Editorial: Domus Mea Domus Orationis Vocabitur

by Duncan G. Stroik, appearing in Volume 45

Beginning in 1998, the Institute for Sacred Architecture has existed to foster a return to the sacred, to learn from the richness of our ecclesiastical heritage, and to encourage the commissioning of new classical and Gothic churches. Sacred Architecture Journal has sought for two and a half decades to offer historical studies, theological analysis, and serious criticism of church architecture and art to educated readers, pastors, and architects. What has been accomplished? One sea change is that the word “sacred” has made a comeback. Twenty-five years ago, people did not use the “s” word in relation to church architecture. Today the sacred is often used in modern parlance, and I believe that if we talk about a sacred place, or architecture as sacred or as a house of God, this encourages people to build more worthy, beautiful buildings. Among the most positive developments in sacred architecture is, first, a general appreciation for verticality and directionality. This helps to put to bed the fan-shaped church, the low, acoustically dead ceilings, and the lack of procession promoted by Modernism. Second, there has been a return to sources. Pastors, lay people, and their architects are once again learn-ing from the great richness and variety of churches built over the last two millennia. Third, once they realized it was allowed, people began investing their churches with artwork that our great-grandparents would recognize. Of particular note is the use of art to tell the stories of salvation history on the walls, the side chapels, the ceilings, and the apses. We want to especially thank the artists and decorative arts companies for bringing these ideals back to life. A few thoughts for the future: In the next 25 years, the Catholic Church worldwide is estimated to grow twen-ty to twenty-five percent, from 1.4 billion to 1.65 billion faithful. Membership will grow by 250 million. Except for Europe, membership on most continents is expected to grow. The largest growth will be in Africa and Asia. And the largest number of Catholics will continue to be in Latin America. If we imagine 250 million additional Christians at roughly a thousand seats per building, we would need 250,000 new churches and cathedrals to accommodate them all (although many of these people will be accommodated in church halls, church additions, and by scheduling additional Masses.) All of this activity will require a new generation of architects and artists. And though the United States does not have the largest group of Catholics in the world today, nor are we the most churchgoing, we continue to be a leader in new sacred art and architecture. Just as we have received so much from our European ancestors, it is time for us to pass on the great tradition to our brethren in the rest of the world. To foster this goal, I propose the organization of international conferences on sacred architecture for architects, pastors, and contractors from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other growing continents. So too, for sacred architecture to be most successful, it needs its sister arts to be at a high level. There is a great hunger for classical art today, but we need a rigorous academy of sacred art to train future painters, sculptors, stained-glass makers, and others in the composition, technique, and theology of narrative sacred art. This is a challenge that should be taken up by faithful Catholic colleges and universities or stand-alone sacred art academies. I hope you agree that we’ve seen great progress in sacred art and architecture over twenty-five years. Now we need to share what we’ve learned with the next generation and with our brethren on other continents so that they can do an even better job than we have done. 

Ad multos annos. Ad maiorem Dei gloriam!