In consideration of today's optional memoria of St Aelred, Zephyrinus has sent the above picture as a further sketch for the architectonic character of the proposed minor basilica at Blackfen. The picture shows the Abbey of Rievaulx which was founded by twelve monks from Clairvaux in 1132. St Aelred as Abbot of Rievaulx, gave gentle and kindly pastoral care to a community of several hundred monks. (I should note, I suppose, that militant gay Catholics have claimed St Aelred as a kind of patron saint. This is utter tosh since the saintly abbot wrote forcefully in favour of chastity and warned against dangerous friendships.)
It seems that the gothic style is making a strong showing in such suggestions but I retain my predilection for baroque. Nevertheless, in the spirit of collaborative ministry, I recognise the need to take into account all points of view and to those who advocate the towering arch, I say "I hear you."
8 comments:
As someone who originates from that part of England which is rich in the ruins of medieval abbeys (i.e. Yorkshire!), I know Rievaulx well and I love it. i don't think that any other county in England has so many examples of Henry VIIIs vandalisms. The ones I know best are Kirkstall (just outside Leeds), Bolton and Fountains, but Whitby and Rievaulx are also ones which I have visited many times. All are part of my boyhood!
JARay
All this Basilica needs now is a bit of tender loving care and we will be hearing Mass in Latin in Blackfen.
Beam it over Scottie!!
Since your aspirations seem to get grander and grander, I wondered whether you should base the design on a cathedral. There is a superb example of a cathedral on stunning design and exibiting many exquisit architectural features in the Diocese of Middlesbrough.
If that is not to your taste, maybe you would consider the cathedral in Clifton as an alternative model.
How about Sir Edwin Lutyens' design for the Catholic Liverpool Cathedral; or, at least, the Adrian Gilbert Scott post war scaling down of Lutyen's project! Now that would be a statement!
I assume that can't add a picture on your blog but you, Fahter, can put one on.
I too prefer Baroque for your basilica, (dedicated hopefully to St Timothy ?). However the building illustrated in your post might be cheaper with no roof and no windows. Might be a trife chilly in winter though !
Et Expecto - if anyone starts to build anything like Middlesbrough or Clifton cathedrals in Blackfen, they can expect a visit from the DA15 special forces. The result will not be any prettier than the mural behind the altar at Middlesbrough.
Perhaps slightly off the point, but not entirely, some of you may well be interested to click on to our local Catholic newspaper in Western Australia.
The site is http://www.therecord.com.au
This weeks issue, which you can see online, details a new church to be built at Gingin and although all one can see in the paper is a sketch of the outside of the church, I do think that it will surprise you, both in its scale and design. The present "church" is a rather decrepit weatherboard hall, with windows which are almost falling out.
Also, down at the bottom of the screen, you can click on to a panorama of our newly refurbished Cathedral. It lets you pan all round in a 360 degree view. I'm not over enthusiastic about it but the renovation is costing us $32.9 million and I believe that we are about $4 million short of this total at the moment. I managed to obtain a ticket (all the opening events were by ticket only), to the blessing and rededication of the organs. There now are two organs - the original main organ which has been completely rebuilt - and a chancel organ which we have also obtained. The Cathedral choir and the main organist added to the rededication by the performance of several suitable pieces of music.
JARay
…and to those who advocate the towering arch, I say "I hear you."
Which, of course is, not the same as saying: “I’m listening”……:)
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