Giles R. Dimock
Fr. Giles Dimock, OP, studied Liturgy at Notre Dame and at Sant' Anselmo, and theology at the Angelicum in Rome, earning a licentiate and doctorate respectively. He has taught at Providence College, Franciscan University in Steubenville, the Angelicum and the Dominican House of studies in Washington, DC. He has written many articles for liturgical and theological journals. He now serves as a parochial vicar at Saint Thomas Aquinas University Parish in Charlottesville, VA.
Articles by Giles R. Dimock
Benedict XVI loves the liturgy, seeing it as our being caught up in the divine mystery of salvation and all during his pontificate he promoted it by his writing, preaching and teaching. His spirituality seems to have not only an Augustinian cast, but also seems to show the influence of the early German liturgical movement, which was much promoted by the Benedictines for whom he has a great love. In this article, we will examine his liturgical evolution from his youth in Germany to his work as the occupant of the Chair of Peter, for which we all are grateful.
Everywhere I go, I hear people speaking of churches, the churches of today, the churches of their youth, or the great churches of Europe. They often express the desire to see “churches that look like churches.” They mourn the loss of statues, murals, stained glass, marble altars, etc., but most of all, they ask why the tabernacle was moved.
Now older and I hope wiser, I rejoice in the modest Thomistic revival we now experience, although I don’t wish to return to the triumphalistic Thomism of the forties and fifties. It’s a bit ironic that I’m writing to explore the connection between the Angelic Doctor and architecture; not arbitrarily creating a nexus, but pleasantly surprised to find that he actually had something to say on the matter.
