The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-17

soon become a Catholic country.
Ihold, therefore, that Catholic archi-
lecture and art by its fidelity to Cath.
Ollie ideals and principles carries in
Itself the means to invite the intelli-
gent non Catholic inquirer and lover
of art to investigate still further. and
ESQ possibly to discover the true faith
which is the handspring Of all good or.
der and art as well as of devout
Christian life. 81
Brief Review Of Catholic Art.
Time is not at hand to review with
4 fulness the influence of the church
on architecture nor that of; architec.
ture on the minds of the faithful 1t
must be stated, however, that Cath
olic architecture as exemplified in the
wonderful cathedrals and churches of
Europe has never. been surpassed in
the history of the world. What a
lglorious feast for the sense of sight
to. behold and examine the impress
of the spirit of the Church in the
works of architecture scattered so
lavishly over the Old World. What
ever beneficent changes the Church
has brought about in the moral order
can be equally traced in the material
and intellectual order; Into the low
and earthly temples of pagan Rome
ldeyoted to false gods, she. blew the
perfume of her breath and 10! and
|behold the mechanically correct type
of pagan temples became inflated with
a new spirit, and spread out and de-
veloped upward in soaring shaft,
crocketed pinnacle, flowing tracery
and perforated spire, until the sky is
pierced and the earth is covered with
ten thousand jewel caskets, built not
to house pagan god devoted to the
vices Of men, but to shrine truly and
substantially the God of creation, the
Author of Life and Beauty in the di-
vine sacrament of the altar.
From the time of Constantine to
the so-called reformation and revolu-
ton, the entire history of architecture
is story of the activities of the Cath
lolic Church. In vain will you look
/ for any other influence in the Western
World on this the oldest of the arts.
What other architecture there was,
such as town halls, palaces, manor
houses, ETC., received its character
from the ecclesiastical buildings of
Holy Mother Church. The men who
were especially Jealous in the prog
ress of the Church were also the Gre
Iators and builders of the new archi-
lecture which took a form and style
unknown and unmatched before or
since. The monks of the West with
their herculean labor of converting
and organizing into a well ordered
society the barbarians from the North,
also found time to establish schools
for artisans where not only architec-
ture, but all the minor arts such as
wrought iron, ornamental leather,
lstone and wood carving, stained glass,
mosaic and painting, were taught and
| practiced in way never equalled ex-
Icept by some modern expert devot.
ling his life to one individual branch
| of art. The fact that these poor
monks were able with their pupils to
build monuments and churches which
fare the despair and wonder of mod
fern architects speaks volumes for the
spirit that guided them. The monks
tof the West were the agents of this
Transformation. They taught agricul
ture to a nomadic people, tanned their
fierce unrest, directed their magnifi
cent energies into unaccnstomed chan
Inels, showed them new ideals, and
taught them to evoke new forms OF
tbeauty at which, even today, we have
not ceased to wonder. In and around
the cloister were gathered the most
ldeft of the craftsmen of the period
Each abbey became the center of q
town or village made up of these
lcraftsmen with their families, trades
i people, and the tillers of the soil
Within the cloister their children at
tended the monastery school, and
from their number we're recruited the
monks of the Order. @
In the course of time certain alb
beys became famous for the skill OF
i their craftsmen in special lines O
Ihandiwork and an interchange Of
/ workmen became common. Wherever
There was secular work of any magni
Itude, it fell to the lot of the crafts
men at the neighboring abbey. The
castle of the secular ruler, the palace
tof the king, the public buildings o.
the more important towns, all levied
on the abbey for it's workers skilled
in the uses of wood and stone ant
wrought iron. But their chief worl
was that which was concerned with
1.-THE church itself. In the cottages o.
the village street the looms we're busy
with tapestries for it's adorfiment
| The fingers of the women wove deli
cate embroideries for its affairs. From
the forge Of the snnithy came til,
hinges and wrought-iron grills of its
choirs. Gold and silyersmiths Wet
with each other to find expression il
their materials for a beauty in cha1
| ice or pyx or cross that would exec
THAT which their fellows produced
Under all ran the deep current b
/ faith into which all the artistic effor
of the day struck its root and whence
ltoo it derived its power Of sustained
/ effort. 1--WE admire, ;" says Montalem
II HORT Il 1