It has been said that the purpose of the church building is to house the liturgy. That is to say that the purpose for a church is not a town hall, or a community center, or a theater, or a venue or speakers. While all of these things may happen within the structure, its primary purpose remains, to house the liturgy.
How we keep our house says much about how we view our faith and a beautiful church returns immeasurable benefits to the faith community. A case in point is Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Greenville, South Carolina.
This is the parish church of Father Dwight Longenecker. Almost a year ago the parish consecrated their new church and Fr. Longenecker has written a wonderful reflection on the process and the effect it has had on the community. At one point they even dared to ask the community for more money so they could install a pipe organ. The results?
“The children love their new church. Altar boys rush in to serve. We can’t fit them all in. Girls sing in a renewed choir. Organists are lined up to play. The people sing better. They behave better and the power of beauty in their lives is almost visible. “
Read the whole article here, at The Imaginative Conservative.
The Journal for Catholic Culture & Arts 