www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Unusual Eastern Church Architecture

This is a new website I don't think this parish ever had one before. It is a one pager but the interesting thing about it is the picture of the church itself. It is among the more bizzare looking Byzantine Catholic church buildings I've ever seen. The locals call it the "flashcube". Anyway enjoy.
www.stgeorgelinden.com [stgeorgelinden.com]

Oh my! Did they actually intentionally design it that way or did they buy the building and modify it?

Alexandr

"Bizarre" is probably the most charitable word one could use in such an instance.

Plenty of teal terrors to go around!

http://www.stgeorgelinden.com/images/image_StGeorgeLinden_09.jpg

I split the above posts off from the 'websites worth seeing' thread because they were off-topic, but seemed to deserve a discussion of their own.

St George in Linden is hardly the only Eastern temple, Catholic or Orthodox, that would be characterized as unusual (in fact, it's nowhere near the extremes of some that are around). We've talked about others prior to this and, while many of them are not to the taste of the majority here, they are certainly interesting in and of themselves, and some cannot help to bring a smile to one's face - even as one grimaces.

What were they thinking!?!?

There are, for instance, enough Eastern and Oriental temples, both Catholic and Orthodox, that resemble spacecraft to mount an interplantary evangelization expedition, were thrusters to be attached.

One caution, however, ... we don't have to like the extremes of such architecture but the buildings are still temples of God and, while all are free to discuss the features and voice their opinions, it need be done with that in mind - else this thread will not be long-lived.

Please, post links rather than images - they use less bandwidth, they avoid copyright issues, and those with older PCs are much appreciative of not having to wait forever for posts to load.

Many years,

Neil

(If any of the Admins or Mods think the topic more appropriate for Town Hall than here, feel free to move it.)

Speaking of the interplanetary fleet:

St Joseph's UGCC, Chicago [easterncatholichymns.homestead.com], familiarly termed 'the Ukrainian Space Program'

Annunciation GO Church, Wauwatosa, WI [bluffton.edu], designed by the noted architect, Frank Lloyd Wright

St George Melkite Church in Juiz de Fora, Brazil - my apologies for the unfinished directory page shot of it - but I can't find another online photo of it right now.

Many years,

Neil

To return for a brief moment to the original topic posted by St Anthony, I rather like the website.

It's a bit informal (still trying to get used to the font used for the headers) and a lot of info is crowded onto one page, but it's a start and that's important. The photos suggest a vibrant parish.

I agree that the interior decor is unusual, but it's not awful. I'd really like to see a close-up of the icon behind the altar and more detail of the stained glass - see if the depictions are done in an iconographic style (and I might get to, as I'll be passing near there on Thursday).

Really like the patronal icon.

Many years,

Neil

I'd also like to add to the list of unusual Greek Catholic Churches, St. Mary Ruthenian Church in Manhattan. I don't think that they have a website.

I believe that St. George recently installed the icon screen, using portions of the old altar railing as the base.

I see on the calendar that Fridays are shaded and it says "no meat." What about dairy, olive oil, and (finned) fish? And what about Wednesdays?

The Metropolia of Pittsburgh does not require abstaining from dairy, olive oil, and fish on Fridays and does not require abstaining on Wednesdays outside of the Great Fast. Nothing is stopping anyone from keeping the traditional fast however.

I had some of their anniversary and jubilee books for a while. (I have since donated them to the historical society) The current building was constructed in 1959 in a highly modernist style. The stained glass is imported from France and is executed in a strange modernist fashion (it is very dark). The original interior was something to behold as the walls were in a "baby s**t green" with columns of pastel earth tone spots flanking Christ in the sanctuatry. There was no iconostas originally or rail of any kind. One was constructed using the icons you see which were originally mounted on the wall on either side of the sanctuary and adding metal work in between to complete the screen in the late 70's.

Ooops I don't know what I did but I cut my post short. Anyway the website. It does have a cheery "Lets have a party" feeling to it. This is ok since it seems to match Fr. Glenns personality well.

Prior to ordination to Diaconate, I was a cantor. At one point, in the late 1980's, I was asked to "pinch hit" for the parish cantor of St. George's who had become seriously ill. The acoustics in that building were horrible. No matter how loud you would sing, your voice would get lost in the cosmos. By the time you were done leading the chant at the Liturgy, you would feel as if you were bleeding from the throat. Whoever designed that building definitely did not take musical issues into consideration. Hopefully, the installation of an iconostasis may have improved the acoustics, somewhat.

Dn. Robert

Funny you mentioned the Church was constructed in 1959 before Vatican II. I have learned that many modernist Churches were built before Vatican II was completed that anticipated the "reforms" of Vatican II. I find that fact interesting.

That is a very good point. The heresy of theological Modernism (grounded in philosophical subjectivism) actually seeped into the Church in the late 1800's. It began in Lutheranism (Bultmann and "higher criticism" of Scripture, which received great impetus from the Bismarck government), and was brought into the Catholic world by certain Jesuits (Tyrrell, Loisy). Pope St. Pius X issued strong condemnations of theological Modernism, and it was forced underground until the time of Vatican II. During the "underground" period, it festered in places like France and Germany (any wonder as to why the Lefebvre movement became so strong in France?). This was also the time that modernist architecture in Church buildings began to manifest itself, almost as a precursor to all of what went on from the 60's and afterward, in the Western Church, in liturgy, catechetics, and theology. I recommend that you read some of the writings in this area by E. Michael Jones ("Fidelity" Magazine, "Culture Wars" magazine). He has written a lot on how, during this time period, you also see the fruits of Modernism manifested in dissonant music (i.e. Wagner et al), and in architecture (the modern stress on buildings being bland and "institutional"). The picture that he paints is that "Modernity" is grounded in rejection of Supernatural Truth, and wallows in ugliness.

In Christ,
Dn. Robert