Rome of the West

2012-01-27T11:19:00.000-06:00

A NEW POSTING, over on my photography blog: Composition, Part 1 - the Frame.

There, I am attempting to discover a solid foundation for composition of photos:

“I am not so naïve to believe that all I need to do is to learn rules of composition, which will automatically produce pleasing images. But neither am I satisfied the advice that I ought to simply adjust my image until it looks good to me. What if all my adjustments are unsatisfactory? Why are they not satisfactory?”

The most certain and most objective compositional element of a photograph is the frame. Is it tall, wide, narrow, or square? Each of these has its own strengths and weaknesses. The article, working from that observation, attempts to delve into various theories of the photo frame.

On the one hand, we have to avoid the extreme skepticism that tells us that composition doesn’t matter at all. On the other hand, we have to avoid numerology — often found in artistic and conspiratorial discussions of the Golden Ratio, or φ (which is found in the terrible but popular book The Da Vinci Code). Then I discuss the Rule of Thirds, a common compositional tool, and discuss how it is only a very small part of the classical harmonies; the vast variety of harmonies are more like design guidelines rather than immutable laws.

Composition, Part 1 - the Frame

Newsletter from the Oratory

2012-01-27T09:56:00.000-06:00

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES ORATORY
EMAIL NEWSLETTER

2653 Ohio Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri 63118
www.institute-christ-king.org
www.TraditionForTomorrow.com
314-771-3100

January 26, 2012

VISIT OF CARDINAL BURKE - CONFIRMATION 2012
FEAST OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

PARISH HISTORY - SHOP WITH SCRIP - UPCOMING LITURGICAL EVENTS

MYSTERY PHOTO

Dear Faithful and Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory,

VISIT OF CARDINAL BURKE TO THE ORATORY ON JANUARY 31, 2012

His Eminence, Raymond Cardinal Burke

Next Tuesday, January 31, 2012, the Institute of Christ the King and the entire community at St. Francis de Sales Oratory will have the great honor and pleasure of welcoming Raymond Cardinal Burke to the Oratory. His Eminence will be the celebrant of a Solemn Benediction at 5:00 PM. Following the liturgical ceremony, there will be a reception in honor of Cardinal Burke in the Oratory Hall. Everyone is welcome and cordially invited to greet His Eminence on this joyful occasion.

Bishop Rice (left), Cardinal Burke (center), Archbishop Carlson (right)
at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis 2011.

It was nearly one year ago, on January 8, 2011, that Cardinal Burke celebrated with us a Solemn Te Deum in thanksgiving for His Eminence’ elevation to the College of Cardinals by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI. We are grateful for this opportunity to renew our pledge of prayers for the Cardinal as we unite our hearts in Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

CONFIRMATION 2012

Auxiliary Bishop Edward M. Rice

With joyful anticipation, the Oratory announces that the conferral of the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Francis de Sales Oratory has been scheduled for Saturday, October 20, 2010 at 10:30 AM. With Archbishop Robert Carlson’s gracious permission, the Most Reverend Edward M. Rice, Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis, will administer the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Extraordinary Form, and offer a Pontifical High Mass.

Confirmation 2010

We are most grateful to Bishop Rice for his fatherly care on the occasion of this important milestone in the lives of the faithful of the Oratory. It will be a highlight in the liturgical life of the Oratory community!

FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES

Saint Francis de Sales

This coming Sunday we will celebrate the feast of our holy patron, Saint Francis de Sales. The Bishop of Geneva, Doctor of the Universal Church, patron of writers and journalists, patron of the deaf, Doctor of Charity is one of the co-patrons of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. Saint Francis is an inexhaustible source of the treasures of divine grace. He preaches to us in a loving and fatherly way, with the mild voice of a wise and forgiving teacher who knows how to guide us to the high mountains of heavenly happiness. Read this “Pledge of a Soul”, the “hearty protest made with the object of confirming the soul’s resolution to serve God, as a conclusion to its acts of penitence”. Who would deny our patron saint to follow him in this strong vow to love God above all things?

A hearty Protest made with the object of confirming the Soul’s resolution to serve God, as a conclusion to its acts of Penitence:

I, THE undersigned,—in the Presence of God and of all the company of Heaven, having considered the Infinite Mercy of His Heavenly Goodness towards me, a most miserable, unworthy creature, whom He has created, preserved, sustained, delivered from so many dangers, and filled with so many blessings: having above all considered the incomprehensible mercy and loving-kindness with which this most Good God has borne with me in my sinfulness, leading me so tenderly to repentance, and waiting so patiently for me till this—(present) year of my life, notwithstanding all my ingratitude, disloyalty and faithlessness, by which I have delayed turning to Him, and despising His Grace, have offended Him anew: and further, remembering that in my Baptism I was solemnly and happily dedicated to God as His child, and that in defiance of the profession then made in my name, I have so often miserably profaned my gifts, turning them against God’s Divine Majesty:—I, now coming to myself prostrate in heart and soul before the Throne of His Justice, acknowledge and confess that I am duly accused and convicted of treason against His Majesty, and guilty of the Death and Passion of Jesus Christ, by reason of the sins I have committed, for which He died, bearing the reproach of the Cross; so that I deserve nothing else save eternal damnation.

But turning to the Throne of Infinite Mercy of this Eternal God, detesting the sins of my past life with all my heart and all my strength, I humbly desire and ask grace, pardon, and mercy, with entire absolution from my sin, in virtue of the Death and Passion of that same Lord and Redeemer, on Whom I lean as the only ground of my hope. I renew the sacred promise of faithfulness to God made in my name at my Baptism; renouncing the devil, the world, and the flesh, abhorring their accursed suggestions, vanities and lusts, now and for all eternity. And turning to a Loving and Pitiful God, I desire, intend, and deliberately resolve to serve and love Him now and eternally, devoting my mind and all its faculties, my soul and all its powers, my heart and all its affections, my body and all its senses, to His Will. I resolve never to misuse any part of my being by opposing His Divine Will and Sovereign Majesty, to which I wholly immolate myself in intention, vowing ever to be His loyal, obedient and faithful servant without any change or recall. But if unhappily, through the promptings of the enemy, or human infirmity, I should in anywise fail in this my resolution and dedication, I do most earnestly resolve by the grace of the Holy Spirit to rise up again so soon as I shall perceive my fall, and turn anew, without any delay, to seek His Divine Mercy. This is my firm will and intention,—my inviolable, irrevocable resolution, which I make and confirm without any reserve, in the Holy Presence of God, in the sight of the Church triumphant, and before the Church militant, which is my mother, who accepts this my declaration, in the person of him who, as her representative, hears me make it. Be pleased, O Eternal, All-Powerful, and All-Loving God,—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to confirm me in this my resolution, and accept my hearty and willing offering. And inasmuch as Thou hast been pleased to inspire me with the will to make it, give me also the needful strength and grace to keep it. O God, Thou art my God, the God of my heart, my soul, and spirit, and as such I acknowledge and adore Thee, now and for all eternity. Glory be to Jesus. Amen.

HISTORY OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES PARISH, 1869-1888

Reverend Peter J. Lotz,
Pastor of St. Francis de Sales, 1878-1903

The new parish began to grow rapidly and in the year 1869 it included not only a church and a rectory but even a new school. Differences however, between the pastor and his parishioners soon began to grow and make themselves felt, so that Father Lay resigned his pastorate in the summer of 1869, and accepted a parish in the diocese of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. After his departure, the Franciscan Fathers of St. Anthony's parish in south St. Louis administered our parish until the following September.

The second pastor, Reverend Father Peter Wigger, was then assigned to St. Francis de Sales. He had at that time just recent1y arrived from Germany. Despite the poor financial situation of the parish, he saw the need for a larger school building to take care of the great increase in the number of school children.

He purchased the property on Ohio Avenue bordering the church, and a three story school building was erected in 1872. It contained a residence for the Sisters, four large classrooms and a spacious hall. The school building was erected at the cost of $10,520.00.

The first assistant pastor came to St. Francis de Sales in 1875 in the person of Father Joseph Schroeder. The second assistant was Father J, W. Guenther, who was succeeded by Father John Peter Lotz in June 1876.

The “Girls’ Grade School” building, now known as the “1888 Building"

Father Wigger's health worsened seriously in those days, so much so that on March 11, 1878 he passed away. Father Lotz, who was Assistant Pastor at the time, immediately took charge of the parish and became eventually the third pastor. His first energies were directed toward the paying off of the debt of $30,000.00, created by building the new school. Five years later in 1883, he decided to enlarge the old church by adding a new sanctuary and a bell tower. Again five years later new demands for more school accommodations for the ever-growing parish were made. Father Lotz answered these pressing requests by building in 1888 our present grade school building. The cornerstone of this school was laid on June 10, 1888 by Archbishop Peter Kenrick, and on its completion it was designated as the "Girls' School." In the course of time this school building also served for a number of years as the high school and then again in recent years [1960s] as the parish grade school.

SHOP WITH SCRIP

Mrs. Gretchen Clinton, responsible for the "Scrip-Program" at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory shares with the following recent news:

Thank you so very much to all of the people who are making the new scrip program a fundraising success!

The Oratory has scrip available for immediate purchase at the rectory or after both Sunday Masses from the following retailers:

Dierbergs - Shop-n-Save - Starbuck's - St. Louis Bread Company
JCPenny -Walmart/Sam's Club - Macy's - Land's End -LLBean
Lowe’s - Burger King - Walgreen's - CVS - Bob Evans - JoAnn Fabric
Little Ceaser's - Shell - Payless Shoes - American Express Gift cards
Subway - Taco Bell - Bob Evans and many others

By shopping with Scrip at the retailers you already frequent, a percentage of the money you spend is contributed to the Oratory.

Here are some answers to a few frequently asked scrip questions:

1. Exactly how does the Oratory make money from this program?
Through the Great Lakes Scrip Company, the Oratory purchases these cards at a reduced rate.
For example: Shop n Save offers percent 4% rebate. The Oratory buys the card for only $96. You pay $100 (you were going to spend it anyway!). The Oratory instantly earns $4.00. Think of the rebate percentage like an instant cash coupon that goes directly to the Oratory.

2. When is this program going to end?
It will not end. It is a year-round, ongoing fundraiser. Many other churches and organizations have had this program going for many years. The more participation equals more revenue.

3. Some of the retailers offer such a small percentage, why bother?
If you shop at Walmart and they handed you $2.00 for the Oratory every time you spent $100 there, would you refuse it? Certainly not! As soon as you purchase a scrip card to Walmart, the Oratory has earned that $2.00 from Walmart. The gas station is the same. Every dollar adds up. 100 families earning only $1.00 over the course of a year is $1,200. The potential is incredible.

4. What if I shop somewhere that is not on the list?
The American Express Gift Card is available. It is taken at Trader Joe's, QT, the commissary (for you military folks), and at many other locations.

5. But the American Express Gift Card only offers 1.5% back! Why should I use it?
Please see QUESTION #3 and buy some American Express gift cards for all of those other places! You can also use it at Schnucks to have even greater rewards!
To purchase or for questions about the program, please contact Mrs. Gretchen Clinton atsfdsscrip@gmail.com and (573) 241-5259 or the Oratory at (314) 771-3100.

Scrip order forms are available at rectory, church basement after Sunday Mass and in the bulletins.
You may also place an order online at www.shopwithscrip.com The Oratory’s code is7B6B613B29666

UPCOMING LITURGICAL EVENTS
Here is the calendar of liturgical events for the coming weeks. With the beginning of February we will approach the seasons of Septuagesima and Lent, well prepared by the celebration of the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin (Candlemas):

Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Thursday, February 2 - Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary 8am Low Mass and 6:30pm High Mass with blessing of the candles and procession

Dom Prosper Guéranger, OSB, in his "Liturgical Year":
“The mystery of today's ceremony has frequently been explained by liturgists, dating from the 7th century. According to Ivo of Chartres, the wax, which is formed from the juice of flowers by the bee, always considered as the emblem of virginity, signifies the virginal flesh of the Divine Infant, who diminished not, either by His conception or His birth, the spotless purity of His Blessed Mother. The same holy bishop would have us see, in the flame of our Candle, a symbol of Jesus who came to enlighten our darkness. St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking on the same mystery, bids us consider three things in the blessed Candle: the wax, the wick, and the flame. The wax, he says, which is the production of the virginal bee, is the Flesh of our Lord; the wick, which is within, is His Soul; the flame, which burns on top, is His divinity.”

Friday, February 3 - St. Blaise blessing of throats after both 8am and 6:30pm Masses.
February 5 to March 25 - Sermons in Lent: The Beatitudes

Between February 5 (Septuagesima), and March 25 (Passion-Sunday) we will again offer sermons which are meant to be of help in our spiritual preparation for the great feast of Easter. This year Canon Avis, Father Herman and I intend to cover the Beatitudes as they are mentioned by Our Lord in the sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-10). The beatitudes are not only pronouncements of future perfections, but expressions of a state of the soul in unity with divine life.

This year’s sermon schedule is as follows:

February 5:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
February 12:

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth."
February 19:

"Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
February 26:

"Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied."
March 4:

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
March 11:

"Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God."
March 18:

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."
March 25:

"Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Wednesday, February 22 - Ash-Wednesday

MYSTERY PHOTO

Photo Credit: Mr. Phil Roussin

The mystery photo for this week shows a dove you have seen at church, likely many times. As a symbol of the Holy Ghost, the placement of this decoration inside the church is significant.

In the Gospels, the dove is a typical symbol of the Holy Ghost, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Ghost descended upon Him in the form of a dove. In Christian art, the dove is often used to portray the Holy Ghost, as in the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost.

Where have you seen this particular dove at St. Francis de Sales? Tell us where this dove can be found by visiting our restoration website, www.TraditionForTomorrow.com, and enter your answer in theblog combox.

With the assurance of my grateful prayers in Christ the King,

Canon Michael K. WienerRector, Saint Francis de Sales Oratory

The Hanley House

2012-01-17T17:21:00.000-06:00

IN 1876, the City of Saint Louis divested itself of the largely rural and remote Saint Louis County. Seeing the need for a new county seat, two local property owners, Ralph Clayton and Martin Hanley, donated land for the new courthouse.

Hanley's house is still standing and is now a museum. Here are two photos of the interior of the house:

Much of the furniture in the house is from the Hanley family.

Eagle Photo Fail

2012-01-17T10:11:00.000-06:00

THIS PAST WEEKEND, I visited the old Chain of Rocks Bridge in north Saint Louis, which is a popular Bald eagle winter feeding area.

Some years I've seen up to a hundred of these magnificent birds, well known as the symbol of the United States, but now there is only one individual due to the mildness of weather lately. I managed only to get this shot. Is it an eagle or a boomerang?

Starry Night

2012-01-09T23:07:00.000-06:00

Christmas Decorations at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, in Belleville, Illinois

2012-01-09T20:47:00.000-06:00

AS CATHOLICS, we can follow the ancient rhythm of the liturgical year instead of merely following the secular holiday season. For us, Christmas starts not in September, but on the Eve of Christmas itself, and continues on to the New Year.

Here are photos of the Christmas decorations at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, in Belleville, Illinois. These photos were taken before Holy Mass for the Epiphany.

The pulpit, canopy, and suspended crucifix were recently re-installed here.

Here are my older photos of the cathedral:

Cathedral of Saint Peter, in Belleville, Illinois
Cathedral of Saint Peter, in Belleville, Illinois (interior photos)

Newsletter from the Oratory

2012-01-06T12:43:00.000-06:00

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES ORATORY
EMAIL NEWSLETTER

2653 Ohio Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri 63118
www.institute-christ-king.org
www.TraditionForTomorrow.com
314-771-3100

January 06, 2012

EPIPHANY - SURVEY - VISIT CARDINAL BURKE
SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES- MORE PHOTOS OF GALA
HISTORY OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES CHURCH
MYSTERY PHOTO

Dear Faithful and Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory,

As we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany we are made aware of the presence of God among us. Christmas is the revelation of God made man and Epiphany the celebration of the first public acknowledgement of the Incarnation of God in Christ. Today we are invited to kneel down joyfully at the crèche again, full of holy expectation for the blessings in our lives as Catholics.

I wish you, your families and friends a blessed feast of the Epiphany and I invite you to come tonight to our Solemn High Mass here at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory at 6:30 PM.

2011 ORATORY SURVEY

Thanks to everyone who took part in the survey in December and the two Oratory members who contributed their talents and time to compile data, the results are in! They are presented in the following video. Please take a look.

Slightly more people participated in the survey this year than last. The statistical portrait generated by the new numbers is a strong copy of our first snapshot from last year. It confirms that people of all ages continue to be attracted to the beauty of the liturgy at St. Francis de Sales Oratory. One representative comment says, “The Oratory has been an essential part to the spiritual growth of our family.” The numbers show that families come from near and far to attend the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and the many liturgical and community events offered here.

However, the numbers cannot adequately measure the growing family spirit which is emerging in the life of the Oratory from day to day. As we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany today, let us thank Divine providence for what we have at the Oratory.

VISIT OF CARDINAL BURKE, JANUARY 31, 2012

The present status of St. Francis de Sales Oratory would not have been possible were it not for the generosity of Raymond Cardinal Burke, who, as the Archbishop of St. Louis in 2005, helped the superiors of the Institute erect this Oratory. It was this vision which first set into motion the restoration of St. Francis de Sales. We are grateful that Cardinal Burke will revisit the Oratory and celebrate a Solemn Benediction on Tuesday, January 31, at 5:00 PM. After the ceremony, the Cardinal has generously made time to attend a reception by the faithful in the Oratory Hall.

We have begun to organize the reception for the Cardinal. We would be grateful for all help with food, set up, clean up, and monetary contribution to make this a memorable evening for everyone.

Please contact Mrs. Jenny Pekny via email at jennypekny@charter.net, if you are able to provide:

help with food or funding - help with set up before the reception
help during the reception, clearing tables - help after the reception, cleaning up the hall

Thank you very much for your generosity.

FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES, JANUARY 29, 2012

St. Francis de Sales, the Bishop of Geneva affectionately known as the “Doctor of Charity,” is one of the patrons of the Institute and the titular patron saint of this church. In addition to his heavenly intercessions on our behalf, his prolific writings are a great source of spiritual help, even today, nearly 400 years after they were written. This year his feast falls on the last Sunday of January. Please mark your calendars as we join the entire Institute in celebrating this patronal feast.

MORE PHOTOS OF GAUDETE GALA
The effects of the sacred music from Gaudete Gala continue to reverberate long after the memorable evening ended. We received many positive comments on the beauty experienced by so many, especially after the Midnight Mass, when some of the Christmas carols were presented before the beginning of the liturgy. We are pleased to present a few more photos from the Gala for you to enjoy - if you will, a “Nachlese,” a German word with a sweet connotation of a “second harvest.”

HISTORY OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES CHURCH

We begin the new year 2012 with a look back at the humble beginning of this church, courtesy of the parish book produced for the centennial celebration in 1967.

In the year of 1867 when our parish of St. Francis de Sales was established there was reigning in the Eternal City of Rome Pope Pius IX, who had the longest pontificate in the history of the church - 32 years; there was presiding as Archbishop of St. Louis, Archbishop Peter Kenrick, who was leader of our Catholic faithful for over 45 years, the longest reign of any Archbishop in the history of our city, Cardinal Glennon of blessed memory reigned for almost 43 years; and there was as President of the United States, Andrew Johnson, who one year after our parish was established was almost removed from the high office of President by the first and only impeachment proceedings in the history of our country - President Johnson came within one vote of being forced to retire as President.

Against such a historical background and with the bitter Civil War still strong in the minds and memories of the people, our parish of St. Francis de Sales took its beginning on the date of April 22, 1867.

This was not a well-populated or settled neighborhood during the post Civil War years. It was rather a neighborhood of dairy farmers and dirt roads. The people who were living here then were members of the parish of SS. Peter and Paul at Eighth and Allen streets. But little by little the open prairie land became more and more populated by German Catholic people. It was in 1867 that these good German Catholics decided to establish a parish church for themselves at Gravois and Ohio.

2810 Ohio street was the scene of the first parish meeting in March of 1867, a meeting called specifically to discuss plans for the new parish church. The home belonged to one Theodore Thien. This first meeting was followed by the second and very decisive one at the home of a certain Mr. A. Van Mierlo on April 22, 1867, and it was at the second meeting that the actual decision to establish our parish was made.

The grounds at Ohio and Lynch avenues were purchased, just a few short yards north of old Gravois avenue, for $4,000.00 by the building committee, and the ground-breaking ceremony was soon underway. The construction of the new brick church was to cost $12,850.00, a goodly sum for the few parishioners at hand in those days. The cornerstone laying ceremony took place on September 15, 1867, barely five months after the actual decision to found a new parish. For this special occasion many neighboring priests and many people came and took part.

One month after the cornerstone laying ceremony Archbishop Peter Kenrick appointed the first Pastor of the parish, the Reverend Louis Lay. The new pastor resided at the home of one of the parishioners at 2845 Ohio for a year until the new rectory was built for him the following year.

Rev. Ludwig Lay 1867-1869

Meanwhile with a new pastor at hand the building of the church made rapid progress so much so that the first Mass celebrated in the new church was on Christmas morning in 1867. Actually three Masses had been announced for that day but only one could be celebrated because of the poor health of the new pastor. Father Lay, however, did make that Christmas Day a memorable one also by baptizing three children into the household of God. As for the first marriage at our parish church, this did not take place until later on April 17, 1868. There are no records any longer concerning the first funeral service from the new church.

The solemn dedication of the new church of St. Francis de Sales took place on May 24, 1868 with much special ceremony. Father Lay, the first pastor, had taken a census at that time and had counted some 800 members, fifty of which had been baptized and received into the church in less than one year. This was proof enough that a new parish church was needed for this area in south St. Louis.

MYSTERY PHOTO – CAN YOU GUESS? WHERE IS THIS IN THE ORATORY?

Some milestones of our church were clearly marked, as indicated by this plaque. Can you remember where you have seen this plaque which recognized the special status of our church? Please visit therestoration blog and write your answer in today’s mystery photo combox.

With all best wishes and the assurance of my fervent prayers,
Canon Michael K. Wiener
Rector, St. Francis de Sales Oratory

Local Boy Does Good

2012-01-06T10:19:00.000-06:00

THE MOST REVEREND Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of New York, will soon be made a Cardinal. Dolan was born in Saint Louis, Missouri, to the late Robert Dolan, and Shirley (née Radcliffe) Dolan, and is the oldest of five children. His father was an aircraft engineer at McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. Timothy said that he wanted to be a priest for as long as he can remember.

Dolan grew up in Saint Louis County. He spent his infancy in Maplewood, and later moved with his family to Ballwin, where they attended Holy Infant Church. He attended high school at St. Louis Preparatory Seminary South and then Cardinal Glennon College, both in Shrewsbury. He continued his formal education in Rome.

Dolan was ordained to the priesthood in 1976, and served as associate pastor of Immacolata Parish in Richmond Heights, and eventually was ordained bishop in 2001, serving as auxiliary in Saint Louis, then as Archbishop of Milwaukee and then of New York. More of his biography can be seen here.

The word ‘cardinal’ comes from the Latin adjective cardinalis, which according to the Lewis and Short Dictionary means “Of or pertaining to a door-hinge” and so by analogy, “that on which something turns, depends, i. e. principal, chief” such as the cardinal points on the compass, the cardinal virtues, or cardinal numbers. The term became applied to the senior priests of major churches; the church of England still uses the title ‘cardinal’ in this manner. In the same way, we speak of a priest becoming incardinated into a diocese; that is, he becomes subject to the principal cleric of a local church. In secular terms, the Cardinals are the princes of the Church, because they are the electors of the Pope.

Spare Mosaic Tesserae from the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Available

2012-01-06T00:01:00.001-06:00

FROM THE WEBSITE of MosaicSmalti:

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, in St. Louis, MO, contains one of the largest mosaic collections in the world. Mosaic installation began in 1912 and was finally completed in 1988. The mosaics collectively contain 42 million pieces of glass in over 7000 colors, covering 83,000 square feet. Wow!

…The majority of the mosaics were created by the Ravenna Mosaic Company of St. Louis, which was formed by August Wagner of Germany. When the mosaics were completed, the Ravenna Mosaic Company was left with an inventory of over 40,000 lbs. of Italian smalti in over 3000 shades…

In 2009, MosaicSmalti purchased this entire inventory - 40,000 lb. of Italian Smalti - and had it moved to our studios here on Cape Cod… The smalti arrived in over 1000 wooden drawers and 600 plastic buckets and it is currenlty stored in 3 storage units. Those who have visited the warehouses to see this smalti stash have coined them "Smalti Heaven" because that is truly what it is. Hundreds of shades of blues, never-before-seen shades of orange or red or pink, flesh tones to match every human on the planet. These one-of-a-kind colors, in limited amounts, are a joy to behold. They also open up a whole new world to those of us accustomed to limiting our palette to a mere 100-200 shades. (poor us!)

— [source]

100th Anniversary of Cathedral Fire to be Observed

2012-01-02T19:05:00.000-06:00

FROM THE CATHEDRAL of Saint Peter, in Belleville Illinois:

Fire: January 4, 1912

Centennial: Sunday, January 8, 2012, 10:30 AM Mass

(Will include blessing of restored historic pulpit

and restored Cathedra canopy)

Info: Very Rev. John T. Myler, Rector -- 618-234-1166

100^th ANNIVERSARY OF CATHEDRAL FIRE TO BE OBSERVED ON JANUARY 8^TH

It was Thursday evening, January 4^th, the day before first Friday. We had been in the confessional all afternoon … Leaving, I glanced up at the main chandelier … Passing through the sacristy I cast another glance at the extensive nave of the beautiful gothic structure. The sanctuary lamp flickered before the Blessed Sacrament.

Little I thought that in less than an hour all this splendor and all the labor and plannings of nearly fifty years would be little more than a mass of ruin and burning timber.- Rev. J. H. Schlarman

“Memoirs of the Cathedral Fire”

On Sunday, January 8. 2012, the people of the Cathedral of Saint Peter will observe the 100^th Anniversary of the “Great Cathedral Fire” of 1912.

Bishop Edward K. Braxton will be principal celebrant and homilist – accompanied by Bishop Stanley Schlarman and the Cathedral priests – at a 10:30 AM Pontifical Mass. The public is invited.

The January 8 observance will also include a “Cathedral Open House” with tours and an exhibit of historic photographs from the 1912 fire.

Father (later Archbishop) J. H. Schlarman, at that time Rector of the Cathedral, remembered that:

Father Tecklenburg, Father Eppmann, Father Kuhls and I said the Angelus and sat down for supper. We had scarcely been seated at the table when the telephone and the door bell rang terrifically at the same time … Someone opened the door and shouted:
“Fire in the Cathedral!”

In the same moment the housekeeper, who had answered the doorbell and the telephone called out:

“Father Schlarman, I believe the Cathedral is on fire!”

We literally flew up from our chairs and ran to the burning edifice.

The anniversary Mass -- on Epiphany Sunday – will recall the harsh wintery night during which the Cathedral church, which had been built in 1863, burned first from an area between the ceiling and the roof, causing burning timbers to fall, later igniting the entire interior.

It was reported at the time that young George and Bertha Kohl, pupils at the Cathedral School, were the first to have seen the fire.

Fire fighters from the city of Belleville were quick to the scene, but both the cold and the height of the structure prevented the growing fire from being extinguished.

One glance at the situation told me that I had diagnosed the case correctly. Red flames, five to six feet long, struck out on all sides of the central ventilator on the Cathedral’s roof. I told Father Kuhls: “Go to the altar and take the Blessed Sacrament away.”
I ran out through the steeple and as I reached the landing in front of the church I noticed that the fire department had just arrived. I was in shirt sleeves and bareheaded, the thermometer registered about zero. The excitement was too great, and I felt no cold. Someone said to me, “Father, you will catch a deathly cold, take my overcoat.” Another said, “Father, put on my hat.” A little later a third offered me his gloves.

At the January 8 Mass, a special tribute will be paid – a century later – to fire fighters from Belleville. Fire fighters from other Southern Illinois cities and towns are also invited to take part.

I ran into Third Street, where I met Chief Dinges. I said: “Bring your hose up through the tower and go up the ladder behind the organ, there is an opening through which you can get above the ceiling and get right at the fire.”

The chief said he would try to reach it from below and I accompanied him into the church. He turned the nozzle up, but alas, the water did not have a pressure of thirty feet; it did not even reach the arches in the clerestory. Then, with his men carrying hoses after him, they went up to the organ gallery and were led up to the ladder above ceiling. There stood the firemen and the chief with the nozzle pointing right at the fire a few feet ahead of them – but no water ! ! !

The Cathedral choirs will sing for the January 8 Mass, under the direction of C. Dennis York, who is serving for his 50^th year as Cathedral organist. Following the Mass, a light brunch will be offered in the Cathedral Undercroft, where mounted enlargements of the several historic photographs of the fire, will be displayed.

Men of the congregation ran into the sanctuary to save what they might. Carpets, altar cloths, vestments and statues from the crib were carried out.
By this time, the ceiling of the church had caught fire. I stood on the upper steps of old St. Peter’s for the last time and watched as the beautiful central chandelier, weighing 600 pounds, came down with a crash. The men who had installed in previously had given me the assurance that it would not come down unless the whole church came with it. It came true.

Also open after the Mass and during the Open House will be the “Cathedral Museum” and the Cathedral crypt. Five former Bishops of Belleville are interred in the Cathedral.

Father Schlarman concluded his 1912 remembrances:

When I returned an hour later the bare walls pointed heavenward, the stars and the silvery moon cast a soft light on a mass of ruins. The fire raged under the floor. The firemen were cutting holes through it to reach the flames below.
I went to the Bishop’s house to see His Excellency, Bishop Janssen. I found the venerable Prelate very resigned to the will of God.

He calmly said: “The Lord hath given it, the Lord hath taken it, the will of the Lord be done.”

Address:
200 West Harrison Street
Belleville, Illinois

Happy New Year and Most Popular of 2011

2012-01-02T18:56:00.001-06:00

MAY EVERYONE HAVE a happy new year, in this the year of Our Lord 2012, and may this year be one of peace, prosperity, and joy.

In remembrance of the year past, here are some of the most popular postings and photographs from this website during 2010:

This is billboard, advertising the Latin Mass at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory, showing a monstrance on the left, and the shield of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest on the right. The Flickr photo-sharing website, which hosts most of my photos, tells me that many people view this image every day. I'm not sure that I'd call this my best photo of the year, since I hurredly took it while driving, but it is certainly the most viewed. My second-most viewed image is of the monstrance itself:

This fine piece of liturgical art was made for the church itself. A crop of this photo is seen on the billboard above.

A mosaic of the Crucifixion of Our Lord, at Resurrection Cemetery, in Shrewsbury, Missouri. The following mosaic of Our Lady is located nearby:

A bridge and railroad tracks in the snow, at Carondelet Park, in Saint Louis, Missouri.

A Snowy Night in Saint Louis shows photos that I took on one bright night in the snow. It was so rare and beautiful that I was up until past 4 o'clock in the morning snapping photos. Several of the photos I took that night, as well as more than a hundred others taken at other times and places will be featured — full resolution and optimized for print — in a forthcoming book to be published by Reedy Press.

Clifton Heights Park, in Saint Louis, at dusk.

Cardinal Burke, with seminarians, at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory.

Half a Billion is an article which discussed the architecture and philosophy behind the Gateway Arch, the great symbol of the City of Saint Louis, which is one on the most-visited tourist attractions in the world. The title of the article is the estimated cost of renovating and expanding the Arch grounds, which intends to correct some of the flaws of its existing unrelenting Modernist design.

I didn't take this photo of Archbishop Ritter, but it was one of the most popular on this website. Here His Grace leaves for Rome on an aircraft named "Star of Rome of the West"; he came back a Cardinal.

A Warning to Schools that are "Catholic In Name Only" sounds the alarm that the Federal Government now arrogantly decides for itself which schools are Catholic and which are merely Catholic in name only. The secularization of our schools must reverse.

Detail of a monument, at Calvary Cemetery, in Saint Louis.

Palm Sunday procession at the Oratory.

Mosaic at Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Church, in Crestwood, Missouri.

Young Conservation Area, in Jefferson County, Missouri. Photo taken by the light of the full moon. I've been inspired to take photographs at night ever since I've seen these photos of Cambridge University.

Forest Park at night.

Flora and fauna are always popular. See the posts Spring Flowers at Shaw's Garden, Spring Wildflowers, Mushrooms and Moss, and Birds, Beasts, and Bugs.

The articles Photos of Fog and Morning Fog shows pictures taken while enveloped by mist. Fog obscures our sight, and so is a natural symbol of mystery and divinity. Fog is a good photographic subject: by breaking the rules of Photographic Modernism, fog forces the artist to fall back on the older and more delicate principles of Pictorialism.

Tower Rock, located in the Mississippi River.

Dawn over the Meramec River.

Archbishop Carlson at the Oratory.

Sculpted bust of Saint Francis de Sales, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.

Altar at Saint Peter Church, in Jefferson City, Missouri. This photograph has a muted color inspired by the old Autochrome process, the first practical method of color photography. See my posting Autochrome for more attempted examples of recreating the subtle color used by this French process . If you are technically minded and interested in this process, see my article Using ICC Profiles for Creative Color Control, which is located on my photography blog, The Refracted Light.

I was trained in the sciences, so I occasionally like to write on the subject. See Unsolved Problems and Higgs Boson Not Found. I got a degree in physics, but a close second interest of mine was theology; as a young man, I also wanted to be an architect and design cathedrals (and secretly I still do)! See my article Build Your Own Gothic Cathedral and New Geometric Patterned Art.

My interest in ecclesiastical architecture led me to dig more deeply into art theory. The subject of Catholic Art Theory is problematical, because not too much magisterial guidance is available, that is, we don't have too many authoritative sources; however, the great Catholic arts tradition speaks for itself, and as these churches and works of art were commissioned by our bishops, this tradition is authoritatively magisterial. There are a number of ancient and more modern philosophical works that proved to be greatly influential on this tradition. Also see the article Catholic Art, which goes into some detail about the great Tradition. Also see the article On the Sublime, which describes a very important idea in the arts, which tends to be sadly neglected or confused these days.

Altar at Saint Elizabeth Church, in Marine, Illinois.

Stained glass window at Saint Nicholas Roman Church, in Pocahontas, Illinois.

Saint Paul Church, in Highland, Illinois.

Silence! At the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.

Immaculate Conception, in Augusta, Missouri.

Statue of Saint Francis of Assisi, at Saint Joseph Church, in Apple Creek, Missouri.

Holy Cross, in Cuba, Missouri.

Many of my readers come to this website come for the church photos. These posts proved popular this past year:

Photos of Saint Maurus Church, in Biehle, Missouri
Photos of Saint Joseph Church, in Highland, Missouri
Some Photos of Saint Mary's Church, in Alton, Illinois
Photos of Saint Elizabeth Church, in Marine, Illinois
Photos of Saint Joseph Church, in Louisiana, Missouri

And sadly, this posting, from a few days ago:

Saint Mary's Church, in Brussels, Illinois, Destroyed by Fire

Now as it so happens I've taken photos of many more churches this past year but have been too busy/lazy to post them. Perhaps during these upcoming cold days of winter I'll work on them.

The Holy Family

2011-12-30T22:15:00.000-06:00

At Saint Gabriel the Archangel Church, in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Today is the Feast of the Holy Family according to the Mass of Pope Paul VI. From the first reading:

Children, pay heed to a father's right; do so that you may live.
For the LORD sets a father in honor over his children; a mother's authority he confirms over her sons.
He who honors his father atones for sins;
he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
He who honors his father is gladdened by children, and when he prays he is heard…

— Sirach 3:1-5 (New American Bible)

Saint Stephen's Church

2011-12-30T08:15:00.000-06:00

Saint Stephen's Church, in Richwoods, Missouri. Photo taken on the Feast of Saint Stephen, Protomartyr.

A charming Christmas story is associated with this church: you can read it as well as view other photos of the church here.

Saint Mary's Church, in Brussels, Illinois, Destroyed by Fire

2011-12-27T13:50:00.001-06:00

AN EMAIL FROM a parishioner of Saint Mary's Church, in Brussels, Illinois, informed me that the church was destroyed by a fire that sparked during the Christmas Vigil Mass. Firefighters and parishioners bravely managed to save many movable items in the church, including vestments, chalices, and statues, but the building itself is a total loss; fortunately, no one was injured, nor were adjacent properties harmed.

News stories and videos of the fire can be found here, here, and here.

My article on the church, dating from March 2009, is here, and a few additional photos of the church can be viewed here.

The sanctuary of the church, as it was in March of 2009.

The church dates from the 1860s, and was the center of life in this town, which is about 90% Catholic. This is a significant loss for the parishioners, who nevertheless hope to rebuild. However, it seems difficult to hope that this church, which was one of the finest country churches in the region, could be rebuilt in a similar manner today. The sense of filial piety, the respect for pious ancestors who have gone before, has preserved this church through the decades, and the same piety can move us to tears over the church's loss.

We live in a world that was made very good, yet is fallen. We are to expect sorrow and loss in this “vale of tears,” and while our reason should judge our feelings, we ought to mourn the loss of the good things in this life, such as this church. Jesus wept, His mother is called Our Lady of Sorrows, and we are to bear our crosses and follow Him. “Behold, I make all things new:” all sorrow and pain works out for the best insofar as we are united to God’s Will.

Newsletter from the Oratory

2011-12-24T10:11:00.000-06:00

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES ORATORY
EMAIL NEWSLETTER

2653 Ohio Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri 63118
www.institute-christ-king.org
www.TraditionForTomorrow.com
314-771-3100

December 21, 2011

GAUDETE BENEFIT GALA - SURVEY - STEEPLE - CANON DE LA BROSSE MIDNIGHT MASS - SCRIP - VISIT OF CARDINAL BURKE

MYSTERY PHOTO

Dear Faithful and Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory,

FIRST ANNUAL GAUDETE BENEFIT GALA

One member of the audience described the Oratory’s first Gaudete Benefit Gala as a “magical evening.” Others used “fantastic,” “moving” and “extraordinary” to describe the memorable experience which exceeded their expectations.

From the jazzy welcome which greeted the first arrivals at the cocktail social, to the resounding “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” that closed the evening, this “magical evening” was a delightful interlacing of skillfully performed music and a delicious banquet. The overture, “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” captivated the audience just before the first course, Winter Beef Soup, was served. Thereafter, choral and instrumental pieces by classical masters as well as contemporary composers were enchantingly interwoven with the elegant dinner, served in a joyful atmosphere.

Who can forget the Chocolate Oblivion Flourless Torte paired with timeless Christmas carols, sung with energy and expression by the Oratory’s choristers?

Once again, I would like to thank Mr. Nick Botkins, Mrs. Catherine Unseth, Mrs. Mary Hayworth, and Mr. Mike Kenney for their vision and execution of this beautiful gala, which showcased the Oratory’s choirs and orchestra. We will need support to renovate the music suite in the “1888 Building” and to refurbish the organ, and this fundraiser was a very good beginning. I would like to thank all of you who came to this sold-out event, and the many guests who came to hear our choirs for the first time. Last but not least, I would like to thank all the singers and musicians for sharing the gifts which you offer every Sunday in support of the Sacred Liturgy, and which were displayed so dazzlingly at this Gala. Thank you!

Thanks to Mr. Phil Roussin, we are able to share with you two selections performed at the Gala: the Ave Maria by Nicholas Wilton, and the traditional carol, Gloucestershire Wassail.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN SURVEY

We are in the final weeks of our 5-week survey of the Oratory’s attendees. The wonderful changes we have seen at St. Francis de Sales in the past six years have been supported largely by the dedicated and increased attendance. A higher rate of participation in this survey will ensure a better understanding of the demographic changes which are taking place. We kindly ask everyone to participate this year, whether you did last year, or are a newcomer this year. Last year’s survey returns cannot be re-used; therefore it is necessary that everyone fills out a new one for this year. For your convenience, the survey is designed to take only a few minutes, and it can be filled out anonymously in paper form, or online at http://www.tinyurl.com/StFdS. Your generous participation will help us gather information which will help the Oratory serve the faithful in the greater St. Louis area. Thank you very much for your help!

AN ENCOURAGING UPDATE ON THE STEEPLE TOWER

In November, we received the final report of a study which monitored the movement of the Saint Francis de Sales steeple tower. This study was conducted over a 15-month period, considerably longer than the previous report of 2005 which spanned 5 months. The results of this recent study are interesting in that they show a cyclical displacement, likely due to seasonal effects, rather than a continuous unidirectional separation of the tower from the nave. Thus, the net displacement measured was smaller than what the previous projection would lead us to believe. The study concludes: “The continual movement was not significant enough to be readily measurable over this time period,” and that “it is not a primary concern at this time.”

The report’s recommendations are two-fold: a. more long-term monitoring of the tower is needed, and b. that the damage already occurred should be addressed as soon as possible.

We are very grateful for this study which gives us a better understanding of the steeple tower situation, so that this important element in the restoration of St. Francis de Sales can be addressed in a prudent manner.

In the mean time, per recommendation of the report, we will attend to other much-needed repairs of the church, such as the stained glass windows, displaced masonry, broken brick work, and tuck-pointing. With the generosity of the faithful and friends of the Oratory, some of these repairs have already begun or been completed in the last few years. Gratefully, and encouraged by the latest information, we look forward to the next phase of collaboration with all our supporters to continue the restoration of St. Francis de Sales.

FIRST MASS OF CANON BRIEUC DE LA BROSSE

Canon Brieuc de La Brosse who was ordained priest by His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, in Florence on July 7, celebrated Solemn High Mass at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory, preached the sermon and gave a first blessing to hundreds of faithful. Canon de La Brosse arrived in St. Louis last Saturday and was able to attend the Gaudete Benefit Gala the night before this wonderful and grace-filled Sunday. Thank you, Canon de La Brosse, for your visit and God Speed for your apostolic work in the Institute’s apostolates in Ireland!

MIDNIGHT MASS

Solemn High Mass with Glorious Music and Veneration of the Relic of the Holy Crèche.

The first Mass of Christmas will be celebrated at midnight on December 25, and will include the veneration of the relic of the holy Crèche. Please join us, and invite your friends, neighbors and family to a memorable, traditional celebration of the birth of the Savior. Beginning at 11:30 PM, traditional Christmas carols will be sung by the Choirs of Saint Francis de Sales Oratory, including the Girls' Choir, the Oratory Choir of Men and Boys, and the Polyphonic Choir. The music repertoire accompanying the glorious Sacred Liturgy will include the Lux Arumque by Eric Whitacre, and Missa Brevis for Strings and Brass KV. 194 by Mozart.

ORATORY’S SCRIP PROGRAM – INTRODUCING “SHOPWITHSCRIP”

In the last Newsletter we announced a new Scrip program for the Oratory. By shopping with Scrip at the retailers you already frequent, a percentage of the money you spend is contributed to the Oratory. It is a year-round, ongoing fundraiser which may also be a shopping convenience at this time of the year. Everyone is cordially invited to check out the program, and to participate if you wish. The Oratory has some scrip in the form of gift cards on hand and available for immediate purchase from the following retailers.

Lowe’s - Shop-n-Save - Starbuck's - St. Louis Bread Company
JCPenny -Walmart - Sam's Club - Target - Land's End -LLBean
IHOP - Burger King - Walgreen's - Bob Evans - JoAnn Fabric
Little Ceaser's - Gymboree - Domino's -Chipolte -Dillard's

To purchase or for questions about the program, please contact Mrs. Gretchen Clinton atsfdsscrip@gmail.com or the Oratory office at 314-771-3100.

VISIT OF CARDINAL BURKE

His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, will visit the Oratory for the second time since his elevation to the cardinalate: On January 31, 2012 (Tuesday), at 5:00PM His Eminence will be the celebrant of a Solemn Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction. Immediately afterward, His Eminence will receive all faithful who wish to greet him in the hall during a festive reception. Please come greet the Cardinal and bring friends and family. The visit of Cardinal Burke is an opportunity for us to show our filial gratitude for his friendship and support of the work of the Institute worldwide and especially for his fatherly care for the good of Saint Francis de Sales Oratory.

CAN YOU GUESS?

This last Mystery Photo in 2011 shows again a detail of the rich sacred art work we are blessed to see every day at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory. Look around and remember: Where did you receive the greatest gift the Church offers to us every day? Go to the TraditionForTomorrow blog and drop your answer in the combox under the latest entry.

With my most sincere wishes for you and your families and friends on the occasion of the feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and a Happy New Year 2012 I ask you for your prayers for the Institute and our community at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory,

Canon Michael K. Wiener
Rector, St. Francis de Sales Oratory

En clara vox redarguit

2011-12-24T10:07:00.000-06:00

A HYMN, for Lauds in Advent:

Hark, a herald voice is calling;
“Christ is nigh,” it seems to say;
“Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day.”

Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.

Lo, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heaven;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiven.

So when next He comes with glory,
Wrapping all the earth in fear,
May He then as our defender
On the clouds of heaven appear.

Honor, glory, virtue, merit,
To the Father and the Son,
With the co-eternal Spirit,
While eternal ages run.

This is a translation of the Advent hymn rewritten by Pope Urban VIII in 1632 in a classical Latin style; a far older version, found in the current Breviary, can be seen here.

2011-12-22T13:25:00.001-06:00

At Immaculate Conception Church, in Columbia, Illinois.

Dad…

2011-12-19T15:20:00.000-06:00

…HERE IS HOW you can print these posts cleanly. Down at the bottom of the posts I put a new control:

Click it (not this one, but the one down there), and you will be brought to a new screen which reformats the posting, without the header and sidebar wasting ink and paper. There is some advertising that pops up after printing, but I have no control over that. Please let me know if you have any problems with this. It does appear to rearrange the photos somewhat.

Here are the “gadgets” which are located under each posting:

You can click on various items:

“comments” will take you to the comments on the post.
“Links to the post” will show if any other website has linked to this.
“Labels” is a list of categories for this post. If you click on any of the labels, it will pull up a list of similar articles here.
Clicking “Location” will bring up a map of the location.

Here are the other buttons you can click:

Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha

2011-12-19T13:57:00.000-06:00

Here is a photo of the mosaic of Saint Isaac Jogues, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, and Saint René Goupil, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Sts. Jogues and Goupil were early missionaries in New France (a region which included parts of Canada and much of what is now the central United States, including the Saint Louis area) and are two of the North American Jesuit Martyrs.

Blessed Kateri — or Catherine — was a virgin belonging to the Mohawk tribe. Undergoing extreme mortification for her love for Christ, and suffering persecution from her people, she had the reputation for great holiness during her life and was a subject of veneration immediately upon her death.

I took this photo yesterday, and learned that Pope Benedict today approved the cause of canonization of Bl. Kateri, and so may soon be known as Saint Kateri. Among other causes moved forward were 64 martyrs of the Spanish Civil War.

Waiting...

2011-12-18T19:21:00.000-06:00

At Saint Joseph Church, in Clayton, Missouri. Taken on the Fourth Sunday in Advent.

Saint John of the Cross

2011-12-14T12:03:00.001-06:00

IN THE NEW calendar, today is the feast day of Saint John of the Cross (24 June 1542—14 Dec. 1591), co-founder of the Discalced Carmelites and great Doctor of mystical theology.

Photo taken in July 2006, at the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Ladue, Missouri.

Mysticism, broadly speaking, is the understanding or experience of the unseen and underlying unity of all things. Saint John of the Cross’ mystical theology is of union with God, Who is the Source of all things. From his book, Ascent of Mount Carmel:

The reason for which it is necessary for the soul, in order to attain to Divine union with God, to pass through this dark night of mortification of the desires and denial of pleasures in all things, is because all the affections which it has for creatures are pure darkness in the eyes of God, and, when the soul is clothed in these affections, it has no capacity for being enlightened and possessed by the pure and simple light of God, if it first cast them not from it; for light cannot agree with darkness; since, as Saint John says: Tenebroe eam non comprehenderunt. That is: The darkness could not receive the light.

The reason is that two contraries (even as philosophy teaches us) cannot coexist in one person; and that darkness, which is affection set upon the creatures, and light, which is God, are contrary to each other, and have no likeness or accord between one another, even as Saint Paul taught the Corinthians, saying: Quoe conventio luci ad tenebras? That is to say: What communion can there be between light and darkness? Hence it is that the light of Divine union cannot dwell in the soul if these affections first flee not away from it….

Epic

2011-12-08T10:46:00.000-06:00

TAKE A LOOK at this video; this is the trailer for an upcoming film, due out in May 2012:

TimeScapes 4K from Tom Lowe on Vimeo.

Photography is difficult. Photography at night is more difficult. Time lapse photography — where you take a photo every second or so, and join them together into a video — has its own difficulties. Adding smooth camera motion during the time lapse adds layers of complications. Likewise, videography or filmmaking is a difficult endeavor, while, slow-motion videography — where you shoot many more frames per second than standard to slow down motion — requires a certain vision and specialized equipment. But putting all of these together into a stunning, epic video such as this, is a great work of art that transcends mere technique.

One of the striking effects used by videographer Tom Lowe is his use of camera motion during time lapse sequences of the night sky. As the heavenly orb rotates overhead, the camera itself moves, showing us the three-dimensional quality of the foreground objects such as rocks and trees. It is so obvious, it seems — why hasn’t anyone done that before? And I must admit to a tinge of envy — which is not a capital sin that I usually succumb to — but ultimately this sublimated to finding inspiration in the art.

I find myself envious of the camera gear that Lowe uses, and his innovative technique. But ask a photographer “what camera do you use?” and if you are unlucky, you may get one of these answers:

“Why I have a Cannikon D8x Mark V, with a 10-300 mm f/0.95 zoom lens, which has a maximum frame rate of 100 fps, maximum ISO 10 million….”He’ll then go on and talk about his camera gear for the next hour.
“I am an artist. What camera I use doesn’t matter all.” He’ll then go on and talk about himself for the next hour.

For a very long time, I was torn between these two opinions: they both seem to be true, yet they seem to be mutually exclusive, while yet both seem to be rather cold, naïve, or self-centered. Contemporary art theories tend to be partisan and lack universality. Only when I studied classical art theory, and then the artistic traditions of Holy Mother Church, did things become clearer. Well, you can’t take a photo with only a rock, and even the best artist would find it difficult to make a drawing if all he has is a piece of paper without any implement to draw on it. But give an unskilled person a slab of marble and Michaelangelo’s stone cutting tools, and they will be unable to make the Pietà; likewise give a Canon 5D Mark II camera to a novice, and they would not be able to duplicate Mr. Lowe’s work.

Aristotle explained that virtue — and art is the virtue of making things well — can only be gained with knowledge and with practice. Lowe has been making time lapse night photos for years now, but his work from only four years ago lack the polish of what we see above. Doing this kind of work full time for over a year, while living in an R.V., honed his skills tremendously, as is described here. Lowe also generously shares his expertise freely, as is seen here. If you would like to copy his technique, it’s easy: all you have to do is spend ten thousand hours of practice with tens of thousand dollars worth of equipment, along with thousands of hours of study, a thick enough skin to withstand criticism as well as the humility to realize that your work could always use improvement. Contrary to the two example photographers above, neither “being a genius” nor owning lots of equipment will make you good.

I think that a skilled artist will almost certainly advance the state of his art, out of necessity. As it happens, Lowe uses advanced camera technology, while manufacturers of this technology rely on Lowe to improve their equipment.

Questions that perplex Moderns — “what is art” and “how do you judge art” — have been answered in an explicitly Christian manner by Dorothy L. Sayers, in her book The Mind of the Maker. Following the three Creeds of the Church, Sayers explicitly lays out the divine Creation of the cosmos and human sub-creation in the arts in a Trinitarian manner, and how heresies about the Trinity are strongly paralleled by bad human art. According to Sayers, good art is trinitarian:

The art has to be true, even (or especially) if it is fiction; not merely true to nature, but especially true to psychology and metaphysical truths. For examples, the characters in a play have to be real human beings, even if they are simultaneously allegories of higher things. In Lowe’s films, these images are straight from the camera: they were usually taken at night, carefully exposed to capture the stars, while the moon often illuminates the objects in the foreground. His images are not computer generated graphics, despite his extreme use of computer graphics technology. They show what they depict.
The art must be done well, using excellent technique. Technique does include technology, such as the cameras and cranes Lowe uses, as well as the prodigious amount of computer processing that he must use afterwards to put the films together. Lowe invented some of the technique that he uses. Lowe does use expensive, specialized camera gear, but it serves the art and is not for its own sake.
Viewers must have a lively spirited response to the art. Art is not made in a vacuum, and art fails if it does not elicit a good response from the audience, even if the audience is merely the artist alone. Regarding Lowe’s films, I’ll let you judge yourself whether or not they are successful.

In conceiving good art, all three of these must be taken together at once, not separated or divorced from each other. Giving emphasis to one Person of the Trinity at the expense of others is often found in the heresies, and so in art, giving emphasis to one of these at the expense of the others leads to bad works of art.

For his film, Lowe chooses epic locations, which well-illustrate what is called “the sublime,” things that are high, lofty, on a far greater scale than the individual human being. They are not merely pretty places, although they are usually beautiful, rather they overwhelm, in an instant, the person viewing them. The stars in the sky are especially sublime, because although we can see them, they are forever out of our natural human reach, despite what science fiction stories try to tell us. His slow-motion videography shows us more ordinary things, but in a manner that we normally cannot see, giving sharp emphasis on things that we would otherwise miss, such as a bird landing on water, sparks flying from a fire, or a girl wiping sweat from her forehead.

TimeScapes: Rapture from Tom Lowe on Vimeo.

http://timescapes.org

Feast of Saint Nicholas

2011-12-06T09:52:00.001-06:00

Statue of Saint Nicholas of Myra, at Saint Nicholas Church, in Pocahontas, Illinois. Photo taken in April.

Born on the Ides of March, ca. 270-276, and died on December 6^th 343, Saint Nicholas was born in Asia Minor of wealthy parents; when they died, he was taken under the care of his uncle, who was bishop of Myrna, and who raised him as a cleric in the Church. During his life he gained a great reputation as a great holy man and generous donor to those in need, and after his death a great intercessor: so much so that he is now referred to as Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker.

An examination of his relics — which are now found in Bari, Italy — determined that Nicholas was five feet tall and had a broken nose. His relics exude a liquid, called the Manna of Saint Nicholas, which is collected on this day.

Although this Saint is the original source for Santa Claus, the modern-day secularized figure is no match to his prototype. More information can be found here.

The patronage of Saint Nicholas is vast, and includes children, students, sailors, brides and grooms, longshoremen, fishermen, pharmacists, prisoners, repentant prostitutes, murderers, and thieves, pawnbrokers, the poor, spinsters, and Greece and Russia. His iconography often shows him with three golden balls or bags of gold.

The Rocheport Tunnel

2011-12-06T01:44:00.000-06:00

A former railroad tunnel, constructed in 1892, on the Katy trail, at Rocheport, Missouri. The Katy is a 240 mile long state park that consists of the right-of-way of the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, and is now a hiking and biking path. This trail, which goes from Clinton in west-central Missouri, to Machens, northeast of Saint Charles, is largely flat and follows the floodplain of the Missouri River throughout much of its route. This is the only tunnel on the route: here the trail veers north of the river before crossing it and leaving the river valley behind at Boonville. Above the tunnel, after an exhausting climb, is an observation platform which offers views of the river below.

Under normal law, when a railroad abandons a line, the land reverts to the adjoining property owners: the railroad usually does not own the land, but has a legal easement on the property belonging to others. If the railroad is needed again the future — closure is often due to transient financial reasons and not due to longer-term need — it would require a controversial or even tyrannical use of power to get it re-established. But under the federal railbank legal framework, this former railroad must remain linked to the existing railroad network; the government pays for maintaining the infrastructure such as bridges and this tunnel, pays claims to adjoining landowners who own the easements upon which the trail is built, while giving railroads the right to restore train service if needed in the future. While building roads such as this one is usually seen as a legitimate exercise of the power of eminent domain, it is both politically expedient and prudent to keep the status quo of this road instead of attempting to create a new one elsewhere in the future.

While the western end of the tunnel is a pleasant Romanesque arch, with brick and rustic stones supporting the soil above it, the eastern end at Rocheport is naturalistic and is cut through the native stone. In this photo you can see extensive nodules of chert or flint in the limestone rock. According to the journals of the famed Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery:

“. . . a Short distance above the mouth of Creek, is Several Courious paintings and carving on the projecting rock of Limestone inlade with white red & blue flint, of a verry good quallity, the Indians have taken of this flint great quantities.”

According to the journals, “uncouth paintings of animals,” known as manitous, painted or carved by the Indians, are or were visible on this cliff face, and on many cliffs in this region. Certainly more modern carvings can be seen near here, including some carefully lettered in the style of days gone by. A manitou is the Algonquin word for the patron or guardian angel of a particular place or thing, who may be prayed to in intercession to the Big Manitou or Holy Spirit, the Ruler of all. At the eastern end of the tunnel, appropriately enough, is a creek named Big Moniteu, after the Great Spirit. The bridge over the creek can be seen below:

Photos taken on November 25^th, the feast of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

Initial Impressions of the New English Translation of the Mass

2011-12-05T22:40:00.001-06:00

I’VE NOW ATTENDED two Masses of the new English translation of the Roman Missal: the Second Sunday in Advent and a funeral Mass.

As the peoples’ responses have changed significantly, I ought to note that the first parish did very well by having an announcement before the start of Holy Mass, where “And with your spirit” (which replaces “And also with you”) was repeated several times; they also referred to printed cards in the pews, and these were nearly universally used by the congregation of the faithful, as evidenced by loud page turning at one point during the liturgy. I must admit that out to habit and due to inattention, I did respond “And also with you” on occasion, but I was in the minority. I did not hear the now infamous “And also with your spirit”.

One thing that became quickly obvious is that the hymns and music — solidly in the casual spirit of the old translation — seemed definitely out of character with the more solemn, formal, poetic, and more theological new translation. The difference seemed jarring to me. However, the new translation also came with comprehensive chants for the Mass. In the mind of the Church, chant is an integral part of her liturgy, and is proper to it.

At the funeral Mass (may Jack rest in peace) many in attendance were not Catholic, or are not practicing. In this case, I would guess that about half of the Catholics in the congregation used the old responses. As it turns out, afterwards the new translation became a topic of conversation. When did they change it? Why did they change it? A Protestant friend made note of the new translation of ‘pro multis’ as “for many” rather than “for all,” and interpreted that as meaning that all are called, but not all respond, while a Catholic friend pointed out some roughness in the new translation of the Credo.

In both Masses, the priests obviously kept close eyes on the new Roman Missal. There was, as you might expect, some stumbling over the new translations, but strangely enough, I got the impression or had feeling that they had always used the new translation, that nothing had changed, that something eternal flowed out from the liturgy. Odd.

Newsletter from the Oratory

2011-12-01T16:24:00.001-06:00

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES ORATORY
EMAIL NEWSLETTER

2653 Ohio Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri 63118
www.institute-christ-king.org
www.TraditionForTomorrow.com
314-771-3100

December 01, 2011

EMAIL NEWSLETTER – EXTRA EDITION

INTRODUCING A SCRIP PROGRAM FOR THE ORATORY
SECOND ANNUAL SURVEY – FIRST GAUDETE BENEFIT GALA
HALL RESTROOM RENOVATIONS - EXTERIOR RENOVATION
ON CAMPUS: PORCH AND RAMP - FINALLY

Dear Faithful and Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory,

INTRODUCING A SCRIP PROGRAM FOR THE ORATORY

FROM MRS. GRETCHEN CLINTON, ST. FRANCIS DE SALES SCRIP COORDINATOR:

We are pleased to announce a powerful, new fundraiser for St. Francis de Sales Oratory. It requires no selling and will provide a constant source of revenue. This program is so easy that everyone can contribute with very little effort and with NO additional strain on your budget.

Do you purchase gas, dine out, buy groceries, maintain your vehicle, or do home improvement? Of course you do! Need a gift for someone special or gift cards for the upcoming holidays? Do you read books or purchase electronics? Do you want to help and contribute to St. Francis de Sales Oratory?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you too can help transform and restore this magnificent St. Louis landmark just by shopping at stores you already frequent.

It is the scrip program. Scrip is simply a word that means “substitute money” – in the form of gift certificates and gift cards from national and local retailers. The way it works is simple. Scrip participating retailers agree to sell gift certificates to our organization at a discount. Families buy the certificates for full face value, they redeem them for full face value and St. Francis de Sales keeps the difference as revenue.

For example: I order $100 worth of gift cards to eat at Bob Evans. The Oratory orders the cards through the scrip management company, Great Lakes Scrip Center. Bob Evans has agreed to a 10% standard discount on the gift cards; thus, the Oratory only pays $90 for those cards. I pay full value for the cards at $100 because I was going to spend that anyway eating there. The Oratory earns $10 just from a small bit of pre-planning on my behalf. All of the participating companies have different agreed percentages: some higher, some lower.

Our first scrip order placed this week involved only 3 people, and $25 was earned for the Oratory. The potential is incredible and best of all THIS IS FREE MONEY. A portion of the money you are already spending will be coming back to the Oratory.

The beauty of scrip is that you put your regular household shopping dollars to work. You can contribute to the Oratory without spending a single additional penny. Just do your regular shopping with scrip at the stores that participate in the scrip program! Scrip can be used for just about any household purchase including food, clothing, entertainment, gasoline and even dining out. There are hundreds of participating stores. Many local businesses will also be included and available soon.

The complete listing of participating merchants can be found online and paper copies will also be available at the office and in the basement on Sundays.

Ordering is easy! You can submit orders online at www.shopwithscrip.com or with paper copies. Simple go to the site to set up a family account. The ShopWithScrip enrollment code for St. Francis de Sales is 7B6B613B29666. Choose the scrip that you need and submit your order. Drop your check off at the Oratory office or after Mass on Sundays in the church basement. Weekly scrip orders will be placed every Monday and orders will be available for pick up on Wednesday or at your convenience from the Oratory. There is also the option of PrestoPay online. There are several retailers that have immediate e-scrip and reloadable options online for speedier service or unexpected purchases.

If you own a business and are interested in being included in the scrip program the benefits are three fold. Businesses receive cash up front and repeat business, fostering a positive community relationship. Consumers are more apt to patronize businesses that are on the scrip list especially if they are local. St. Francis de Sales benefits because of the profit we receive from the discounted card. The consumer benefits because they are able to plan ahead and purchase with the knowledge that by using gift card purchased through St. Francis de Sales, they are helping both the church and local businesses. If you would like to be included in the program, please contact Canon Wiener and we will be glad to add your business to the growing list.

Any questions at all about the program please feel free to contact: Gretchen Clinton atsfdsscrip@gmail.com or the parish office at 314-771-3100.

SECOND ANNUAL SURVEY

Last year's survey

From our survey last year, we learned that our Mass attendees come from near and far, some regularly at least once a week, and some regularly, but less often, and still some who only visit occasionally. We also found – as one would expect from a normal population profile, a wide spread in age, from small children to nonagenarians. The comments from the survey also provided us valuable information which helps the Institute’s work at the Oratory to serve the faithful in St. Louis.

Having this baseline, we once again ask your help in conducting this simple survey this year, starting on the first Sunday of Advent. Whether you are a member of the Oratory, a frequent attendee, or an occasional visitor on Sundays or during the week, your contribution to this survey is important to the overall picture. Any answer given will be completely confidential, as no identifying information will be asked.

Since not everyone is able to attend Mass here every week, this survey will take place over be a period of five weeks. You may fill out a paper form, which will be provided in the weekly bulletins, or an online version of the form at this link http://www.tinyurl.com/StFdS. Whichever form you choose, please fill out the survey only once, per household, during this 5-week period.

Thank you for your participation!

THE FIRST GAUDETE BENEFIT GALA

Saturday, December 17, at 6:30 PM in the Oratory hall

Ticket sales for the Gaudete Benefit Gala have been going very well, promising a very festive and joyful gathering. So far, at least 100 guests will be treated to a pampered evening of good food, drinks, entertainment and valet parking, in addition to sampling the Oratory’s repertoire of sacred music performed by our own talented musicians.

As you know, this Gala will benefit the Oratory music program, an important component of the liturgy and the Oratory community life. In the near future, the organ in the church must be repaired, and the music suite in our “1888 Building” must be renovated. Proceeds from this Gala will be used to fund these needs.

Music is a wonderful universal language of joy and peace, especially during Advent as we anticipate the coming of Our Blessed Lord. We hope that this Gala also provides an opportunity for you and your family to invite friends and neighbors to share in the spiritual bounty and cultural richness that the Church offers.

Please purchase your tickets ($35 each) as soon as possible, either by contacting the Oratory office or by purchasing them after both Masses on Sunday. No tickets will be sold after Sunday, December 11th.

For organizational purposes tickets are necessary for admission! Thank you.

HALL RESTROOM RENOVATION

The renovated restrooms in the Oratory hall are proving to be a much-appreciated benefit for all our families and visitors who gather in the hall every week. For all our upcoming events and gatherings, such as the Gaudete Gala, the renovation is a sign of our community’s hospitality and stewardship of this great church. Thanks to the generous contributions from all our benefactors, we are now only $3,215.00away from covering the total cost of $30,000.00 to renovate both restrooms.

We deeply appreciate your continued support to help us reach this goal so that we can close the books on this important project.

EXTERIOR RENOVATION ON CAMPUS – PORCH AND RAMP

PORCH

Before: Ramp in disrepair, with missing porch

Work to repair the exterior portions of the structures attached to the gymnasium has begun in earnest. The gymnasium, once an important part of the high school campus, is used now on a regular basis by the KIPP Inspire Academy, and by members of the Oratory community, especially our youths and homeschoolers. After repairing the gymnasium roof to make it leak-tight, we have begun with necessary tuck-pointing work on various outside walls of the gym. The old porch which extends from the second-floor apartment above the gymnasium, and the wooden ramp outside of the gym building the replacing the dilapidated exterior structures attached to it must be our next step. These are the old porch which extends from the second-floor apartment above the gymnasium, and the wooden ramp outside of the gym building must be replaced.

Current state: Porch being reconstructed

For the porch, tuck-pointing of the exterior wall facing the parking lot was part of the work required by the city before the permit could be issued. With the generous help of volunteers, this has been done, and the re-construction of the porch has begun, as shown in the photos. We are very grateful for all the help from many volunteers, especially Mr. Paul Lohmueller. Once this porch is completed, we can turn our attention to the renovation of the interior of the second-floor flat.

RAMP

The old wooden ramp on the north side of the gym building has become rotten and a serious safety hazard. St. Vincent de Paul Society at the Oratory has replaced the old ramp with a brand new one. The ramp is used by the Society volunteers to transfer boxes of donated food between the storage rooms and their cars.

We are very grateful for this additional contribution the St. Vincent de Paul Society makes to the Oratory community and the neighborhood in South City. St. Vincent de Paul Society at the Oratory does important works of mercy throughout the entire year, as this description regarding their activity in the month of July by the Society itself shows:

“The St Vincent de Paul Society at St Francis de Sales served 41 families consisting of 118 individuals during the month of July. The majority of those assisted were in need of food, but we also had several instances where we were able to provide needed furniture and dishes. In addition to the food items (hot dogs, bologna, 'Soup and Stew' containers, canned goods, breakfast cereal, bread and bakery items and other non-perishables), we also distributed $1,170.00 in vouchers for Shop and Save to assist our clients in securing perishable items. The ongoing prayers and financial support of SVDP is deeply appreciated and enables us to provide services such as these for the residents of the local community. Thank you for your assistance.”

FINALLY

In closing I invite you to continue to pray with us the Annual Novena in preparation of the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. We are very honored to receive the visit of His Excellency, Bishop Edward M. Rice, on Tuesday, December 6, at 6:30 PM. He will preach to us about "The Purity of Mary". Monsignor Arthur Calkins will preach on the feast day, December 8. Father John Horn, S.J., Father Brian Harrison, O.S., Father Thomas Keller, Father Gregory Lockwood, Father Eric Kunz and Canon William Avis are participating also in this important liturgical event.

With my sincere best wishes and the assurance of my prayers in Christ the King,

Canon Michael K. Wiener
Rector, St. Francis de Sales Oratory

Photos of Saint Mary's Church, in Glasgow, Missouri

2011-11-26T12:45:00.001-06:00

HERE ARE PHOTOS of Saint Mary's Church, located in Glasgow, Missouri. Built on the highest hill in that Missouri River town, this church is a part of the Diocese of Jefferson City, and is located about 164 road miles west-by-northwest of downtown Saint Louis.

The town is named after one of the original settlers, James Glasgow. According to a history:

When Glasgow was established in 1836, there probably were no Catholics here. Beginning about 1860, German and Irish immigrants began to settle in and around Glasgow, lured by reports of the prosperity of the area and the similarity of the terrain to that of their homeland. With them they brought Catholicism. Irish settlers tended to live in town, engaging in various businesses; Germans took up agriculture. The wheat they produced bolstered the economy of the area. In 1866 a permanent parish was founded in Glasgow. Father Henry Meurs was named first pastor. The first church was completed in 1869. By 1909 about 300 of Glasgow's 1800 inhabitants were Catholic. The first church building badly needed repair. The people decided to build a new church rather than renovate the old one. On May 30, 1912, Monsignor O.J.S. Hoog laid the cornerstone. By July of that year newspapers reported railroad cars with brick, stone, sand and lime needed for construction were arriving daily. Some stained glass windows were imported from Germany.

On May 11, 1913, 700 people arrended the dedication of St. Mary's. The American Gothic edifice had cost almost $49,000, a sum equal to one-third of the total capital of the Gaslow Savings Bank at the time. The church measures 96 feet from vestibule to sanctuary. The vaulted ceiling made it possible to construct a nave unobstructed by pillars or other supports. Religious paintings, statues and a rainbow of colors streaming through the windows remind worshippers of religion's ultimate goal. The golden cross on the steeple can be seen for miles.

When the parish was erected it was part of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. Msgr. Hoog was a missionary priest in central Missouri, and Vicar General of the Archdiocese.

The parish's elementary school was founded in 1869 and has about 114 students.

The town of Glasgow is scenic, and has a pleasant downtown area good for tourists.

I arrived just after sunset — which occurs quite early this time of year — and the interior was mainly lit by candlelight.

Address:
421 Third Street
Glasgow, Missouri 65254

Orange Sky

2011-11-22T17:38:00.001-06:00

A LIGHT MIST hung low in the sky yesterday evening; this made for interesting photography. Here are some photos taken in Forest Park, in Saint Louis, Missouri; orange street lighting gave these scenes an unusual color.

This stream reconstructs the middle section of the River des Peres, which used to flow through (and now flows under) Forest Park.

Exposure time for these images ranged from two to four minutes, causing the flowing water to become a blur.

Saint Joseph Church, in Clayton, Missouri

2011-11-22T17:32:00.001-06:00

Located on the highest hill of Clayton, Missouri, this church offers a daily confession and a noontime Mass. Photo taken yesterday evening.

Saint Albert the Great

2011-11-15T09:04:00.001-06:00

TODAY IS THE feast of Saint Albert the Great, priest of the Order of Preachers, Bishop of Regensburg, the “Universal Doctor”; known for his great breadth of knowledge of the natural sciences, philosophy, and theology. Saint Albert influenced the development of Gothic architecture, was the master of Saint Thomas Aquinas, and laid the foundation for the scientific method. But he is called Saint Albert because of his faith and virtue, his holiness of life which won for him the eternal crown of glory in Heaven: for although wisdom is of incalculable value, it is of little value compared to being united with God.

From Saint Albert’s book On Union with God:

Whosoever thou art who longest to enter upon this happy state or seekest to direct thither thy steps, thus it behoveth thee to act.

First, close, as it were, thine eyes, and bar the doors of thy senses. Suffer not anything to entangle thy soul, nor permit any care or trouble to penetrate within it.

Shake off all earthly things, counting them useless, noxious, and hurtful to thee.

When thou hast done this, enter wholly within thyself, and fix thy gaze upon thy wounded Jesus, and upon Him alone. Strive with all thy powers, unwearyingly, to reach God through Himself, that is, through God made Man, that thou mayest attain to the knowledge of His Divinity through the wounds of His Sacred Humanity.

In all simplicity and confidence abandon thyself and whatever concerns thee without reserve to God's unfailing Providence, according to the teaching of St. Peter: “Casting all your care upon Him,” Who can do all things. And again it is written: “Be nothing solicitous”; “Cast thy care upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee”; “It is good for me to adhere to my God”; “I set the Lord always in my sight”; “I found Him Whom my soul loveth”; and “Now all good things came to me” together with Him. This is the hidden and heavenly treasure, the precious pearl, which is to be preferred before all. This it is that we must seek with humble confidence and untiring effort, yet in silence and peace.

It must be sought with a brave heart, even though its price be the loss of bodily comfort, of esteem, and of honour.

Lacking this, what doth it profit a religious if he “gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?” Of what value are the religious state, the holiness of our profession, the shaven head, the outward signs of a life of abnegation, if we lack the spirit of humility and truth, in which Christ dwells by faith and love? St. Luke says: “The kingdom of God,” that is, Christ, “is within you,”

In proportion as the mind is absorbed in the thought and care of the things of this world do we lose the fervour of our devotion, and drift away from the things of Heaven.

The greater, on the other hand, our diligence in withdrawing our powers from the memory, love and thought of that which is inferior in order to fix them upon that which is above, the more perfect will be our prayer, the purer our contemplation. The soul cannot give itself perfectly at the same time to two objects as contrary one to another as light to darkness; for he who lives united to God dwells in the light, he who clings to this world lives in darkness.

The highest perfection, therefore, of man in this life lies in this: that he is so united to God that his soul with all its powers and faculties becomes recollected in Him and is one spirit with Him. Then it remembers naught save God, nor does it relish or understand anything but Him. Then all its affections, united in the delights of love, repose sweetly in the enjoyment of their Creator.

The image of God which is imprinted upon the soul is found in the three powers of the reason, memory, and will. But since these do not perfectly bear the Divine likeness, they have not the same resemblance to God as in the first days of man's creation.

God is the “form” of the soul upon which He must impress His own image, as the seal on the wax or the stamp on the object it marks.

This can only be fully accomplished when the reason is wholly illuminated according to its capacity, by the knowledge of God, the Sovereign Truth; the will entirely devoted to the love of the Supreme Good; the memory absorbed in the contemplation and enjoyment of eternal felicity, and in the sweet repose of so great a happiness.

As the perfect possession of this state constitutes the glory of the Blessed in Heaven, it is clear that in its commencement consists the perfection of this life.

Scientific knowledge is not the same thing as wisdom. Scientific endeavors, for which Saint Albert is justly famous, have no value if they aren’t based ultimately in charity: the love for God and the love for our fellow men. This lack of true charity is common in our skeptical, egotistical age, which so often uses the fruits of the scientific method with evil intent.

I wrote earlier about Saint Albert and science here.

Busy. Can’t talk.

2011-11-12T11:23:00.001-06:00

I HAVEN’T POSTED here much lately, because I’ve been working on some new picture books for Reedy Press.

The new books ought to be published next year.

The Poor Souls

2011-11-09T20:49:00.001-06:00

A detail of a statue, from the grave of Maysie Walker Pittman, at Calvary Cemetery in Saint Louis. Photo taken on this All Souls Day, November 2^nd. More than a century old, the statue has some residual coal dust on it from the early 20^th century as well as weathering. It is a touching memorial of a woman who died young.

She was born on August 10^th, 1867 in Saint Louis County, with the given name Rose Marion Walker, and died on March 28^th, 1896, at the age of 28. Her husband, Asa Pittman, died in 1899 at the age of 33. Her monument has Our Lord’s beatitude “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” which is from the Gospel reading for All Saints Day, November 1^st, (Matt. 5:8).

A fine statue, but no one living knew this young woman. She has a fine monument, but very many of the departed do not; some cemeteries hereabout are even unmarked: we may pass by the remains of the departed in ignorance. As November is the month of the poor souls, we are reminded that we need to pray for them, and so instead, we can offer up a prayer for her, and for others known and unknown to us. As Saint Paul tells us, we are to “pray without ceasing” and so it is hardly an inconvenience.

From a homily of Saint John Chrysostom (ca. 347-407):

“But I know not whither he has gone,” say you. Wherefore do you not know, tell me? For according as he lived well or otherwise, it is evident whither he will go. “Nay, on this very account I lament,” say you, “because he departed being a sinner.” This is a mere pretext and excuse. For if this were the reason of your mourning for the departed, you ought to have formed and corrected him, when he was alive. The fact is thou dost every where look to what concerns yourself, not him.

But grant that he departed with sin upon him, even on this account one ought to rejoice, that he was stopped short in his sins and added not to his iniquity; and help him as far as possible, not by tears, but by prayers and supplications and alms and offerings. For not unmeaningly have these things been devised, nor do we in vain make mention of the departed in the course of the divine mysteries, and approach God in their behalf, beseeching the Lamb Who is before us, Who takes away the sin of the world—not in vain, but that some refreshment may thereby ensue to them. Not in vain does he that stands by the altar cry out when the tremendous mysteries are celebrated, “For all that have fallen asleep in Christ, and for those who perform commemorations in their behalf.” For if there were no commemorations for them, these things would not have been spoken: since our service is not a mere stage show, God forbid! Yea, it is by the ordinance of the Spirit that these things are done.

Let us then give them aid and perform commemoration for them. For if the children of Job were purged by the sacrifice of their father, why do you doubt that when we too offer for the departed, some consolation arises to them? Since God is wont to grant the petitions of those who ask for others.

— Homily 41 on 1 Corinthians

Newsletter from the Oratory

2011-11-03T19:30:00.000-05:00

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES ORATORY
EMAIL NEWSLETTER

2653 Ohio Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri 63118
www.institute-christ-king.org
www.TraditionForTomorrow.com
314-771-3100

November 03, 2011

SEMINARY SOCIETY BREAKFAST – COMPLETION OF RESTROOMS
MUSIC GALA IN DECEMBER - BLEST ART VISIT
NOVENA - FIRST FRIDAY – CAN YOU GUESS?

SEMINARY SOCIETY BREAKFAST ON THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

Second to Christ the King, our Sovereign High Priest, the attention of the entire Oratory was turned to the Seminary of the Institute this past Sunday. What love could be spared from Our Lord was focused on the young men who are answering the call of our Master, the King of kings, the Prince of peace, and the Lamb of God.

Holy Mass was celebrated with great solemnity, with the children’s choir, the men’s and the ladies’ schola singing pieces from Louis Vierne and Lassus, and a wonderful cadre of servers in Institute blue. Not only did we pay homage to Our Blessed Lord on this regal feast day, we also celebrated the patronal feast of our beloved Institute. Grace radiated from the Altar, engulfed us, and motivated our hearts.

Following both Masses, over 350 of the faithful met in the Oratory hall for our Second Annual Seminary Society Breakfast. The breakfast has helped raise awareness of the Institute’s St. Phillip Neri International Seminary and also assists in providing material support. True to the best Midwestern hospitality, a warm, hearty breakfast was provided at a very family-friendly price to the gathering of Oratory families and friends. It was edifying for all, particularly our youths and children, to be able to hear the Rector describe the Seminary and its thoroughly human formation, to watch a video of Canon Huberfeld, and to see many images of Seminary life in a slide show which played throughout the breakfast. Many faithful took the opportunity to sign up to pray for a seminarian in this coming year. In addition, the Rector’s Raffle, the 50/50-Raffle, and door prizes for ticket holders all contributed to the great success of this event. One of the candidates in St. Louis donated a beautiful oil painting of Gricigliano, and Mark Abeln’s altar photo, available for only $100.00 as a half-size copy, found much interest.

For this superb breakfast event, we are deeply grateful to the organizers, particularly Mrs. Mary Hayworth, and to Two Mikes Catering who provided the breakfast at cost so that more funds could be donated to support the Seminary. In all, the Seminary Society Breakfasted netted well over $3,000 for the benefit of the Seminary! Together with the second collection for the Seminary and funds that were collected by the Seminary Society earlier this year, we will be able to send $9,556.78 to the Seminary in Gricigliano. Thank you very much for your outstanding generosity!

In the name of the superiors of the Institute, and all the canons, oblates, seminarians and sisters, we wish to thank you very much for your prayers and for your material support of the Seminary. The seminarians of the Institute remember all of you, their benefactors, in their daily prayers; your generosity and friendship are the means with which Our Sovereign Priest and King provides us with His future priests. Thank you very much!

COMPLETION OF RESTROOMS - DONATIONS NEEDED – WE ARE NOW AT $13,365.00
We are pleased to announce that the renovation of the restrooms in the Oratory hall are completed! For logistical reasons and for the comfort of our Oratory families in the cold winter months, it was decide to renovate the women’s restroom although we had not yet collected enough funds. Thanks to all of you, the funds are slowly growing. We are now 17,635.00 short of our collection goal. Your help is deeply appreciated!

ANNOUNCING THE FIRST ANNUAL GAUDETE BENEFIT GALA

In the spirit of Gaudete Sunday – “Rejoice in the Lord Always” – an evening of excellent food, drink, and music awaits us on Saturday, December 17th, 2011 at 6:30pm. On this date, we and the Oratory Choirs and Orchestra cordially invite you to the first annual Gaudete Benefit Gala, showcasing our music program. Music is an important part of the liturgy and an important way that the faithful of the Church participate in her liturgy. It is also a beautiful way in which we can share the majestic traditions of the Church with everyone, particularly during Advent.

The Gaudete Benefit Gala will feature the music talents of the Oratory: the Polyphonic Choir, Ladies’ Schola, Gentlemen’s Schola, Girls’ Choir, & Boys’ Choir, and the Saint Francis de Sales Oratory Orchestra. What will we hear at the Benefit? “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “Coventry Carol” by Philip Stopford, “Brandenburg Concerto no.3” by Johann Sebastian Bach, and “Pueri Concinite” by Johann von Herbeck are just a few!

The tickets for this Benefit will go on sale next week, on November 10, and will range in price between $35 and $50 (Rector’s and Conductor’s Tables). Please mark your calendars, and plan to invite all your family and friends to share in this living tradition and priceless treasure of the Church!

VISIT OF BLEST ART
The mission of Blest Art, Inc., based in Beloit, WI, is to support Catholic Christians in the Holy Land by selling art work they produce. The hand-carved olive wood pieces, from simple ornaments to elaborate crucifixes and Nativity scenes, will be exhibited and offered for sale today after both Masses in the hall. Please see the posters in our vestibules.

“Only with your help can we provide some stability and keep a continued Catholic Christian presence in the Holy Land. We cannot let them destroy the testimony that our Lord lived. We would like to invite every one of you to come and take a look at our beautiful artwork. If you like anything, please consider purchasing it because the people who chose to stay in the Holy Land to protect our holy sites deserve your help and support.”

NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR THE FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

It is hardly possible to pay too much attention to the Immaculate Conception. Our Lady under this title is the patroness of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, and also the primary patroness of our country, the United States of America. In preparation for this important feast, we have invited many guest homilists to share their meditations with us. The following is the schedule for the Novena:

Wednesday, November 30, 6:30PM: Father Bede Price, OSB, Rector of the Oratory of SS Gregory and Augustine, St. Louis: “Mary – Queen of the Apostles”

Thursday, December 1, 6:30PM: Father Eric J. Kunz, Associate Pastor at Queen of All Saints, St. Louis: “Mary, Mother of Divine Hope”

Friday, December 2, 6:30PM: Father Gregory J. Lockwood, Administrative Director - Vocation Office, Diocese of Kansas-St. Joseph: “Woman, Behold your Son: Mary, the new Eve”

Saturday, December 3, 8:00AM: Canon William Avis, Rector Old St. Patrick’s Oratory, Kansas, Missouri: “Mary, One of Heart with Our Lord”

Sunday, December 4, 10:00AM: Father John Horn, S.J., Rector at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary: “Advent, Waiting and the Coming Glory of the Lord”

Monday, December 5, 6:30PM: Father Thomas Keller, Pastor of St. Angela Merici, St. Louis: “Mary, Throne of Eternal Wisdom”

Tuesday, December 6, 6:30PM: Bishop Edward M. Rice, Auxiliary Bishop, St. Louis: “The Purity of Mary”

Wednesday, December 7, 6:30PM: Father Brian Harrison, O.S.: “The Immaculate Conception in American History”

Thursday, December 8, 6:30PM: Monsignor Arthur Calkins: “Mary’s Presence in the Mystery of Christ ‘before the creation of the world’”.

SACRED HEART FRIDAY – SOLEMN HIGH MASS TOMORROW

Reminder: On Friday, November 4th, we will celebrate the votive Mass of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, at 6:30 PM.

The Oratory Choir of Men and Boys will assist again at the First Friday Solemn High Mass from the Sanctuary Choir Stalls. This Friday the choir will sing movements of Sir Richard Terry's Short Mass in C Major. Sir R. Terry was the founding director of the Westminster Cathedral Choir, London. Both the Boys' Choir and Girls' Choir took a special trip to the Cathedral Basilica on October 19th to hear the Westminster Cathedral Choir sing a concert of Sacred Choral Music.

CAN YOU GUESS?
Beautiful and interesting images abound in the Oratory to invite us to contemplate the mysteries of our Faith. If you’ve been to the Oratory, most likely you have seen this fellow. Or have you? To see the latest mystery photo, check our restoration website’s latest blog entry. You may take our Virtual Tour if you wish.

With the assurance of my prayers and deeply grateful for all your generosity,

Canon Michael K. Wiener
Rector, St. Francis de Sales Oratory

All Souls Day

2011-11-02T16:58:00.001-05:00

Requiem æternam dona eis Domine; et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Requiescant in pace.
Amen.

Placare Christe servulis

2011-10-31T18:49:00.000-05:00

A HYMN, for Vespers of the Eve of All Saints Day:

PLACARE, Christe, servulis, quibus Patris clementiam tuae ad Tribunal gratiae patrona Virgo postulat.	TO thy poor servants reconciled show mercy, Christ, for whom the mild and Virgin Patroness this grace implore before Thy Father's face.
Et vos, beata per novem distincta gyros agmina, antiqua cum praesentibus, futura damna pellite.	Ye glorious hosts, whose circle nine before God's throne refulgent shine, shield us with your celestial arms from past, present, and future harms.
Apostoli cum Vatibus, apud severum Iudicem veris reorum fletibus exposcite indulgentiam.	Apostles with the Prophets plead for weeping sinners in their need, that from their Judge severe they gain pardon, effacing guilt's dark stain.
Vos, purpurati Martyres, vos, candidati praemio confessionis, exsules vocate nos in patriam.	Ye purpled martyrs, you, now dressed in white because your lives confessed your Lord on earth, us exiles call unto the fatherland of all.
Chorea casta Virginum, et quos eremus incolas transmisit astris, Caelitum locate nos in sedibus.	O choir of virgins, stainless band! and ye for whom the desert-land made sure the way to heavenly rest, prepare us mansions with the blest.
Auferte gentem perfidam credentium de finibus, ut unus omnes unicum ovile nos Pater regat.	The race perfidious expel from regions where the faithful dwell; let one sole shepherd be our guide, all Christians in one fold abide.
Deo Patri sit gloria, Natoque Patris unico; Sancto simul Paraclito, in sempiterna saecula.	Glory, O Father! to Thy name; eternal Son, to Thine the same; to Holy Paraclete be praise throughout the everlasting days.

— Pope Urban VIII

Happy All Hallow’s Eve

2011-10-31T18:06:00.000-05:00

And don’t forget, All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation.

Autumn in the Ozarks

2011-10-29T14:05:00.001-05:00

Click photo for a larger version.

Oratory Prints Available

2011-10-29T11:06:00.000-05:00

SUPPORTING THE APOSTOLATE of Saint Francis de Sales Oratory and the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, a limited edition of photographic art prints are now offered for sale by the Oratory:

These will be sold for $100 each at the Seminary breakfast on Sunday:

SUPPORT THE INSTITUTE’S SEMINARY IN GRICIGLIANO: BREAKFAST

ON THE FEAST OF
CHRIST THE KING
CANON WIENER AND THE SEMINARY SOCIETY SAINT LOUIS CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO JOIN THEM FOR BREAKFAST ON THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING.

This will be an opportunity to learn more about the Seminary, meet the newest candidates, and to offer our prayerful support for

our future priests, while enjoying a bountiful breakfast at very
reasonable prices.
MENU:

Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Bacon, Biscuits & Gravy
Pancakes, Sweet Rolls
Coffee, Tea, Milk & Juice

PRICE:
Ages 2 and under: FREE
Ages 11 and under: $4.00
Ages 12 and up: $7.00
Large family maximum: $30.00
PLUS:
Talk by Canon Wiener
Video Presentation by Canon Huberfeld Personal Messages from Gricigliano 50/50 Raffle
Rector’s Raffle
Attendance Prizes for the Children Sign-up to Pray for Individual Seminarians BREAKFAST WILL BE SERVED AFTER BOTH THE 8:00 & 10:00 a.m. MASSES

All proceeds will be used for the benefit of the Seminary in Gricigliano, Italy.

- EVERYONE IS WELCOME -
RSVP WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ESTIMATE ATTENDANCE: maryhayworthss@gmail.com

These prints are a ¼ size reproduction of a major new photographic work I did for the Oratory this past summer. These high quality giclée prints were made under my direction at Diversified Lab of Brentwood, Missouri. The image size is 12-½ x 7 inches on an 11x17 inch matte. The photo is attached with removable art adhesive if you desire to change the matting. This is a limited edition of 50 prints; each one is signed and numbered. You can purchase a copy of this print at the Seminary breakfast on Sunday, or you can order a copy by calling the Oratory rectory at (314) 771-3100.

Although I had long dabbled in photography, the end results of my art were usually unsatisfactory. It was not until I had become Catholic and wanted to produce worthy photographs of the Church's temples of God that my photographic work improved: “Behold, I make all things new.” Inspired by the Church’s great patrimony of art, and by the art theories discovered by her philosophers and theologians, I started re-learning photography from scratch.

When I was asked to photograph something for the Oratory, I never had any subject in mind other than the remarkable high altar reredos, which is 52 feet high. It is polychromed carved wood and was made by the E. Hackner Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin. No other subject within the Oratory has such an epic scale, being able to be captured in a single image. We can rightly say “Awesome is this place; this is the house of God and gate of Heaven."

When I photograph architecture, I try to reflect the symmetry and proportions inherent in the architectural element, as well as faithfully render the color. Although these subjects are three dimensional, I attempt to eliminate perspective as much as possible, to give the viewer a sense of the object in itself rather than simply a particular point of view. To this end, I attempt to eliminate any tilt or off centered compositions, keeping vertical lines vertical and horizontal lines horizontal. I also attempt to flatten the image as much as possible, like an architect’s orthographic projection drawing. Clearly, this is not completely possible with basic photographic technology, but I can come fairly close.

To capture this kind of composition, I attempt to get as far away from my subject as practical, and align my camera if possible with the principal axes of the subject to eliminate converging lines of perspective. The use of a telephoto lens helps flatten the subject. Overall sharpness and focus put our attention on the subject itself rather on the artifice of the camera. The lines of perspective on the rows of pews on the bottom, and the fact that the pews are obviously out of focus, shatter the illusion of a flat representation and remind the viewer that this is indeed a photograph.

To bring out the color of the reredos, I adjusted the camera and did post processing to account for the color and quality of the light; the best color correction is found in the altar area near the bottom. Were I to do this again, I’d attempt to correct more strongly for the relatively blue color of the light coming through the windows; however, I think the range of colors in this print are pleasing. As the altar is illumined with artificial lighting of good spectral quality, supplemented with the natural daylight coming through the windows, I think the color rendering here is attractive without harsh the magenta and green tones often found with newer gas discharge lighting.

My intent was to capture more detail in this image than is visible to even the sharpest human eye; to bring out detail, either artistically intended or damage due to age and wear. Perfection is not shown here, for only God is perfect. We can see both finely carved details as well as fine cracks and water damage. You can support the preservation of the Oratory here: http://www.traditionfortomorrow.com.

My model of digital camera is famed for producing quality, low-noise images, but the resolution of this somewhat antiquated sensor and my lenses aren’t designed to produce large-scale images. Adequate cameras tend to cost as much as luxury automobiles, are used in high-end fashion magazines, and so are quite out of my means — and such cameras lack flexibility and practicality also. As an inexpensive yet time-consuming alternative, this image is a composite made up of numerous individual tiles. This required me to take very many photographs from one spot — 288 photographs in total. Using an 85 mm f/1.4 lens — known for producing sharp images with insignificant optical distortion — I took multiple exposures of small sections of the reredos over a period of nearly two hours. The lens was set at its sharpest setting, f/5.6, and the focus point was halfway in distance between the top of the apse and the communion railing.

I took these photos during a brutally hot day in July, and the high temperature in the building risked increasing the digital noise coming from my sensor. To counteract this, for each image I took a counter-image with the same exposure but with the shutter closed; the camera electronics subtracted out the ‘dark frame’ from the exposed frame to reduce this added noise. This is a technique originally devised by astronomers to get clean star images. The final image is exceptionally clean with little visible digital noise.

This was followed by at least 40 hours of work on the computer, fusing the various separate images together to produce a single image. While many commercial software packages can fuse together images in this way, they all trade off speed and simplicity for final image quality. Rather, I used computer-science grade software that allows for far greater control over the blending process, correcting for even slight shifts of the camera or lighting, and correcting lens defects. For the final image, I rendered the multiple images into a single rectilinear photo, using a mathematical projection which keeps the lines of the subject straight.

A single exposure has only a limited dynamic range of tones of brightness and darkness it can capture. The ratio of illumination from the brightest light coming through the window to the darkest visible shadow was at least 10,000:1, which exceeds the range of the camera and is also far greater than the range of tones available in print, which is about 100:1. Anything out of this range is either pure black or pure white. This is unacceptable; I intended to capture as many of the tones in the scene as possible. Many of the 288 photos I took that day were multiple exposures, adjusting the shutter speed time to alternatively capture the shadows, mid tones, highlights, and windows. The software on the computer selects the best exposed tones from each image and seamlessly blends it in with the others producing an image that has full range of tones. Over the years, I’ve experimented with various methods of exposure blending, but I created my own techniques which preserve the colors of highlights and shadows very well. Very little tonality in this scene was lost: there is a small patch on one of the windows which is pure white, and some shadows near the crucifix are pure black, however, the dynamic range seen here nearly matches that of the human eye, and there is some shadow detail which actually exceeds what can be seen casually. This would not be possible with only a single activation of the shutter.

Naively compressing the tones of the image to print would produce an image without much texture, and so I enhanced local contrast with techniques I’ve devised to produce visually enhanced texture without obvious digital artifacts. This is similar to the technique used by artists when producing polychrome statues: colors within folds of cloth are either tinted or shaded to enhance the visual impression of light and dark. An inevitable side effect of this tonal compression is that the final image may resemble a painting more than a photograph. I don’t think this is a bad thing: actually, I find myself being more inspired by painting — a superior art form — as I learn more about photography.

Copies of the print may be purchased at the Oratory.

In the Beginning…

2011-10-27T10:58:00.001-05:00

…GOD CREATED Heaven and Earth... (Genesis 1:1)

So begins Sacred Scripture. According to the familiar structure of the Creation account, God creates the firmament, dry land, the seas, and so forth:

And God said: Be light made. And light was made. And God saw the light, that it was…

What?

Recently I gave a talk, and quoted a similar line from Genesis. The people in the audience immediately answered back ‘good’. Well, that is what nearly all English language Bible translations say (one says ‘pleasing’). Good is a good word, evocative of goodness, but it might not be the best translation, not capturing its full or highest meaning; would you rather be told that you did a good job or an excellent job? Perhaps a better or more evocative or powerful translation might be And God saw the light, that it was beautiful, or perhaps that it was good and beautiful.

Here is the Hebrew text: וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאוֹר, כִּי-טוֹב; And also consider the ancient translations of the Greek Septuagint and Saint Jerome’s Vulgate Latin, which were made close to the original source and culture:

καὶ εἶδεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ φῶς ὅτι καλόν
Et vidit Deus lucem quod esset bona

The Hebrew word for ‘good’— highlighted above in red — is טוֹב or ’tov’; the Greek equivalent is καλόν, ‘kalon’ and the Latin translation is bona.

The Hebrew adjective tov is undoubtably well known in the phrase ‘mazel tov’, usually translated as ‘good luck’ but literally is something more like the Latin rorate coeli; a thanksgiving for divine grace, which is likened to dew dropped down from Heaven. While tov is usually translated as ‘good’, it can also mean kind, thoughtful, moral, pleasing, appropriate, fitting, or successful.

Likewise, καλόν means beautiful, fair, shapely, beloved, of fine quality, auspicious, moral, noble, honorable, excellent, virtuous, or favorable; while bona means moral, honest, of good standing, excellent, comfortable, fine, honorable, artistically valuable, favorable, prosperous, lucky, fortunate, kind, noble, auspicious, or beautiful. All three words here are far broader and nobler than the typically tepid use the of English word ‘good'.

Tov is also one of many Hebrew words for ‘beautiful’, and this meaning, along with goodness, is said to be closer to what is intended in Genesis. From what I’ve read, of all the words for beautiful, tov means the most inner and modest, or hidden kind of beauty, like the beauty of wisdom that can be found in the face of an elderly person, or the beauty of soul of a saint. This word also includes the notion of pregnancy; consider that a fetus is a goodness hiding unseen inside the womb. This beauty has unitive and procreative aspects: a man is drawn to a woman’s beauty, while a woman receives a man if he is good, which leads to pregnancy. By analogy, goodness and beauty draws Man and God together, and Creation is pregnant with God’s truth, goodness, and beauty, even if we can’t always see it.

In Judaism, the hidden beauty of Creation can be found in the Torah with God’s law. But for Catholics, we can also find this kind of beauty foreshadowing the Incarnation, the Blessed Virgin, the Church, the Eucharist, and the world to come. The beauty of nature can also inspire Catholic artists, following the example of the Jewish Temple, which was richly decorated with representations of Creation. In accordance with long artistic tradition, artists also can intuit the hidden, beautiful symbolism found in nature.

That Creation is good, fitting, noble, valuable, auspicious, and beautiful means that artists can imitate or represent nature in ways that are also good and beautiful, despite our world being fallen, and that this beauty and goodness can draw us closer to God.

Monstrance for Sale

2011-10-25T23:31:00.001-05:00

A MONSTRANCE, associated with Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, will go on sale at Sotheby’s in New York on November 16^th.

See the article Monstrance from St. Alphonsus Church going up for auction.

Generally speaking, sacred objects ought not be sold, but the owner is in dire financial need. Perhaps Bl. Seelos would favor us with a miracle?

Sunset

2011-10-17T17:51:00.000-05:00

Photos of Holy Cross Church, in Cuba, Missouri

2011-10-16T00:23:00.001-05:00

HERE ARE PHOTOS of Holy Cross Church, in Cuba, Missouri. The church is located in Crawford County, about 84 highway miles southwest of downtown Saint Louis. It is a part of the Diocese of Jefferson City.

This parish was founded in 1880, and this church building dates from 1936.

The walls of the church are made with decorative stone from the Ozark region. Although my geological knowledge is rather rusty, it appears as though the stone used includes native red granite, a severely weathered limestone called ‘sponge rock’, the barium ore tiff, flint, and some others. The masonry was done by Albert C. Stumpf, who also worked for the New Deal WPA program. This kind of vernacular architecture was highly valued in the 1930s — a culmination of nationalistic and folk-art trends — but it disappeared by the 1940s because of World War II and the subsequent International Modernist spirit of the post-war era.

The town of Cuba is charming, and caters to tourists traveling along Interstate 44 and the famed Route 66. According to a history of the town:

Cuba was founded in 1857 in anticipation of the construction of the southern branch of the Pacific Railroad. In the period before the railroad, early settlers brought with them a pioneering spirit seeking whatever livelihood was available to support their families. Many found work in the iron ore mining industry, with oxen carts providing the transportation of agricultural and mining products to St. Louis. Mining would remain an important industry for nearly 50 years.

The origin of the name “Cuba” remains a matter of legend. It may have been chosen as a symbol of sympathy for the people of the island of Cuba in their struggle for independence from Spain. Another version tells that two former 49er gold miners had visited the isle of Cuba and found it beautiful. Another story says that George M. Jamison, who had established the area’s first post office Amanda, named after his wife, again wanted to name the new town Amanda but others objected. A stick was thrown in the air, and the direction the pointed end landed, towards Cuba or Amanda, would name the town. One thing is certain, 150 years later its name continues to be a source of curiosity.

With the arrival of the southern branch of the Pacific Railroad in 1859-1860, the train brought a new way to get goods and send products to market. Cuba became a shipping center for agriculture and industry. From 1865-1912, Cuba was known as “The Land of the Big Red Apple.” By 1900, Cuba was the largest producer and distributor of apples in Missouri.

With the advent of the Model T, road improvements became necessary. Paving for Route 66, the “Mother Road,” through Cuba was completed in 1931. With more automobile traffic, new business opportunities were created. Restaurants, gasoline stations and motels opened their doors all along Route 66 to answer the needs of traveling motorists...

In the 1990s, many businesses in the Historic Uptown were badly in need of a facelift. In 2001, the area received a boost when Viva Cuba, a beautification organization, began an outdoor mural project along old Route 66. Drab walls were transformed into public art….

Tabernacle and crucifix.

Two Evangelists flank perhaps Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia?

Baptism of Our Lord.

The Last Supper.

The Resurrection.

Address:
415 School Avenue
Cuba, Missouri 65453

Photo of Archbishop Carlson

2011-10-12T14:43:00.000-05:00

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory last Sunday.

Hawk

2011-10-10T23:09:00.000-05:00

A hawk, seen at Tillies Park in Saint Louis.

Photos of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Saint Louis Residence

2011-10-10T10:15:00.000-05:00

HERE ARE PHOTOS of the Saint Louis Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor, located in the Saint Louis Place neighborhood in the northern part of the City. I happened upon this place by accident, being on assignment to take photos nearby.

The Little Sisters of the Poor have been helping the elderly in Saint Louis since 1869. They provide help to the elderly poor without regard to religion or ethnicity, in accord with the immemorial doctrine of the Church of loving one's neighbor.

This residence dates from 1971, and according to its website, has a full-time chaplain who offers daily Mass and Rosary.

In addition to the religious vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, the Sisters also take a fourth vow of hospitality. The Liturgy of the Hours is prayed in community three times a day, along with the Holy Mass.

The Sisters are found in 32 countries, and have 34 communities in the United States.

Blessed Jeanne Jugan
Foundress of
the Little Sisters of the Poor
1792-1879

Saint Jeanne Jugan was beatified on October 3, 1982 by Pope John Paul II, and was canonized October 11, 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI. Her feast day is August 30^th.

Saint Jeanne Jugan was born in 1792 in Brittany. From the Sister's website:

Jeanne Jugan grew up in a small town in revolutionary France. Times were tough. Violence ruled the day. For thousands, begging was a way of life.

Those who openly practiced their faith were not merely ridiculed—they were imprisoned or killed. Jeanne received her faith formation—secretly and at great risk—from her mother and a group of women who belonged to an ecclesial movement of the day.

By the time Jeanne was four years old her father had been lost at sea. Her mother found odd jobs to make ends meet. Neighbor helped neighbor. As a young girl Jeanne worked as a shepherdess. She learned to knit and spin wool. Later she went to work as a kitchen maid for a wealthy family...

Jeanne barely learned to read and write. Her education consisted mostly of on-the-job training in the school of real life. Neither beautiful nor talented in the usual sense, she was gifted with an extraordinary heart. Jeanne was on fire with love for God!

Those who let themselves be seized by the love of Christ cannot help abandoning everything to follow him… Barely out of her teens, Jeanne felt the call of divine love. Preparing to leave home, she told her mother “God wants me for himself. He is keeping me for a work which is not yet founded.”

Jeanne took the road less traveled, setting out to work among the poor and forsaken in a local hospital...

Many years went by before Jeanne discovered her vocation. Finally, one cold winter night she met Jesus Christ in the person of an elderly, blind and infirm woman who had no one to care for her. Jeanne carried the woman home, climbed up the stairs to her small apartment and placed her in her own bed. From then on, Jeanne would sleep in the attic.

God led more poor old people to her doorstep. Generous young women came to help. Like Jeanne, they wanted to make a difference. Like her, they believed that “the poor are Our Lord.” A religious community was born!

There were so many old people in need of a home, so many souls hungry for love! The work rapidly spread across France and beyond. Struck by their spirit of humble service, local citizens dubbed the group the Little Sisters of the Poor. The name stuck!

For herself Jeanne chose the religious name Sister Mary of the Cross. She would live it in its fullness.…

The work of the Little Sisters continued to spread, borne by the wind of the Spirit. So did Jeanne’s renown—until one day she was mysteriously cast aside by an ambitious priest who had taken over the direction of the young community.

Jeanne was replaced as superior and sent out begging on behalf of the poor. And then one day she was placed in retirement, relegated to the shadows. At the time of her death 27 years later, the young Little Sisters didn’t even know that she was the foundress.

Jeanne had often told them, “We are grafted into the cross and we must carry it joyfully unto death.” How she lived these words! What a radiant example of holiness she gave to generations of Little Sisters!

Here is an anecdote on the spirit of the Saint:

Once when Jugan begged a young man for money, he hit her on the face. She replied with calmness, “You gave that to me, now give me something for the elderly.” The man was astounded by the sweetness of her reply and with all his heart he gave her all the money he had at that time.

St. Louis
King of France

Father of your people
Please continue to protect
our home which has been
under your patronage
since May 3, 1869

In memory of
John C. & Agnes E. Martin

Hy Stuckstede B F Co
St. Louis MO
1903

J.M.J
Donated by
John-Edward
and Herman Grone
In memory
of their parents
Henry & Adelaide Grone

The Stuckstede family of Saint Louis operated bell foundries from 1855 to 1961, and was the largest producer of bells in the western United States; hundreds of their bells can still be found in the Saint Louis region. The Grones mentioned here owned a brewery and a soda water company.

Underneath the bell a plaque reads:

In 1903
This bell was first hung
in the tower of
The Little Sisters of the Poor
3400 South Grand Avenue
It was moved to this location
May 4, 1989

The old location of the Sisters is at the corner of Grand and Gravois and is now a Schnucks market. However, the old stone wall from the property can still be seen there.

St. Michael
The Archangel
Defend Us in Battle

Jesus falls the second time.

Address:
3225 North Florissant Avenue
St Louis, Missouri 63107

Our Lady of the Rosary

2011-10-07T18:18:00.001-05:00

The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Our Lady of Victories, commemorates the defeat of a vast Ottoman fleet at the Battle of Lepanto, and is held in honor of the Blessed Virgin. According to Wikipedia:

The Victory of the Holy League prevented the Mediterranean Sea from becoming an uncontested highway for Muslim forces, protected Italy from a major Ottoman invasion, and prevented the Ottomans from advancing further into the southern flank of Europe.

Newsletter from the Oratory

2011-10-06T17:53:00.000-05:00

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES ORATORY
EMAIL NEWSLETTER

2653 Ohio Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri 63118
www.institute-christ-king.org
www.TraditionForTomorrow.com
314-771-3100

October 06, 2011

VISIT OF ARCHBISHOP CARLSON - CHRIST THE KING STATUE
MSGR. CALKINS' PRESENTATION - SEMINARY SOCIETY BREAKFAST
ORATORY COMMUNITY - INSTITUTE'S CHAPTER
BOYS’ CHOIR - CAN YOU GUESS?

Dear Faithful and Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory,

VISIT OF HIS GRACE, ARCHBISHOP ROBERT J. CARLSON

His Grace, Archbishop Robert J. Carlson

This Sunday, October 9, the 10:00 AM Mass will be made all the more special by the visit of His Grace, Archbishop Robert J. Carlson to the Oratory. In proportion to the dignity of the occasion, the Archbishop’s entrance into the Oratory for the liturgy will be marked with traditional ceremony which will lift up and gladden our hearts. For example, the sprinkling of holy water and incensing that you will see and the special chanted prayers that you will hear are indications of the weight and the abundant grace which come with the Episcopal blessings from a successor of the apostles.

In addition, the Archbishop will preach at the Mass, imparting to us the wisdom and fatherly care as our appointed shepherd. Following Mass, Archbishop Carlson will be on hand to visit with the staff and the faithful at the reception in the Oratory hall.

The visit and presence of our bishop among us is a great blessing and a source of strength and joy for the Oratory community. Please come greet and welcome Archbishop Carlson this Sunday.

CHRIST THE KING STATUE

Newly restored statue of Christ the King

The Feast of Christ the King was instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI to remind us of the kingship of Christ and His sovereignty over all human affairs. In anticipation of this feast, which is also the major patronal feast of the Institute, the Oratory’s weathered statue of Christ the King has been restored and moved to a new prominent location near the main entrance of the Rectory.

The restoration, which awaits the final addition of a plaque bearing the Institute name, took place in several stages over the past month. With the help of several parishioners, the statue was moved into the rectory where it received a newly sculpted pair of fingers that had been missing. It was then primed and repainted white, with golden accents added on its crown, globe and the five crosses of the stole - the symbols of royalty, sovereign kingship and the eternal priesthood of Christ. With all elements in place, the statue was hoisted onto its pedestal atop a new foundation which was recently prepared. Thanks to generous donors, a lovely new garden setting was created at this new location by many man-hours of labor and planting of new shrubs. Christ the King now graces the front entrance to the rectory and church building and is visible from the intersection of Ohio and Gravois.

The newly restored statue serves as an outward sign of our Catholic identity as well as a symbol of the vitality which God continues to bestow upon the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales.

PRESENTATION BY MSGR. ARTHUR CALKINS, “MARY’S PRESENCE IN THE MASS,”

Msgr. Arthur Calkins

Msgr. Arthur Calkins, an eminent authority on Marian doctrines, will come to the Oratory again onSaturday, October 29 at 11:00 AM, to give us another presentation on our Blessed Mother. As before, Msgr. Calkins’ talk is sure to be intellectually and spiritually edifying. An abstract of the talk is as follows:

“It is highly significant that in the Eucharistic Liturgy of every rite of the Catholic Church we find an explicit commemoration of the Mother of God, often quite close to the consecration. This is a usage established in antiquity and, no doubt, the oral tradition antedates the written, with roots deriving from the era of the Apostles. This ancient practice also testifies to the sound instinct of the faithful that Mary belongs close to her Son especially at the moment when his sacrifice is being renewed on the altar.”

SEMINARY SOCIETY BREAKFAST, OCTOBER 30, FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

Canon Apple with the First Year Seminarians

The Seminary Society Breakfast this year will have a few new features, including a fun raffle and auction. The centerpiece of the occasion will be a special video starring Canon Aaron Huberfeld and our own pre-seminary candidate, Mr. Sean Kenney. Please mark your calendars!

As we have already mentioned in the last newsletter, the Institute’s patronal feast of Christ the King is an occasion on which we focus on the center and heart of the Institute: the International Seminary at our Motherhouse in Gricigliano, where our future priests are formed. After both Masses (8AM and 10AM), the Seminary Society Breakfast and the presentations will give us an opportunity to learn about the activities and needs of the Seminary, and to adopt a seminarian to pray for in this coming year. Your generosity in supporting the Seminary is deeply and gratefully appreciated.

For more information about St. Philip Neri Seminary in Gricigliano, please click here.

ORATORY COMMUNITY

Canon Avis, Canon Wiener, and Abbe Alex with the class of 2011-2012

We are delighted to begin this new academic year by welcoming Canon William Avis as our new Vicar, and introduce to the Oratory community four new candidates in the pre-seminary program. The photo below shows Canon Wiener, Canon Avis, Abbe Alex (back) and the four new candidates of the pre-seminary program Christian, Ryan, Scott, and Joseph.

PHOTOS OF THE ANNUAL CHAPTER IN GRICIGLIANO - AUGUST 29 – SEPTEMBER 2

Msgr. Guido Pozzo, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei,
and the Superiors of the Institute

For more pictures of this year’s Chapter of the Institute in Gricigliano click here.

BOYS’ CHOIR

Boys' Choir 1942

After some decades’ absence, the angelic sound of a boys’ choir is about to return to St. Francis de Sales Oratory. A choir of Gentlemen and Boys was established when the church was built and continued to sing at Holy Mass well into the 20th century. This tradition is being rekindled by the formation of the Oratory Choir of Men and Boys which will sing for First Friday Sacred Heart Masses. Tomorrow, Friday 7, the feast of the Holy Rosary, the reconstituted boys’ choir will sing for the first time at the Solemn High Mass at 6:30PM. Please attend tomorrow’s Mass and support this endeavor with your prayers.

MYSTERY PHOTO – CAN YOU GUESS WHERE THIS IS IN THE ORATORY?
Somewhere attached to the Oratory is the object featured in this week’s mystery photo. Have you seen this in your numerous visits to the Oratory? What is it, and why was it made? Please check out this week’s photo contest on the blog of www.TraditionForTomorrow.com.

Still in the beginning of the month of October I wish to assure of my faithful prayers during the daily Rosary at 6:00PM before the Exposed Blessed Sacrament.

May the Blessed Virgin, the Immaculate Conception, protect us all and guide us safely to our heavenly home,

Canon Michael K. Wiener

Rector, St. Francis de Sales Oratory

Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi

2011-10-04T10:14:00.000-05:00

Statue of Saint Francis, found next to a well, at Saint Joseph Church, in Apple Creek, Missouri. Photo taken 12/31/2010.

Saint Francis was preaching to his brethren:

“In the name of the Lord, go forth modestly, two and two, observing strict silence from the morning till after the hour of Tierce, praying to God from your hearts. Let no idle or useless words be heard among you; although you are travelling, your deportment should be as humble and as decorous as if you were in a hermitage, or in your cells. For wherever we are, and, whithersoever we may be going, we have always our vocation with us; our brother, the body, is our cell, and the soul is the hermit, who dwells in it to think of God and to pray to Him. If a religious soul does not dwell quietly in the cell of the body, the external cells will be of little use to him. Behave, then, in such manner in the world, that whosoever may see or hear you, may be moved to devotion, and praise our Heavenly Father to whom alone all glory belongs. Proclaim peace to all men, but have it in your hearts, as well as in your mouths. Give to no one cause for anger, nor for scandal; on the contrary, by your own mildness, induce every one to feel benignly, and draw them to union and to concord. We are called to heal the wounded, console the afflicted, and to bring back those who err; many may seem to you to be members of the devil, who will one day be disciples of Jesus Christ.”

— The Life and Legends of Saint Francis of Assisi by Father Candide Chalippe.

Newsletter from the Oratory

2011-09-23T09:29:00.000-05:00

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES ORATORY
EMAIL NEWSLETTER

2653 Ohio Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri 63118
www.institute-christ-king.org
www.TraditionForTomorrow.com
314-771-3100

September 22, 2011

MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY – SEMINARY SOCIETY BREAKFAST
VISIT OF ARCHBISHOP CARLSON
PORCH REBUILDING– 1888 BUILDING BATHROOMS
MAINTENANCE BY DAVE GRIESHABER - QUIZ: CAN YOU GUESS?

Dear Faithful and Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory,

OCTOBER – MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY

Photo: Battle of Lepanto, by Paolo Veronese

The first Sunday of October we celebrate the External Solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary. The feast itself, celebrated on October 7, commemorates the battle of Lepanto in 1571, when a Rosary procession in Rome ordered by Pope Pius V turned the tide of war, and ended in the great sea battle victory of the Holy League against the fleet of the Ottoman Empire. Again calling on the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin to fortify us and help us in our daily battles, we will pray the Rosary daily before the Exposed Blessed Sacrament at 6:00 PM every evening in the place of Vespers at the Church. Please plan to join us as often as you can.

SEMINARY SOCIETY BREAKFAST, OCTOBER 30, FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

Seminary Society Breakfast - October 30, 2010

The month of October ends with the Feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday, a feast instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI to remind us of the kingship of Christ and His sovereignty over all human affairs. This is also the patronal feast of the Institute, and on this feast we customarily ask for the support from all faithful for the Institute’s International Seminary in Gricigliano.

As last year, we are planning a Seminary Society Breakfast after both Masses (8AM and 10AM) to draw attention to the activities and needs of the Seminary. Please mark your calendars, and watch for upcoming announcements regarding this Breakfast fundraiser. Be assured of edifying and entertaining surprises!

VISIT OF HIS GRACE, ARCHBISHOP ROBERT J. CARLSON

First Visit of His Grace, Archbishop Carlson - March 14, 2010

On Sunday, October 9, we will have the great honor of welcoming His Grace, Archbishop Robert J. Carlson on a visit to the Oratory. The Archbishop will preach at the 10:00 AM Mass, and be on hand to visit with the staff and the faithful at the reception following Mass. Since its inception at Pentecost, the life of the Church is always strengthened by the presence of the bishops, the successors of the apostles.

The vibrant life at the Oratory has its source in the Sacred Heart of Our Blessed Lord, but would not be complete without the Episcopal blessing God has provided for us. It will be a pleasure and an honor to receive the visit of Archbishop Carlson.

PORCH REBUILDING

Architectural drawing of future porch by Tony Camacho

As you may remember, we began the mystery photo contest ("Can you guess - Where is this in the Oratory?") with the dismantled porch on the north side of the gymnasium building. The dilapidated structure was unsightly and broken, and long overdue for replacement. We have recently received the necessary city permit to allow us to complete this renovation.

We are deeply indebted to Mr. Tony Camacho, an architect with the Legacy Design Group, who generously drew up the plans for us pro bono; we now have the blueprint for the construction of the new porch. There is much work to be done all around the campus and inside the church, and the small but steady progress would not be possible without the generous support of all of you, our benefactors and friends. Please continue to support the work of restoring St. Francis de Sales!

Tony V. CamachoAddress: 2758 Accomac Street
Saint Louis, Missouri 63104-2220
Email: legacydesigngroup@gmail.com
Phone : 314-486-1846
Website: http://www.residentialarchitecturaldesign.com/

1888-BUILDING BATHROOMS

With the return to the Wednesday classroom schedule on campus for the home school co-op, the students were greeted with renovated bathrooms and working hot water. Some of the co-op parents generously spent many hot summer days (and nights) improving the bathrooms on the second floor of the 1888 building. These bathrooms were in a bad condition from age and lack of maintenance. The parents provided the labor and materials to retile the floors, and clean and paint the walls. With the help of the Oratory’s contract plumber, leaky fixtures were removed and replaced, new valves were installed and hot water was piped to the sinks. These improvements make the co-op space more pleasant and useable for the students and families, and likely prevented further deterioration of the facility. We thank our co-op families for their tireless efforts and their generosity in maintaining and restoring our 1888-school building.

MAINTENANCE BY DAVE GRIESHABER

Mr. Dave Grieshaber

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of our maintenance personnel, Mr. Dave Grieshaber, who has been taking care of the Oratory since 2006. Mr. Grieshaber grew up in the vicinity of St. Francis de Sales, and has intimate knowledge of every square inch of the church and campus. Dave has been instrumental in keeping the Oratory running, and all its antiquated support systems – most importantly the heating and cooling, in operable condition. As the Oratory is vast and old, this is no mean feat! We are very grateful for Dave’s dedication to the Oratory, and the daily coverage he provides from Monday through Friday, every week of the year. Thank you very much, Dave!

CAN YOU GUESS – WHERE IS THIS IN THE ORATORY?
Our previous contest was the image of St. Michael, found at the top of the gymnasium entrance. Thank you all for your participation. This week, we have once again a familiar image often in our field of vision when we come to the Oratory. Please check our blog to see this detail of our beautiful church, which is full of visual cues to draw our thoughts towards our ultimate destiny: Heaven.

With my best sincere wishes and the assurance of my faithful prayers in Christ the King,

Canon Michael K. Wiener
Rector, St. Francis de Sales Oratory

Photos of Fog

2011-09-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

LESS THAN A WEEK ago, I remembered the dense fog of northern California. “We never get that kind of fog in Saint Louis,” I thought. But providentially, the weather forecast predicted heavy fog over large parts of the Midwest. So I got up before dawn and took my camera to shoot some pictures.

At North Riverfront Park in Saint Louis.

Photography within fog does not obey the rules of the photographic Modernists: sharpness, great depth of field, and precise focus are impossible and pointless. Rather, we follow the earlier Pictorialist photographers, seeking strong composition and an emotional or even a spiritual approach to our subject.

Fog shrouds large things, like the greatest river in North America in this photo, or huge mountain ranges; it can also cover things of practical importance, like an oncoming vehicle on the road.

Fog is a natural symbol of unknowing, of the heavy veil that separates our experience and knowledge from reality. Sharp edges are lost, colors are muted, and our view is severely limited.

Fog is a cloud that has settled or has formed on the ground. Normally clouds have no obvious scale, they appear to be floating beneath a heavenly dome to which are affixed the stars, and so could be any distance away: our eyes give us little clue.

But when fog settles near the ground, you can sometimes reach up and touch that cloud's base, or even stand above it if it is not too thick. Within the cloud, your senses are confused: you cannot see far, your hearing is muffled, and the odor of the cloud itself, the humidity, fills your nostrils and you can even taste it and feel it.

At Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

Clouds are a symbol of divinity. God leads the Israelites as a pillar of cloud. The glory of God, shrouded by clouds, settles on Mount Sinai and on the Tabernacle. Mist, mystically speaking, is a symbol of the intersection of the divine and earthly.

In Sacred Scripture, clouds veil God from our sight, and are also a symbol for God's gifts: as rain from the clouds relieves a parched land, so grace refreshes our souls.

In fiction, the symbolism of fog can be used to good effect. The hard-boiled detective Sam Spade in San Francisco, and Sherlock Holmes in London, both seek out the answers to mysteries in the dark and the fog.

In more romantic styles of fiction, fog can have a presence, almost if it were a character in the story. What lurks nearby, unseen?

It is said that climate shapes character, as well as philosophy. The ancient Greeks preferred bright days of sunshine, and likewise their high philosophy is seen as being overly optimistic at man's ability to shape history and approach divinity. Northern stories and philosophies, set amid the cold and fog, tend to be more pessimistic, more dependent on unalterable fate.

There is a common contemporary philosophy that does not want to approach mystery. Especially when it comes to religion, this view accepts mysteries such as the Holy Trinity, but does not attempt to go deeper into them. Rather, these philosophers concentrate on practical matters, such as politics.

It is true that a fog restricts our vision, and the fog of divinity likewise veils our theology. As Saint Paul writes, we see through a glass, darkly. But to a traveler who must reach his final destination, fog must be navigated whether he wants to or not, despite his own personal standards for acceptable visibility.

And so likewise, we must navigate the fog of divinity if we want to reach our final destination. As Christians, we ought to humbly accept Revelation, as a driver must rely on his roadmaps when traveling though unknown territory.

A Spiderweb

2011-09-21T10:42:00.000-05:00

"Theological Aspects of Beauty and Art"

2011-09-19T21:30:00.000-05:00

MEET ME this Friday, when I talk about art and beauty:

SPEAKER SOCIAL

September 23

Doors Open 6:30 pm / Speaker Begins 7:00 pm

MARK SCOTT ABELN

"Theological Aspects of Beauty & Art"

Please join us this Friday, when Mark Abeln, speaks to us on Catholic tradition in art (classical and medieval), the virtue of art, and the traditional definitions of art and beauty.

A native St. Louisan and Catholic convert, Mark Abeln is a professional photgrapher, and has also been writing about Catholic culture since 2004 in his online blog, Rome of the West. While taking photos of some old churches, Mark became aware that his poor-qualtiy photos did not do justice to these worthy subjects, and so he was inspired to learn the art of photography, and the role of religion in contemporary culture. This ultimatey culminated in the publication of Fr. William Barnaby Faherty's book Catholic St. Louis: A Pictorial History, which featured hundreds of Mark's color photographs of area churches.

Coffee, Cappuccino, Espreso & More!

Catholic St. Louis: A Pictorial History

will be available for purhase!

No Cost - Goodwill Offering Appreciated!

Woodstone Plaza

3920 S. Old Hwy 94

St. Charles, MO 63004

636-447-6000

Photos of Immaculate Conception Church, in Saint James, Missouri

2011-09-19T20:31:00.002-05:00

HERE ARE PHOTOS of Immaculate Conception Church, in Saint James, Missouri. The church is located in Phelps County, and is about 97 miles southwest of downtown Saint Louis on Interstate 44. It is part of the Diocese of Jefferson City.

The parish was founded in 1870, and is made up about about 190 families.

The town of Saint James is not named after the Greater or Lesser Apostles of Our Lord, but rather after the James family, who owned an iron mine and smelter southeast of town. The remains of the ironworks can be found at the Maramec Spring Park. Saint James is located on Big Prairie; prior to European settlement, this area was frequented by the Shawnee tribe who had a cemetery here. The town of Scioto was laid out in 1859, being renamed Saint James the next year.

This region was settled by Italian immigrants in 1898, who set up a significant wine and grape industry. There a number of fine wineries nearby.

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus: Holy, Holy, Holy.

The church was locked, but I was able to get this photo through the door.

Address:
316 East Scioto Street
Saint James, Missouri 65559

Moonlight

2011-09-12T17:41:00.001-05:00

Most Holy Name of Mary

2011-09-12T13:20:00.000-05:00

SINCE JULY 14^th, 1683, the forces of the Ottoman Empire held the city of Vienna in siege with an army of about 150,000. The commander of the Ottoman forces attempted to force its population into submission, as nearby cities already had done.

Formally at peace for twenty years with the Holy Roman Empire, the Islamic Ottomans had long made preparations for invasion: building roads, bridges, and supply depots leading to strategic targets in Christendom. While this did not go unnoticed in the West, internal division among the Christians did not help matters.

On September 11^th, John III Sobieski, the King of Poland, arrived at Vienna, and swept down on the Ottomans with the largest calvary attack in history. The Christian forces largely won the battle after three hours, with full victory coming on the next day. This defeat severely depleted the Ottomans, and so this was the last incursion of the Ottoman Empire into Europe.

Sobieski gave credit to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, under her title of Our Lady of Częstochowa. In recognition of this victory, Pope Innocent XI extended the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary to the entire Church. It is held each year on September 12^th in the Roman Rite; removed from the liturgical calendar in 1969, it was restored to the liturgy in 2002.

The icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa is popularly known as the Black Madonna, due to the dark complexion of the Blessed Virgin and Christ Child.

A reproduction of this icon can be seen above the tabernacle at the outdoor chapel of the Black Madonna Shrine, located south of Eureka Missouri. (Photo taken in 2008.)

"Rosalind Moss Becomes Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God "

2011-09-10T20:59:00.000-05:00

SEE THE ARTICLE: In the Sight of Angels and of Men. From the article:

Foundress, Rosalind Moss, in religion Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God received the traditional Benedictine habit, given that the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel's Hope have begun to follow the age-old Rule of Saint Benedict.

Newsletter from the Oratory

2011-09-08T13:21:00.000-05:00

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES ORATORY
EMAIL NEWSLETTER

2653 Ohio Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri 63118
www.institute-christ-king.org
www.TraditionForTomorrow.com
314-771-3100

September 08, 2011

VISIT OF ARCHBISHOP CARLSON – BIRTHDAY OF BLESSED VIRGIN
PILGRIMAGE WITH CARDINAL BURKE – SUMMER AT THE ORATORY
RENOVATION HALL BATHROOMS – FAREWELL FOR CANON HUBERFELD
CAN YOU GUESS WHAT

Dear Faithful and Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory,

VISIT OF HIS GRACE, ARCHBISHOP CARLSON

His Grace, Archbishop Robert J. Carlson's first visit to the Oratory in 2010

His Grace, Archbishop Robert J. Carson, will visit us again on Sunday, October 9th, and preach at the 10:00 AM Mass. Afterwards all faithful will be able to greet the Archbishop and welcome him at his second visit to the Oratory. Please mark your calendars and invite friends and family!

BIRTHDAY OF BLESSED VIRGIN

Blessed Virgin statue at St. Philip Neri Seminary

“Thy Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, was the herald of joy to the whole world: since from thee arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God, Who, destroying the curse, bestowed the blessing, and, confounding death, brought us the gift of life everlasting.”

Exactly nine months after the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin on September 8th. Mary’s birth is man’s first visible proof that a temple is being prepared for the Creator of all, and of God’s fulfillment of His promise of salvation for Adam’s fallen progeny. Her birth is the first glimmer of the light, Our Saviour, which will dispel darkness forever; her birth is the joyous prelude of the final act, the blessed union of the Word with flesh.

PILGRIMAGE WITH CARDINAL BURKE

Rocamadour, France

This summer, His Eminence, Cardinal Burke, visited a good number of our apostolates in France. Accompanied by our superiors and several Canons of the French province, His Eminence enjoyed the splendors and the spiritual richness of this blessed country. On August 20, while we were preparing to celebrate King St. Louis at our Summer at the Oratory, Cardinal Burke led an Institute pilgrimage and celebrated a Solemn Pontifical Mass at Rocamadour in the diocese of Cahors. Rocamadour was in the past a famous site of royal pilgrimages, counting among its illustrious visitors King Louis IX, who visited in 1244, accompanied by his mother Blanche of Castile, and his brothers Alphonse of Poitiers, Robert of Artois, and Charles of Anjou.

Cardinal Burke with the Institute Superiors greeting the faithful

After the Pontifical High Mass on the hottest day of summer 2011,
the Cardinal spent more than an hour shaking hands
and talking to countless pilgrims in the courtyard of the church.

SUMMER AT THE ORATORY

Summer at the Oratory 2011

With a solemn Mass in his honor and hours of family-friendly fun, we have celebrated another annual feast of King St. Louis IX in a convivial yet solemn manner befitting the regal patron of our city. Every year this event seems to grow in strength – both the internal bonds within the Oratory and the external bonds with our neighbors in the larger community of our city.

Canon Wiener, welcomes guests to Summer at the Oratory

Once again, I would like to thank all of you for supporting this event, and for bringing your friends and family. We are especially indebted to all the volunteers, without whose excellent, competent, and dedicated work, this would not have been possible. Thank you, and let’s look forward to next year!

RENOVATION HALL BATHROOMS

Much progress has been made in renovating the men’s room in the hall. Last Friday the city’s inspectors approved the installation so far, and the work will continue to completion. Please consider helping us offset the total cost $15,000 for the renovation of the men’s room.. The renovation of the women’s restroom in the hall will begin as soon as we receive enough funding for it, which will also be $15,000.

FAREWELL FOR CANON HUBERFELD

Canon Huberfeld farewell reception

On September 4 we bid farewell to Canon Huberfeld, the Vicar of St. Francis de Sales Oratory since after his ordination to the holy priesthood last year. After the 10 AM Solemn Mass, the faithful gathered in the Oratory hall to express their heartfelt thanks and good wishes as he takes up his new assignment as the Rector of St. Mary’s Oratory in Wausau, WI. This surely will not be the last time we will see Canon Huberfeld. Until we meet again, please keep him in your prayers!

CAN YOU GUESS – WHERE IS THIS IN THE ORATORY?
A new mystery photo has been uploaded onto the blog of www.TraditionForTomorrow.com. Where in the Oratory is this image located? Do you recognize it? Please post your response in the comment section of the blog.

May Our Mother of Perpetual Help intercede for all of us, our families and beloved friends.

With my sincere best wishes and the assurance of my prayers in Christ the King,

Canon Michael K. Wiener
Rector, St. Francis de Sales Oratory

New Lecture Series

2011-09-08T09:59:00.000-05:00

A NEW LECTURE series, Man Elevated to Share in the Divine Life, will be given by Dr. Lawrence Feingold at Boland Hall of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, starting September 21^st.

This is Dr. Feingold's 9^th lecture series; his older lectures can be found here.

Water Lilies

2011-09-07T11:02:00.002-05:00

Found at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Water lilies and related flowers were recognized in Europe and the Mediterranean region as symbols of purity, the resurrection, and spiritual illumination, and white versions been called the “Lady of the Lake” as a symbol of the Blessed Virgin.

On Labor

2011-09-05T18:58:00.001-05:00

“SOCIAL JUSTICE.” You keep using that phrase. I do not think it means what you think it means.

In the nineteenth century, appalled by the poor conditions of the working class in the cities, revolutionaries fought for structural changes in society. At that time, there was a strong division between the working classes who labored in the factories of the bourgeois capitalists. The revolutionaries intended to balance the equation more in favor of labor, typically by creating strong labor unions which would agressively pursue the interests of the working class in opposition to the capitalists.

But how did this division between labor and capital come about? It was the revolutionaries themselves that did it. They caused the problem in the first place. They must accept the blame. May God have mercy on the souls of revolutionaries past, who caused so much misery. May God convert the hearts of living would-be revolutionaries so that they do not cause more problems in the future.

The division between labor and capital was planned, encouraged, and is sustained by greed, hatred, faithlessness, and by the rejection of charity. This division came about first by Original Sin and the rejection of Grace, then by skeptical philosophy, then Absolutism, then the Reformation, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and then by socialism and libertarianism. All these are heresies, and any truths that they may rightly propose are merely and conveniently one-sided. If you examine the philosophies behind each of these changes, you can easily see that they may be sins worthy of eternal damnation.

The pursuit of social justice is de fide, a matter of faith, but that phrase (which came out of Catholic social teaching) has been taken over by revolutionaries of the kind who caused our problems in the first place. Social Justice doesn't mean what they think it means. Social Justice, first and foremost, is intended for the support of families, of the traditional kind whose bonds are broken only by death (But not necessarily the more fluid and indistinct definition of family favored these days.) A socially just economy will allow a single worker to support an entire family (including children, sick, and elderly) without undue hardship, even if that worker dies or is incapacitated.

Our current economy, designed by the revolutionaries, lacks two critical components: subsistence farming and trade guilds. Both of these were wiped out by the threat or use of force.

The old open field system allowed groups of peasants, living in a traditional society, the ability to support their families, without undue outside interference. Even under feudalism (a system criticized by the Church), a peasant had to give perhaps three days' labor to his liege-lord every year. That was a burden often resented, but how does that compare to our current system of taxation in the United States, where a worker has to give perhaps 70 or 100 days of wages to the various levels of government every year? Taxation, regulation, and competition, depending on locality, hardly makes substance farming practical. But the revolutionaries did not want to have people working on farms, but rather in offices, government agencies, and factories, and so the alienation of labor from farms has been aggressively pursued. For example, the Enclosure Acts in England removed 21% of the total land area of that realm from subsistence farming, forcing workers to the cities; this is in addition to the removal of lands formerly open to subsistence hunting and gathering. In the Americas, slavery made subsistence farming unprofitable.

The trade and merchant guilds, important social and economic institutions of the Middle Ages, were weakened by new trends and eventually eliminated via revolution. The guilds were integral associations of local workmen and merchants which organized and rationalized the trades in cooperation with municipal government. The striking fact of the guilds was that tradesmen were both the workers and the owners of their own businesses. There was no division between capital and labor. Each worker set his own hours of business and work schedule (rather unlike the rigid working conditions found today), and directly owned his tools and workshop. A guild member could support his family comfortably and be certain that they would be cared for if anything happened to him. While a lack of competition may have meant that prices were somewhat higher, they also avoided the problems of concentration of power in single individuals and confiscatory levels of taxation that made prices significantly higher. The guilds provided stability and predictability, and added significantly to the harmony of society.

The last remnants of trade guilds in the US were found in the real estate, medical, and legal fields. The organization of real estate professionals was broken in the 1970s with the influx of many part-time agents, and the medical professions were broken by institutionalized managed care in the 1990s. Lawyers are next — and so they had better watch their backs.

Our current economic system claims to be free, and our current government system claims to be democratic, but both merely concentrate power significantly. In the old days, if you did not like how a local guild was handling matters, you could simply walk to the shop down the street and directly complain to the owner. That is no longer possible today, since your local elected official may have to answer to a million voters, and the corporate office of your local store may be located a thousand miles away.

Also see my articles The Old Boy's Club and Universal Health Care - An Alternative for further reading.

Silentium

2011-09-04T09:17:00.001-05:00

A sign asking visitors to be silent; at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.

Sunrise

2011-09-01T15:07:00.002-05:00

"Stained Glass and the Book of Revelation"

2011-08-31T04:54:00.001-05:00

AN ARTICLE on the apocalyptic design of traditional churches: Stained Glass and the Book of Revelation, by Msgr. Charles Pope. From that article:

Most Catholics are unaware of how our traditional church buildings are based on designs given by God himself. Designs that stretch all the way back to Mount Sinai when God set forth the design for the sanctuary in the desert and the tent of meeting. Many of the fundamental aspects of our church layouts still follow that plan and the stone version of it that became the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

[source]

Build Your Own Gothic Cathedral

2011-08-29T20:53:00.000-05:00

THE EARLY 20^th Century saw the recovery of canonical iconography in the Christian East, and we now are seeing a revival of the Baroque. But as far as I know, there is nowhere an artist can go to learn Gothic art and architecture: it is not a living tradition. But if we understand the original principles used, we can reconstruct a tradition and make it our own. David Clayton writes about his work to recreate Gothic painting from scratch here. And it so happens that we know many of the original design principles of Gothic architecture.

In my travels I've seen lots of attempts at putting a Gothic ‘look’ on churches of various denominations. Decorative elements, such as pointed arches and rose windows, are supposed to make a building look ‘churchy’, but these designs often fall flat and can even look comical (let's hope not on purpose, for the sake of the souls of the designers). The problem is that these design elements simply don't look right. Their proportions are wrong, sometimes severely wrong, and are far from the originals they purport to resemble. In the case of Gothic pointed arches, often the geometry isn't even close, and they may end up looking something like the Gateway Arch (which itself is often poorly duplicated hereabouts). You cannot have just any kind of curve to reproduce a Gothic arch. Because I do not want to embarrass any property owners, I didn't take any pictures.

This is not a Gothic arch.

I'm willing to understand poor work for C-grade buildings that are inexpensively made and quickly constructed out of cheap materials: perhaps the builder simply didn't know how such design elements are made, and wasn't paid to find out, and so the client is more at fault. I am far less willing to accept the same from high end architecture. But I seriously doubt that most contemporary architecture schools — of the revolutionary kind that came out of the 1960s — would even allow the teaching of antique design methods. There is a school of thought that thinks that the study of history is dangerous because people will be tempted to reproduce the errors of the past; rather, I say the study of history allows someone the ability to recognize mistakes and not repeat them, as well as help you see more recent mistakes that ought to be corrected. (An old joke says that conservatives never allow mistakes to be corrected, while progressives keep making the same mistakes over and over again.)

The Gothic style was not a mistake: it is the crowning glory of architecture.

Authentic Gothic arches at Lincoln Cathedral. Source: A. D. White Architectural Photographs, Cornell University Library.

We are told that the Middle Ages were barbarous and ignorant, the worst of times, and have nothing to offer contemporary Man. But still they made the Gothic cathedrals, and contemporary Man is held in awe, knowing that he is incapable of building such things today. Nowadays, we assume that knowledge equals understanding, and that technology is a substitute for theory, but the artifacts of our culture merely show that we have more money than we do a sense of beauty. And a little bit of faith is worth more than a lot of knowledge.

For a long time, I assumed that the complex geometry of the Gothic must have included many exotic curves, such as conic sections or splines. It certainly wasn't simple, I thought. Perhaps, as many claim, stone masons possessed esoteric secrets that have been lost to history.

The ancients did not have AutoCAD drafting software, but they did have a great understanding of the tools they had at their disposal, which were the straightedge and compass. We ought to be aware that the basic form of the Gothic arch is designed using only those tools, and so these arches are segments of circles. Circles are simple curves, but they are versatile, and are easily constructed with the most basic tools available to even the most impoverished and primitive architect. He simply needs to know how to use them well, for understanding is more important than technology. Experience shows us that excellent art can be made with simple technology, and terrible art from advanced technology.

For more than 2000 years, up until the 1960s, the basic textbook of geometry in the West and the Middle East was Euclid's Elements. While it was always popular in the Byzantine east, and in wide areas of Italy and Spain, a new Latin edition of this work possibly had something to do with the development of the Gothic in France. The greatness of this work is due to its foundation in axioms and proofs, as well as its constructive nature: geometric forms are produced by the simple tools of the compass and straightedge. This twofold method is simultaneously top-down and bottom-up, engaging much more of the human mind than the more narrow or ideological approaches that have been favored in recent decades (and unfortunately leave their students nearly incapable of becoming architects.) Even if you strongly prefer Modernism, be aware that the early masters of the style were undoubtably students of Euclid.

Another important work that was popular during the entire Medieval period of the Latin West was Saint Boethius' De institutione arithmetica libri duo, which is on number theory. Here, Boethius describes ten systems of proportion which nearly guarantee pleasing compositions in the arts. We see this pleasing use of proportion in architecture throughout the Christian age.

The knowledge of simple design principles can turn crude work into works of artistry. As these principles are hidden beyond the works, and may not be obvious from viewing completed construction, it is essential to get a good theoretical education in order to be able to create novel construction or adapt old designs to new conditions.

Here is a Roman or circular arch, familiar from antiquity through the Romanesque period. It is still occasionally in use today:

The most important consideration is that this kind of arch actually is a semicircle. You could possibly guess this, but if you are standing some distance away, looking at an angle, and if you don't actually measure it, you may come to the conclusion that it is some other shape, like an ellipse.

Please note that the height of the arch is always equal to half its width. (If you don't believe this, read Euclid.) This kind of arch is good, for it allows a greater width between the posts than a flat span, due to the limits of the strength of building materials. But you can only make such an arch so wide before it is danger of collapse: the arch puts a great sideways stress on its supports, and so this limits the height of the arch as well.

This is an equilateral Gothic arch, whose design is simply constructed with a compass and straightedge. Note that it is taller than a circular arch of the same width. This design also puts much less horizontal stress on the piers holding it up. The introduction of the Gothic arch allowed buildings to be much taller and more open, allowing larger windows and less raw material for support.

Here is how the arch is constructed with compass and straightedge:

This is easy to lay out on paper, and making patterns for the stone or brick blocks of the arch are only slightly more inconvenient. Note that the joints between the blocks also follow the lines that go to the centers of the circles. While this is a simple arch, the Gothic builders added far more decoration to their arches, and you should too, including smaller arches (called tracery) within the larger ones.

Note how the center of our circles are located on the edge of the springing or piers supporting the arch. If we move the center upwards, we get a Moorish or Islamic arch:

A slight difference that makes all the difference. Round Moorish arches are made by the same principle, with the center of the circle being halfway between and slightly higher than the piers.

There are several other kinds of Gothic arches:

The double arch, where the radius of the circles are double the arch's width.

The recto arch, where the width of the arch equals the height. The radius of the circles is equal to 5/4 the width of the arch, or has a ratio equal to a major third in music. The final basic type is the quinto acuto, the pointed fifth or acute fifth:

The center for the quinto actuo arches is located one fifth of the way across the width. This is considered the classic Gothic arch.

Clearly you could make Gothic-like arches with any number of locations for the circle centers, but if you want your designs to have a consistent logic, you will want to use those arch designs that are commensurate with the other elements in your building. This will make your design cleaner with fewer odd gaps or uncomfortable overlaps: your design will look professional and finished.

In this system of architecture, there is a base dimension, of roughly human scale, that all other measurements are made to be proportional. The use of a module means that building designs cannot scale: a building twice the size of another must be more ornate, and one four times the size must be even more complex. If we do not measure our buildings relative to the human being and use good proportion to build it out, our designs will be displeasing: a human having to occupy such a building will not feel pleasure but instead will suffer. On the other hand, using too small of a module will create a building that looks too precious and overly-ornate, more like a doll-house than a real building (click here for an example).

Here are some of my photographs of Gothic-revival architecture. Let's see if we can determine what basic designs were used.

This window, designed by Emil Frei, is at Saint Francis de Sales Oratory in Saint Louis. This window has three nested sets of Gothic arches with a number of other Gothic forms including the trefoil and rose window. Although this photo is somewhat distorted, we should be able to determine what kind of arches are used here.

The main arch of the window appears to be the classic quinto acuto, where the origin of the arch circles is located 1/5 of the way across the springing. The two smaller arches within this window are equilateral, and the arches within these appear to be the same. Because the designer used good proportion, the width of the rose window appears to be half the width of the full window. All design elements here are harmonious. The design is complex, but is relatively simple to construct, if you know how.

This is at the White House retreat of the Society of Jesus, located on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in Oakville, Missouri. This window (also rather distorted, as I shot it from below) also appears to be quinto actuo, as do the three smallest arches within.

This window, at Saint Cecilia Church, in Bartelso, Illinois, appears to be equilateral. The tracery in the interior are approximately doubles.

Here is Saint Mary's Church, in Alton, Illinois. The doors use equilateral arches, which can be determined upon inspection of the center door, because a circle fits in it precisely. The main window appears to be a pointed fifth.

I ought to note that many discussions of Gothic architecture in publications are from the false point of view of secularists or occultists, especially when the discussion centers on sacred number and sacred geometry. But these are not arbitrary social constructs, nor are they magic, but they do reflect a higher order and so are a mystery. The are not unimportant but neither are they important in themselves; rather we must view them in the light of the Faith and most especially the Incarnation.

Church construction is mainly the business of priests and bishops, and not architects, who are merely to assist the clerics in their task. From Bishop Durandus' Rationale (written A.D. 1286):

Therefore the Priests and the Bishops to whom IT IS GIVEN TO KNOW THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, as He saith in Luke, and who be the stewards and dispensers of sacred things, ought both to understand the sacred Mysteries, and to shine in the virtues which they signify: so that by their light others may be illuminated...

Durandus wrote during the Gothic period, and his book contains a gold mine of church symbolism based on the allegorical or typological method of scripture interpretation.

Excessively Pretty Art

2011-08-27T10:25:00.002-05:00

ONE OF THE fun things a Catholic can do is criticize both sides of any given secular debate. While it is far too easy to criticize the intentional ugliness of contemporary academic state-sponsored art, we often forget to criticize the opposite: the overly sentimental and excessively pretty art favored by conservative Evangelicals. Simcha Fischer does that here and Hilary White comments on that there. And The Crescat does that all the time.

What I find particularly fascinating about this whole debate is seen in the comments in Simcha's article. People take their tastes seriously and questioning this taste is seen as a personal attack. But the odd thing is that people typically justify their tastes purely through the idea that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Both the Evangelical and the Modernist use this justification.

This ought not be too surprising, since both groups have similar beliefs. Both deny or avoid the metaphysical questions which form the intellectual core of Catholicism. Both groups are uncomfortable with the transcendental values of truth, goodness, and beauty, and so similarly see these things as a matter of subjective preference.

I think this is perhaps why since my youth I've always preferred Catholic and Jewish (and Eastern Orthodox) women more than Protestant women: and that was long before I became Catholic. Due to the influence of their religion and culture, their attitude towards beauty was more objective and natural than the artificial beauty or intentional ugliness more generally found among Protestants. I wouldn't be catholic if I failed to mention that natural and objective beauty can be found in traditional cultures throughout the world. I see two erroneous arguments. First, cosmetics are designed to enhance beauty, therefore more cosmetics will make someone more beautiful. Second, a human being has an intrinsic, ontological beauty due to being made in the Image and Likeness of God; therefore, nothing needs to be done to be beautiful. Both are wrong, but rather popular opinions.

We should not be afraid to examine ourselves, and determine why we find something beautiful. Is it merely fashion, or do deeper principles apply?

2011-08-25T17:06:00.000-05:00

The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, in downtown Saint Louis, is seen here from the top of the Gateway Arch. When Laclede and Choteau planned the village of Saint Louis in 1764, this spot was reserved for the Catholic church: this structure was completed in 1834, and was preceded by a brick church, a log church, and a log house. The earliest Masses were offered here in a tent. The rectory attached to the church dates from the 1960s. Formerly the Cathedral of the Archdiocese, this is now a personal parish.

Please note the view looking down on the church. While the majority of Americans claim to be religious — or spiritual — there is often little concrete evidence of it, for the most prominent structures here are either towers of commerce or the state.

2011-08-25T16:10:00.001-05:00