Worship Without Words

Paraclete Press (MA)

Chapter One

Sacred Places, Sacred Spaces

When you step through the doorway of a church you are leaving the outer world behind and entering an inner world. The outside world is a fair place abounding in life and activity, but also a place with a mingling of the base and ugly. It is a sort of marketplace, crossed and recrossed by all and sundry. Perhaps "unholy" is not quite the word for it, yet there is something profane about the world. Behind the church doors is an inner place, separated from the market place, a silent, consecrated and holy spot. It is very certain that the whole world is the work of God and His gift to us, that we may meet Him anywhere, that everything we receive is from God's hand, and, when received religiously, is holy. Nevertheless men have always felt that certain precincts were in a special manner set apart and dedicated to God. (Romano Guardini)

ECCLESIASTICAL BUILDINGS

Ecclesiastical buildings are divided into two classes:churches and oratories.

church. A house of God, dedicated exclusively for publicworship. A sacred building dedicated to divine worshipfor the use of all the faithful and the public exercise ofreligion. There are five kinds of churches:

· basilica. A rectangular church with a semicircular apse and narthex copied after the ancient Roman justice hall. It is especially designed for large congregations. Also the title given to specific Roman Catholic churches to which the pope has granted particular ceremonial privileges.

· cathedral. The chief church of a diocese where the bishop's throne (or cathedra, which is the Latin word for "seat") is situated.

· collegiate or conventual. A public place of worship served by a community of regular clergy (canons regular, monks, or friars).

· metropolitan. A church presided over by an archbishop.

· parochial. A parish church, with a baptismal font, a confessional, and a cemetery, and the liturgical equipment necessary for baptisms, marriages, and funerals.

oratory. A place of worship not intended for the use ofall the faithful indiscriminately. These can be a publicoratory, which is used by a religious community primarily,with limited access by the public; a semipublic oratory,which is intended for use by a special community and isnot open to the public; and a private oratory, which is asmall chapel or a room set apart for worship in a privatehouse for the use of the family or an individual.

OTHER ECCLESIASTICAL STRUCTURES

catacomb. An underground cave or tunnel the earlyChristians used for burial and as a meeting place duringthe time of Roman persecutions.

manse. The residence of the clergy, particularly in thePresbyterian Church. May also be called parsonage,rectory, vicarage, or presbytery (Roman Catholic).

mission. An establishment of missionaries, which mayinclude a church, a station, a school, a hospital, andother facilities from which the missionaries do outreachwork. May also refer to a local parish or church that isdependent on a larger church or religious organizationfor financial support or direction.

shrine. A building or other shelter that encloses theremains or relics of a saint or other holy person, becominga site of religious veneration and pilgrimage. May alsorefer to a reliquary or receptacle for sacred relics, or tothe niche holding a religious image.

MONASTIC ARCHITECTURE

abbey. A religious house under the direction of an abbotor an abbess. Also, an abbey church (such asWestminster Abbey).

cell. A small room in a monastery or convent.

cloister. The residence of those who have taken religiousvows, such as a convent, monastery, abbey, etc. See alsoSacred Architecture.

convent. A house for persons under religious vows, inparticular, women or nuns. May also be called a nunnery.

monastery. A house for persons under religious vows, inparticular, men or monks.

priory. A religious house under the direction of a prioror prioress.

refectory. The dining room in a monastic community.

retreat house. The guest house at a monastic community.

SACRED ARCHITECTURE
ARCHITECTURAL STYLES

cruciform. Cross-shaped churches, which have a nave,transept, and chancel. When looking down on thisformation from above, it would appear to be in the shapeof a Latin cross.

Gothic. An ornate style of architecture ofEurope in the Middle Ages (twelfth tofifteenth centuries). Distinguishing featuresare pointed arches, ribbed vaulting, andslender spires. Rheims and Notre Dame areGothic cathedrals.

Romanesque. A style of architecture basedon Roman building techniques, prevalentin Europe from the fifth century to thetwelfth century. The distinctive features arethe round arch and the barrel (or tunnel)vault. It is unadorned and massive.

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

bells. The ringing of a church bell is an invitation toworship. If the bells are carillons, sacred hymn tunes areplayed. Bells are tolled for funerals.

· belfry. The church tower where the bells are hung.

· campanile. A bell tower separate from the church, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

· carillon. A set of large bells in the church tower on which hymn tunes are played from an electric keyboard. There are at least two octaves of bells, tuned chromatically.

buttress. An exterior reinforcement to strengthenthe walls and support the roof of Gothic stylechurches. A classic example is Notre Dame Cathedral.

cloister. A sheltered corridor connecting thechurch building with other structures serving theneeds of a congregation. See also Monastic Architecture.

fleche. (French, "arrow.") A very slender, "arrow-like"spire at the crossing on a church roof.

gargoyle. Grotesque figures of people andbeasts used as water spouts or decoration on theexterior of Gothic cathedrals. They symbolizethe evil that the gospel expels.

pier. A support of masonry, steel, or the like for sustainingvertical pressure.

polychrome. Decorative painting in bright colors onwood. Beams in church ceilings, etc., may be ornamentedin polychrome.

rose window. A round window with stone tracery,generally at the west end of the church.

spire. A steeple projecting high above the roof ofthe church.

tracery. Delicately carved stonework that formsthe shape of the windows, particularly in Gothicarchitecture. Such work may also be done in woodon the chancel furniture, especially the reredos.

vaulted. In Gothic and Romanesque architecture,the domed or arched structure of the ceiling.

MOVING INTO THE CHURCH ...
INTERIOR SPACES

It is the doors that admit us to this mysterious place. Lay aside, they say,...