www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Polish Byzantine Shrine

The shrine at Doylestown has always been under a western Roman Catholic hierarch as far as I know. However, there is a small chapel seperate from the main shrine building and priests' residences. It is beside the cemetery. That chapel is where the Ruthenian congregation used to worship. I once attended a service. The building itself was very different from what I would expect nowadays in terms of interior design for Ruthenians.

The shrine's main building itself is thoroughly western, with a large choir loft and an organ. It is a huge barn of a place (Please forgive the descriptor. I can't think of how else to describe such a large room.). The Pauline fathers ran the place then as previously stated. They had a Polish festival in the fall, complete with foods, dancing, crafts, etc. There was also a large gift shop with all sorts of religious devotional items, though focused on western Roman traditions.

The paved parking lot is designed to accomodate lots of tour busses.

I also attended a Rosary there, where the congregation processed out of the shrine as decades of the rosary were prayed in a series of different languages, by candlelight, returning to the shrine to complete the devotion. It was very moving. The shrine appears well designed for grand scale events.

At Christmas there were as many as 12 good-sized trees lining the back of the sanctuary. I have performed there as a musician on more than one occasion, when a friend of mine was choir director there. Additional instrumental music is sometimes provided on occasions like Christmas.

I would assume that things are like I knew them in the early 90s, except for the unfortunate exit of the Ruthenians.

Dear Jim,

What you said about the Ruthenians' exit reminds me of a similar situation up here at the Martyrs' Shrine in Midland.

The Ukrainian Catholic Knights of Columbus decided to remove their shrine to Met. Andrew Sheptytsky from the shrine grounds.

The Director wasn't happy about it - I don't know anyone except for the Knights who was.

And yet, every time they came to take the shrine - something happened that prevented them for so doing.

I don't know if the Shrine is still there - a year later . . .

But the new destination for the shrine was the new Studite monastery at Orangeville,

Something happened to it, however, leaving only a couple of priests left there.

I understand that a number of the monks joined the ROCOR . . .

I think the shrine wants to stay where it is!

Alex

Alex,

I don't speak for the hierarchy, but I am pretty certain the Doylestown shrine was founded under the auspices of the local Roman hierarch mainly to serve the Polish Catholic community, and not founded as a Ruthenian shrine. The Ruthenians came to use a chapel on the premises. Their departure would have had less of an impact there than in the case you mention, don't you think?

I just received an e-mail from my friend who used to direct the choir at the shrine in Doylestown. She accompanies one of the two choirs who currently sing there on alternate Sundays. (She is a fine harpist, I might add, and makes lots of appearances during the Christmas season Though the Ruthenians have no affiliation, I'm sure some continue to visit out of reverence for Our Lady.

I've been to the shrine and was disappointed. It is definitely done in the "spirit of Vatican II." Most Easterners would be turned off by the 3D depection of the 3 Persons of the Blessed Trinity (done in 70s style) surrounding the icon.

Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for us,
Marshall

Posted by Marshall:

"I've been to the shrine and was disappointed. It is definitely done in the "spirit of Vatican II." Most Easterners would be turned off by the 3D depection of the 3 Persons of the Blessed Trinity (done in 70s style) surrounding the icon."

Dear Marshall,

I, too, have been to the shrine. Its architecture is not to my liking and its liturgical art is not my cup of tea either. The people who designed it and sacrificed to build it obviously had different tastes and perceptions of what good architecture and worthy religious art are or were at that place and in that time.

I am not sure what you mean when you say that it was definitely done in the spirit of Vatican II. The Council did not endorse a style of religious architectural or a form of religious art, as I recall.

The spirit of Vatican II grew from the work of the Spirit Who guided the Council. Could you help me understand what you said in light of this?

Did you want to imply that the spirit of Vatican II is tied to what might be considered poor architectural design and distasteful religious art?

We seem to be in agreement that the architectural form and the religious art at this particular shrine are not to our liking. How does that translate into your statement that the architecture and the religious art in this shrine are "definitely done in the 'spirit of Vatican II.'"

Perhaps we could agree that the shrine was done in a particularly unattractive style of architecture and dressed in religious art that is uninspiring in our opinion.

Can't we leave Vatican II and its spirit out of things like this?

It's an easy shot, one might even say a cheap shot, but to what purpose?


Thanks for hearing me out.

Steve