I've noticed that churches in which the Latin Mass is celebrated, even when located in a strip mall, tend to be beautiful, at least on the inside. I've also noticed that the more liberal the church, the uglier it seems to be.

Case in point:

Here is the altar of my old parish in Colorado:


Here is my son having his First Communion. It was a High Mass, for Corpus Christi, and yes, there were 9 altar servers (all male). He's the guy in white. I got a smoking deal at a garage sale - suit, tie, cummerbund for $5! It was some kid's ring bearer outfit.


Here's the procession after Mass, in the street. The Eucharist is in a monstrance, carried by a priest, underneath the canopy. The canopy is for Christ, not the priest.


Here is the church in Summerville, SC, the next town over from where I live. The Latin Mass is not allowed there.


Oops! That's what it looked like when it was built in 1898!
Here's what it looks like now, after they renovated it:


Here's another church in North Charleston (again, no Latin Mass allowed):


Here's the church I actually attend now:


See what I mean? Which one does a better job of drawing your mind to God, and higher things?
Which one inspires the illiterate - including my prereading children, a main purpose of Church art?

(Please note. I am not trying to impugn the motives, piety, or state of souls of parishioners at any of these churches. Honestly, I have no idea how pleasing their individual lives are to God, and am not judging the people. I am judging the architecture - and its effects.)


Tags: Catholic,Family Life