James Joseph McCarthy

“ In fact, the resources of art are so illimitable, that the artist who yields himself obediently and intelligently to the demands and resources of nature, never will repeat himself. This is the secret of the variety of form, and unity of idea, of the works of the great Christian masters. They had no stereotyped expressions of fixed ideas. The freedom of Christian art is perfectly analogous to the true freedom of opinion and action that exists in the Catholic Church, and nowhere else. ”

“ I think every impartial person will admit that, as we must have some sufficient barrier between the chancel and other parts of a Church, and as all essential features should be rendered as ornamental as propriety allows and means afford, we can have none more beautiful or so full of meaning as a judiciously-designed screen—one of construction so light that it will not prevent the faithful seeing satisfactorily the ceremonies in the chancel, but which will, at the same time, aid in marking the distinction between the sacrifice and the worshippers, and add to the solemnity of religious rites. ”

“ It is obvious, for example, that the features of a large Church, compressed into a small building, form a mere caricature; and, on the other hand, the features that would be perfectly suitable in a small Church, being increased in their dimensions, to accommodate them to a large building, produce a monster in art. The materials should likewise affect the style of architecture. Many features—such as deeply-sunk mouldings, and traceried windows—which are easily worked in sand and free stones, cannot be produced in our granites and limestones. ”

“ To this answer is made, that those improvements are made available, and very sensibly influence the character of the revived mediæval style; but that “to invent a new species of architecture, or suddendly to call into being a new development of an old art, is what no individual artist, however gifted, or genius, however powerful, has ever accomplished,” all art being the growth of time, influenced by various external circumstances. But, even if such an unheard-of phenomenon is to appear, before its advent, it is surely prudent to use the best art we possess in the best way we can. ”

“ Very often, before a Church is half advanced to completion, not only a bell for calling the faithful to prayer and praise is set up, but a full peal sends out its joyous notes. Those who feel that bells are beautiful accessories to the externals of religious worship, and who know what beautiful prayers and ceremonies our Ritual prescribes for their casting and benediction, will naturally desire that they should be properly provided for in the arrangements of a Church. ”

“ In cities, where all public buildings, and even private residences, present polished and smooth surfaces, a Church of roughly-dressed masonry, which is quite in character with a country situation, would look mean and inappropriate. But in adopting the use of dressed surface stone, care should be taken to provide for all the ornamental detail which is necessary to produce consistency of design and unity of effect. Nothing, after all, has a poorer effect than a flat surface of finely-chiselled work, pierced by meagre windows, and unrelieved by a due proportion of ornamental accessories. ”

“ It is often the rendezvous of ladies, who busy themselves in decorating the sanctuary and the altar. It is surely a high privilege, and one to be desired by all pious women, that of contributing the best works of their skill and knowledge to the service of the Church; but their good works do not necessitate frequent visits, and conversations in the chancel or sacristy. I know Churches in England decorated in the most exquisite manner by ladies who have never dared to intrude themselves within the chancel or sacristy. ”

“ A tower is specially the place for them. It should rise considerably above the highest part of the Church, so that their sound may be quite uninterrupted. This tower should not be used as a staircase to a gallery, nor as an organ-loft. Not as a staircase to a gallery, for the simple reason that there should be no gallery in a Church—a gallery cutting across the nave and aisles of Westminster Abbey would effectually destroy it; not as an organ-loft, because, cooped up in a tower, that noble instrument is less effective than elsewhere. ”

“ The revival of Christian art, in latter years, has not been limited to England, although in that country architecture has progressed more than in any other. In France, Italy, Belgium, and Germany great zeal for the study of the works of the great artists of the middle ages—“the era of anonymous celebrities”—has been manifested. Not only has architecture been made the object of revival, but the attendant arts of painting, sculpture, glass painting, &c., have been elucidated by the works of distinguished scholars and antiquaries, and, in many instances, successfully practised by artists. ”

“ When we reflect on what a fallen state all ecclesiastical art was in twenty years ago, in that country, and observe the change that has been wrought by the genius and energy of one man (Mr. Pugin) , often struggling against the most adverse circumstances, we cannot but feel convinced that, long after he shall have passed away, he will be regarded as the most remarkable man of his era, and a great benefactor to the English Catholic Church. ”

“ The true requirements of a Church were then so well known that a Church builder could no more overlook them than a modern architect could neglect to provide for the wants and comforts of a family in designing a private house. ”

“ It is a great mistake to suppose that height is indispensable in Gothic architecture; on the contrary, nearly all old country parish Churches, in the Gothic style, are low. In Churches composed of a simple nave and chancel, the height of the walls may be about equal to the vertical height of the roof. Certainly, this would be an inadequate height, if the pitch of modern roofs was to be the standard; but Gothic roofs are nearly all high, seldom falling much below the equilateral pitch, except in the later examples, when the art began to decline. ”

“ This society is ambitious to co-operate in that great work, though, of necessity, it must be in an humble way; and if it be not permitted to us to hope for the splendours of religious art, which the material prosperity of other countries warrants and demands, at least we may strive for propriety, order, and good taste in all that belongs to the externals of religious worship. ”

“ They only wage war against the vain attempts to make Pagan temples suitable for Christian worship, and the irreverence, to use the words of a distinguished ecclesiastic, of making “naked cupids stand for angels, and sprawling women for the cardinal virtues.” [24] In a word, they prefer the mediæval style, because they esteem it the most perfect architecture the Church has developed for herself; because, when a Church is properly arranged, it is the only style that can be adopted without the perpetration of numberless artistic solecisms ”

“ Where there is a bell-tower, the most beautiful covering for it is a spire. The spire, if possible, should be built of stone. If that cannot be afforded, it may be constructed of wood, and covered with lead, slates, or tiles. If a spire of any sort cannot be built, the next best covering is the “broach,” or pent-house roof, of which the spire is a development.
Before passing to the consideration of the characteristics of city and town Churches, permit me to say a few words about what is called “painting or graining.” This is entirely objectionable in Church work. ”

“ I must premise that Churches are divisable into several classes, each possessing its own peculiar characteristics—as Cathedral, Conventual, Collegiate, and Parochial Churches. True art does not admit of the confusion of any one of those classes with another. ”

“ If, again, a nave and two aisles be not adequate to the wants of a congregation, transepts may be added, which, if they be well proportioned in themselves, and bear a due proportion to the nave, and aisles, and chancel, produce the most beautiful and most significant plan of a Church—the cruciform.
In large Churches of this kind, of course, one altar will not be sufficient; and, as it is not strictly correct to have more than one (and that the great altar of the Church) within the chancel, suitable provision must be made for the supplementary altars in other parts of the Church. ”

“ I cannot, however, even now, let pass this opportunity of saying, that I think it a shame, almost a sin, to consign the bulk of the faithful—the poor—who are ever the most dutiful and loyal children of the Church, and who contribute most largely to the raising and maintenance of the material temple, to the occupation of its remote and inconvenient parts. Whatever arrangements, for the sake of proper and reasonable classification, may be made, it should be specially provided that the poor will have equal advantages with their more fortunate fellow-worshippers. ”

“ Windows, when properly treated, are amongst the highest embellishments of a Church. Every chancel and chapel should have an east window: when filled with stained glass they form the most beautiful altar-pieces. The nave and aisles, or the chapels at their terminations, sould also have east windows. The sides, north and south, should also have as many windows as are necessary for the admission of sufficient light. ”

“ Another thing to be observed in masonry, whether it be dressed ashlar or rubble work, is, that it should not be coursed. The formality of horizontal lines does not harmonize with the free character of Gothic work; moreover, coursing adds very considerably to the expense of masonry. Nor is there any necessity to square every stone; the true principle is, “always to lay every stone in its best bed, lifting up any part of it which may want thickening, by means of thinner pieces. ”

“ As there should be no feature about a Church that has not a purpose or a meaning, buttresses should be only used where they are necessary for the strengthening of the building, and then they should be sufficient for their purpose, and treated boldly. It is one of the faults of modern Gothic work, to introduce buttresses merely as ornamental features. The use of buttresses is to resist pressure ”

“ I have already said that the roof of a Church should be of high pitch, and open to view internally. This cannot be insisted upon too strongly. In no respect are our modern Churches more defective than in their roofs. No one has denied that high roofs are best adapted to our climate, and the most lasting. ”

“ No architectural works ever displayed the pyramidal outline in such perfection as the great Gothic Churches of the middle ages; and it was to the high pitch of their roofs they were mainly indepted for their verticality of character. The illustrations accompanying this paper will, I hope, show the comparative effect of high and low roofs. Then the arched and groined ceilings in “stucco,” of our modern Churches, besides being unreal imitations of stone construction, are, as all Church-builders know, enormously expensive. An open wooden roof, of dressed timbers, is fully fifty per cent. ”

“ The first thing that occurs to one, with respect to town and city Churches, is that which naturally affects all other characteristics; it is their necessarily large superficial area. I cannot imagine a case, however, in which a good-sized and well-proportioned cruciform Church will not meet all demands. St. George's, in London, is larger than any Church in Dublin, and it has but nave and aisles, with chancel and chapels, of course. ”

“ The ancient position of the baptismal font, near the entrance door, is the most convenient and most significant one that can be given to it, as the Rubrics require, for the full solemnity of the rite—not, of course, for the due administration of the sacrament—that the ceremonies shall begin at the entrance to the Church. The positions of the priest and sponsors are duly regulated. There the beautiful prayers, by which the administration of the sacrament is commenced, are recited, and the ceremonies, so full of meaning, performed. ”

“ Churches situate in cities and large towns, on account of being surrounded, very frequently, by domestic buildings, require large spaces for the admission of light. It will also be naturally desired that the decorative character of the Church will equal, if not exceed, that of secular buildings, and that it will, as far as possible, harmonize with them. Now, although, in country Churches, where rusticity is required, the Early Pointed may, with strictest propriety, be used, there are two capital objections against it for city Churches. ”

“ They are careful not to confound the reverential investigation of antiquity with the blind worship of the obsolete. Hence it is, that while venerating every epoch of Christian art, they have chosen for revival that which seems best accommodated to modern necessities. ”

“ Unfortunately for those who seek precedent for everything, and who nothing right unless there is an example for it, there are no old examples of confessionals. I believe few are older than a century, or two at the farthest. In the mediæval Churches confessions were heard in open chairs, for which no special places were assigned. Modern practice has introduced the very commendable use of permanent confessionals; and it does not follow that, because we have no examples to imitate, their convenience and proprieties are not to be attended to in arranging a Church. ”

“ Another objection to the sacristy's being behind the altar is, that (when in that position) it inevitably destroys, or renders impossible, an eastern window, which is the most beautiful of altarpieces. [10] The next requirement is a place for the Church bells. For a small Church one bell, for summoning the faithful to the celebration of Mass, or other Divine services, may be as much as can be afforded, or is needed. And it may be placed in a simple bell-cot, or belfry, on the east or west gable of the nave. [11] But in more important Churches ”