The Hermeneutic of Continuity

In June, I mentioned an article by Simon Cotton on the Church at Louviers. On page 35 of the August edition of New Directions (published by the Anglican group Forward in Faith) you can find a piece he has written on the Abbey Church of St Savin-sur-Gartempe (Google Map.) not far from Poitiers. The Church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The splendid photograph above is Simon's.

The Romanesque murals in the crypt of the Church depict the legend of the martyrdom of Saints Savin and Cyprien which describes how the two brothers were sentenced to death in Greece for refusing to worship idols, escaped to France, were pursued by their persecutors and put to death on the banks of the River Gartempe.

I was interested to see that St Savin-sur-Gartempe is quite near Chauvigny. The stone from Chauvigny was used in the British Museum by contractors working there, instead of the more expensive Portland stone that should have been used. It is obviously different, being slightly warmer in colour…

This magnificent window at the Church of Notre Dame in Louviers, France, was made in 1490-1500 and depicts a Blessed Sacrament Procession accompanied by various candle-bearing tradesmen.

Simon Cotton, an Anglican who is part of Forward in Faith, has a short article about the window in the June edition of New Directions (page 35). He ends with this quotation from the Curé of Ars:
"When we go before the Blessed Sacrament, let us open our heart; our good God will open His. We shall go to Him; He will come to us; the one to ask, the other to receive. It will be like a breath from one to the other."The issue also has an article by Joanna Bogle reflecting on a difficult year for Catholics and the hope offered by Anglicanorum Coetibus.

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."

The Revd Allan Barton, an Anglo-Catholic priest of the Church of England diocese of Lincoln writes a blog called Vitrearum's Church Art which has some wonderful photographs of English medieval Church art and architecture. Here is a quotation from the introductory post of the blog:Welcome to the Medieval Ecclesiastical Art blog. England has around 16,000 medieval parish churches, buildings that are an important treasure house of medieval art and architecture. This blog is intended to be a modest exploration of some of these buildings and the works of art they contain. It is also partly intended to be a way for me to make sense of the large collection of photographs I have amassed on my Flickr page. I hope you enjoy it.Above is an example of what you can see on the blog; a Marian altar frontal from the Church of St Wulfram's Grantham, Lincolnshire.

The other day I mentioned that one of my commenters was prepared to fund the construction of a minor basilica in Blackfen if he were to win the National Lottery. My agent has replied encouragingly as follows:Dear Fr Finigan.

Reference the National Lottery, we're on our way. I had three numbers come up, last Saturday, and won £10.

Therefore, please see, herewith, initial pencil sketch of possible new Blackfen Church.

If approved, you might have to tell the neighbours.

And move the bus-stop!!! "
It does seem churlish to quibble but I have to say that I was thinking along the lines of a Baroque Church. Therefore, while negotiations continue, I'll encourage Keith and Steve to carry on mending the leaks in the roof of our present building. (They're doing a sterling job in freezing temperatures.)

A couple of years ago, there was a popular YouTube video of the transformation of an altar: La métamorphose d'un autel. Many thanks to NLM for this video of the transformation of the Church of St Ann in Charlotte, in North Carolina which might be called La Metamorphose d'une Église



A certain commenter on this blog has promised that if he wins the National Lottery, he will fund the construction of a new church in Blackfen for which I will attempt to acquire the status of a minor basilica.

Yesterday, at the General Audience address, the Holy Father moved from medieval theology to medieval cathedrals. Here's the YouTube video of the summary of his address for English speaking pilgrims.



At the Vatican website, you can read the full text in Italian of the General Audience address. If you don't read Italian, Google translate is getting better all the time ...

A correspondent has sent me these beautiful photographs from the Chapel of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs and St Ignatius in Chideock, Dorset. Many thanks to him also for the background information which I have incorporated into this post.

The framework of the building was originally, a barn where the Catholic faithful gathered to attend secret Masses celebrated by priests operating under cover. Very soon, the location was identified and became unsafe but then a secret chapel was built in the loft area and the walls painted in fresco fashion. These faded and peeling images are still clearly visible today.

Amazingly, the “hidden chapel” continued to be used for nearly 150 years before it became relatively safe for Catholics to emerge to a cautious semi-public existence in the early 19th century.

It was in this period that a local Catholic family of some wealth (the Welds), bought the estate and began the process of transforming the barn into a beautiful and richly decorated Chapel. The work w…

I don't like all of them but this is an amazing photo collection of striking edifices built forth glory of God: 50 Most Extraordinary Churches of the World The above image is of Las Lajas Cathedral which was built in 1916 inside the canyon of the Guaitara river where, according to local legend, the Virgin Mary appeared.

Following on my post about ecclesiastical flooring yesterday, Delia sent a link to an article at the Westminster Abbey website: Conservation work starts on the Cosmati pavement.

There is a 56m2 area of cosmatesque paving in front to the High Altar which was commissioned by Henry III and is reckoned to be the finest surviving example of cosmatesque pavement north of the Alps.

Looking at the Abbey website reminds me that it is ages since I last visited the Abbey. I must see whether I could call in and attend Evensong on day when I am in central London.

At the blognic with Fr Z the other day, we got to talking about the email equivalent of "green biro" letters that we receive from time to time. You know the sort of thing: lined paper torn from a pad, green biro really pressed down into both sides of the paper, and extra bits of vitriol written up the sides of the six page missive. With email, you get large capitals in a "fun" font (O tempora o mores.) These often focus on my utter obsession with lace cottas (go on, look at the archive of posts and you'll see you true that is) and saying Mass "in a tongue not understanded of the people" while turning my back on them. It's amazing just what a baaaad priest you can be without even getting up on the pole-dancing stage at Stringfellows.

Well actually, I happen to think that lace cottas are a good thing for the liturgy so long as the vestments are not purple or black - in which case you must wear a plain cotta or alb. (Feel free to put in your plea for …

The Italian blog Cantuale Antonianum has news of a building in Foligno Indovina che cos'è ("Guess what it is") It is, in fact, the Church of ... (sorry, I couldn't find that anywhere), a symbol of the rebirth of Foligno after the earthquake. Apparently, its cubic dimension refers to the book of Revelation (Rev 21.16) although there is no jasper, emerald, amethyst, pearl etc. The light which comes in vertically and horizontally reminds of the light of Christ, you see.

What a tragedy that Churches like this are still being built!

Here is the official site: Nuova Chiesa di Foligno

H/T Ponte Sisto

In response to my post about Salisbury Cathedral, Steven sent information about the Society of St Justin which has an apostolate to pray at places that were once used for Catholic worship. An extract:On visiting a church, monastery, shrine, even if ruined, which had previously been used for Catholic worship recite the following [viz. Pater, Ave, Gloria] for the repose of the souls of all who have worshipped there in the past, especially the priests who faithfully offered the holy sacrifice of the Mass and in reparation for all wrongs committed there. Pray also for the unity of Christ’s church around the See of Peter and for the intentions of our Holy Father

The other day I took the train down to Salisbury for a quiet day and to view the magnificent Cathedral which was built very rapidly by medieval standards. The spire (the tallest decorated Gothic spire in Europe) was added later and still leans significantly about 30 inches to the South West. The Tower weighs about 6400 tons. Apparently, present day structural engineers would be allowed to use the columns to support only about a tenth of that weight.

In the photo above, you can see how different such Churches look from different angles. From the West door, the Cathedral looks squat and massive whereas from almost any other angle it is graceful and perfectly proportioned.

Inside, the limestone is contrasted with the slender Purbeck marble shafts creating an austere beauty uplifting the gaze.

The odd living-water style font in the centre of the nave shows that no matter how beautiful a Cathedral may be, the 20th century would find something to disrupt it.

In the south aisle, there is a magn…

In response to my post about St Fidelis, Mary from Kansas left a comment referring to this magnificent Church known as "the Cathedral of the Plains" (though it is not actually a Cathedral).

It is known as one of the "Eight wonders of Kansas"; when it was built, it was the largest Church west of the Mississippi river. the exterior of the church is constructed with blocks of local limestone weighing 50-100 pounds each.

Above the High Altar there is a painting of the martyrdom of St Fidelis:

Parish website here
More photos here

click to enlarge

One of my parishioners lent me this cutting from the Kentish times of 10 September 1937. It reports on the opening two days previously of the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen which had just been completed. There was High Mass, celebrated by Canon McCarity who founded the parish of St Stephen's Welling. It was from this parish that Blackfen was founded: it remained a chapel of ease until being erected as a parish in 1945.

The article notes that "a choir of priests, led by Fr Coffey" occupied the Lady Chapel, the music being all plain chant,"Fr Coffey was a renowned expert in Gregorian chant and did much to promote its use in the Diocese.

Bishop Amigo gave the sermon based on the words "He that is mighty" (Lk 1.49). He urged the people to be generous in paying off the debt; the Church had cost the princely sum of £2,500. They would soon be paying a further debt of the eye-watering sum of £9,000 - the sum required to build the school. …

It is actually Westminster Abbey in British Columbia, Canada. It struck me that perhaps this is what would be happening at Westminster Abbey opposite the Houses of Parliament had it not been for the reformation...

The photo above is from the Church of St Simon Stock in South Ashford. The new altar frontal was made by a parishioner. Fr Boyle has done a great deal to enhance the dignity of the sanctuary of his simple but devotional Church.

For more information on why altar frontals are a Good Thing, see the excellent article by Shawn Tribe on the NLM last October: The History, Development and Symbolism of the Antependium, Altar Frontal, or "Pallium Altaris"

They're building new Churches. In France!

See this post on Rorate Caeli and this French post with more details.

The chapel at the end of St Peter's with the Chair of St Peter now has a new altar (see above) Hat tip to Rinascimento Sacro which has a slide show and pictures of how the altar was in the past, what it became and what it is now. Below, for reference, is the altar from the time of Virgilio Noe that has now, thankfully, been removed. It was the single eyesore of St Peter's and I doubt that many will mourn its disappearance.