it is associatedwith the feel-good theology of the1980s. How to convert a building likethis and at the same time disassociateit from its founder and his theology?Crystal Cathedral Ministries was a religionabout self-promotion, and, appropriately,its main buildings were designedin disparate modernist styles bythree well-known architecture firms:Richard Neutra, Philip Johnson andJohn Burgee, and Richard Meier. Eachbuilding is a personal expression of thearchitect, so that together they create acampus without much to unify them.Perhaps what may be of more concernto its future owner, the Neutra tower(1968) does not meet earthquake codesand the Crystal Cathedral (1980) andthe Welcoming Center (2003) are highmaintenance glass and metal buildings.This could be an expensive investment.Can the Crystal Cathedral be convertedto a Catholic Cathedral? Weshall see. After all, the much noted cathedralsof Oakland, Los Angeles, andSan Francisco are all expressionisticmodernist sculptures. <strong>The</strong> diocese hassaid that they will not change the exteriorof the church and will not compromisethe architectural integrity of the2700-seat interior. Yet, without a radicaltrans<strong>for</strong>mation the building willalways come across as a technologicalmega-church rather than as a sacredplace. It needs to be totally gutted andreconceived. And even if the interiorcan be functionally retrofitted <strong>for</strong> Catholicliturgy, many believe that its identitywill always be that of the CrystalCathedral.One of the major criticisms of Catholicarchitecture during the past fiftyyears is that it has incorrectly adoptedmany of the <strong>for</strong>ms of low-church Protestantism:the theater <strong>for</strong>m, a fear ofsacred images, asymmetrical layouts,vacuous sanctuaries, minimalist liturgicalelements, prominently placed Jacuzzis<strong>for</strong> baptism, and the banishmentof the Blessed Sacrament to the baptistry.<strong>The</strong> altar area becomes a stage witha focus on entertainment alongsidepraise bands that per<strong>for</strong>m upbeat music.In response, liturgists have arguedthat all of these things are simply theoutgrowth if not the requirement ofVatican II. Are they finally admittingtheir agenda by purchasing a ready <strong>for</strong>TV mega-church complete with a jumbotronand three huge balconies <strong>for</strong> the“spectators”?<strong>The</strong> timing of this is wrong. A wholenew generation of priests, laity, andtheologians has grown up with thisstuff and find these Protestant innovationsdated and lacking in substance.<strong>The</strong>y desire an architecture that growsout of the Church’s rich tradition andthat will enable them in worship.Asked what cathedrals should look likein the twenty-first century, they pointto Saint Patrick’s in New York, SaintPeter’s in Rome, Notre Dame in Paris,and other obvious suspects. <strong>The</strong>se arebuildings constructed hundreds ofyears ago, yet continue to speak to believersand unbelievers alike today. Atimeless architecture built <strong>for</strong> the ages,a cathedral should be a durable buildingconstructed out of masonry, transcendentin height, and directional inlength. Un<strong>for</strong>tunately <strong>for</strong> the new generationand their children, the Orangediocese has chosen the opposite directionand will foist on them a buildingthat is of its time and not particularlysuited to Catholic worship and devotion.Twenty years from now, it willnot matter that Orange got a reallygood deal whereas another Cali<strong>for</strong>niadiocese quadrupled its budget. Peoplewill simply ask if it is a beautiful cathedral,worthy of the Creator.WDuncan StroikNotre Dame, Spring 2012On the cover: North Portal of Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France - Photo by Alain Michot
<strong>Sacred</strong> <strong>Architecture</strong><strong>Issue</strong> 21 2012Contents2 W4 WWWWEditorialQuo Vadis? . .............................................................................Duncan StroikNews & LettersNational Cathedral endures earthquake damage W Richard H. Driehaus supports church building ef<strong>for</strong>ts WHoly Apostles Seminary dedicates new chapel W Diocese of Orange purchases Crystal Cathedral in Cali<strong>for</strong>nia WSaskatoon dedicates new Holy Family Cathedral W New Chapel of Our Lady of Lebanon at the National Shrine WSaint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church to rebuild at Ground Zero W Wyoming Catholic approves masterplan WArticles12161825WWWWDomus Dei, Quae Est Ecclesia Dei Vivi: <strong>The</strong> Myth of the Domus Ecclesiae ....................Steven J. SchloederElegance Personified: <strong>The</strong> Black Madonna of Montserrat .................................. Joan L. RoccasalvoA Decade of New Classicism: <strong>The</strong> Flowering of Traditional Church <strong>Architecture</strong> ...........Denis R. McNamaraLiving Stone: <strong>The</strong> Beauty of the Liturgical Altar .............................................Randy L. SticeDocumentation28 WUplifting our Gaze and Spirit: Art and Prayer ............................... His Holiness Pope Benedict XVIBooks303233WWW<strong>The</strong> Virgin of Chartres by Margot E. Fassler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . reviewed by Stephen Murray<strong>Architecture</strong> as Icon by Slobodan Curcic and Evangelia Hadjitryphonos ............ reviewed by Christ KamagesHoly Ground by Paul Post and Arie L. Molendijk . ...................................reviewed by Lisa Austin34 WFrom the Publishing Houses: a Selection of Recent Books ...................... compiled by <strong>Sacred</strong> <strong>Architecture</strong>www.sacredarchitecture.orgJournal of the <strong>Institute</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Sacred</strong> <strong>Architecture</strong><strong>The</strong> <strong>Institute</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Sacred</strong> <strong>Architecture</strong> is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization made up of architects, clergy, educators and others interestedin the discussion of significant issues related to contemporary Catholic architecture.<strong>Sacred</strong> <strong>Architecture</strong> is published twice annually <strong>for</strong> $9.95.©2012 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Institute</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Sacred</strong> <strong>Architecture</strong>.Address manuscripts andletters to the Editor:Editor, Duncan StroikP.O. Box 556Notre Dame, IN 46556voice: (574) 232-1783email: editor@sacredarchitecture.orgADVISORY BOARDJohn Burgee, FAIAMost Rev. Charles J. Chaput, OFM, Cap.Rev. Cassian Folsom, OSBThomas Gordon Smith, AIAPRODUCTIONDr. Melinda NielsenThomas StrokaCaroline ColeThomas DietzJamie LaCourtForest Walton<strong>Sacred</strong> <strong>Architecture</strong> <strong>Issue</strong> 21 20123
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