The Loma Prieta earthquake badly damaged St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, but not the resolve of East Bay Catholics to rebuild the church one day.
After years of searching, the Diocese of Oakland has identified a downtown Oakland site to build the new Christ the Light Cathedral. The 110,000-square-foot property is near Grand Avenue and Harrison Street, next to Lake Merritt.
The diocese wants to open the cathedral center in 2007.
The $131 million project is expected to become a destination for visitors and for 1.5 million Bay Area Catholics. Approximately half a million Catholics live in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and the diocese expects 20 percent growth in the next 15 years. Masses are held in 17 languages.
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Previously the architect Craig Hartman describes his design as “quite modern” and “unlike anything you’ve seen.”
This is not exactly a statement that encourages me. On the official site for The Cathedral of Christ the Lightt. Craig Hartman states:
�The tradition of the Catholic Church has historically been to apply the most advanced architectural thinking to create works of architecture that illuminate, inspire and ennoble the human spirit.�
That sure is the reason I go to church, to get my human spirit ennobled. Our daily life and the world just isn’t centered around us enough so we need some quiet time to sit and reflect on human spirit. And if there is any time left over I might also think about God.
In keeping with the themes expressed at Vatican II, Craig Hartman�s floor plan positions the main altar near the center of the cathedral�s interior, so that those attending Masses and liturgies can better become a community of participants.
Just when I managed to duck and avoid a Vatican II spirit coming my way, I get blindsided by a Vatican II theme. Well at least with this design they can rent out the Cathedral for boxing tournaments. Additionally this might actually be a good idea. Those who want to have the priest facing them can sit on that side, traditionalists that desire Ad Orientum can sit on the other side.
I realize I am ranting on this design sight unseen, but since the actual design isn’t included on the site’s 12 pages or any place I could find; that also doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. I hope to be wrong and that the eventual Cathedral helps the average person to worship the architect of creation, and not just a design that helps you to admire the architect of a church.
6 comments
Well the sitting on the other side of the altar idea might be good, unless something like this happens. I once visited a church in New Mexico that had its altar in the middle of the Church too, the only problem was the altar was a spinning one. Yep you heard me. At the altar there was a button the priest would step on with his foot that would cause the altar to spin during the consecration. Talk about “spirit” of Vatican II. I musy have missed that document.
Well, the original design was horrid. It looked like a stegasaurus. This seems to be an improvement. The original design’s architect’s qualifications were the design of a science museum and an airport. He specifically said he didn’t want it to look like a church.
Still hope if the plans aren’t completed, I guess.
Our Lady of Lourdes in Oakland has the altar in the middle of the Church–and it’s beautiful. You can go to St. Margaret Mary’s in Oakland for preVatican II mass if you’d like. Oakland has a great deal to offer the Catholic. I find the comment about renting it out as a boxing ring cheap and not funny. This is a Holy Cathedral we’re talking about…
Mr. Miller, your fears are absolutely warranted. The design for the Cathedral is hideous–which is probably why it isn’t shown anywhere on the site; parishioners would freak out, I assume. In the words of an acquaintance of mine, it “looks like the shark from Jaws getting ready to devour the faithful.”
Come on, Our Lady of Lourdes beautiful???
It was nicer before the renovation and that’s not saying much. This is the same church that continues to defy the vatican regarding “liturigal dance”. There is no such thing and that it does not belong in a latin rite mass.
However, I must disagree with some comments made in regards to the new cathedral design. I think it is quite pretty and will certainly look impressive near the lake. I also think that it conforms to church litergy. I’m no modernist, but I think the placement of the tabernacle: it will be place at it’s proper place, is correct. Unlike Samous’ folly at OLL church.
I also think that St. Mary’s in SF is a very pretty church. We can’t use old architectural designs for our modern society. We are our own generation and our architecture should reflect that.
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