De templorum nitore:A church with a battle scene can't be that bad

For the second Sunday in a row, I was at St. Josaphat's in Detroit City for Mass. I know I've written about the place before, but I must say again that I really like it. I know that the interior decor is not for everyone - it's abundantly rich - but I kinda appreciate it and, at least, would take it any day over the stripped, protestant appearance of the parish nearest my parents' home, St. Thomas Aquinas in East Lansing. And one is always finding some new decorative feature on the ceiling, you know, another painting or image; this Sunday, I noticed above the side altar at the right of the nave, high up on the wall, the pontifical coat of arms of Pope Pius XII. Way over opposite, over the left side altar, was the coat of arms of a cardinal, presumably of Detroit, but I didn't investigate further. A painted high up in the left interior of the chancel shows Poles (presumably) fighting on some modern battleground. This is something to appreciate: your average wreckovated, post-modernist, protestantized Catholic church is not likely to have many battle scenes on their walls.

But here is the other thing about the indult at St. Josaphat's: they take marvelous care with the ceremonies of the Church. I am thinking of two things: first, well-trained, older altar servers, and always several of them: two servers, a crucifer, an MC, and even a deacon, an older man, very serious looking, with a biretta and fine lace cotta. I would be interested to know who this guy is and how he comes to be in the choir each Sunday at St. Josaphat's. The other thing which impresses me is the choir: many choirs are gone during the summer, but last week and this, they were there, the chant was excellent, and though I don't know whether it would count as "manly" by Fr. Bartolucci's standards, the last true maestro, it sure sounded like it to me. It strikes me that they are doing even the ordinary chants in a particularly sombre fashion, even mournful. This is excellent, I think, and reminds me of how Ambrosius will tell for the first time some young sprite of a Catholic at Cornell, seeking to strike the imagination, about the Carthusians, about their particularly long Matins in the middle of the night and their own special form of chant, more solemn and sorrowful than the rest of the Church's.

While on my way to pray at the altar of Our Lady after Mass, I overheard the MC talking with an inquiring parishioner about, I believe, the possibility of the FSSP entering the archdiocese. And what the MC had to say was hopeful, though not exactly exciting; the archdiocese had said, "not yet." I hope that the time does come soon.

Speaking of liturgical rites, I come to the other thing I wanted to relate. The biographies in the Roman Breviary over the last week or so on two occasions have, among the merits of a particular saint or his especial cares for Church, said that, as in today's of St. Cajetan, nitorem domus Dei promovit. In the biography of St. Igatius of Loyola (July 31), we find the same thing, Templorum nitor [et cetera] ab ipso incrementum accepere. In the biography of St. Alphonsus de Liguori (August 2), though not from the Roman Breviary, we read of the care which he took in decorating the altar of our Lady in a nearby parish while still a young man. Tomorrow, we celebrate the Feast of St. John Marie Vianney, one who was assiduous in finding and spending large amounts of money for the very nicest things for the house of God. On August 5th, we celebrated the dedication of that glorious basilica, resting place of St. Pius V, St. Mary Major's, one of the beautiful basilicas of Rome.

This concatenation of feasts should remind us, I think, that it is no sin to build beautiful houses for the Lord and to procure the very choicest of articles for use at the Holy Sacrifice. We have the example of the saints to encourage us, to encourage pastors today ad templorum nitorem fovendum. By beauty and care in such things we give honor to God and may win souls to Christ, even as in His Transfiguration, He revealed His glorious beauty in order to strengthen the Apostles for the trials to come.


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