{"id":48209,"date":"2019-07-15T08:00:44","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T13:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/?p=48209"},"modified":"2019-07-21T13:51:18","modified_gmt":"2019-07-21T18:51:18","slug":"from-crystal-to-christ-a-guide-to-the-nations-newest-cathedral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2019\/07\/15\/from-crystal-to-christ-a-guide-to-the-nations-newest-cathedral\/","title":{"rendered":"From Crystal to Christ – A Guide to the Nation’s newest Cathedral"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post is shared with us by Rev. Msgr. Arthur A. Holquin, S.T.L. from his blog <\/em>Rector Emeritus<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cathedra in Christ Cathedral with Coat of Arms of Bishop Kevin W. Vann<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Behind the building of any great Cathedral there is inevitably a story.  Perhaps not all of them are as creatively intriguing as the one that stands behind the famous novel of some years ago by Ken Follett, Pillars of the Earth, <\/em>nevertheless, virtually all reflect the story of the creative interplay between faith and imagination, as well as art and architecture, as we attempt to fashion something beautiful in the service of word and worship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would like to tell the story that has recently been completed in how the Diocese of Orange has planned, shaped and designed a new Cathedral in light of its relatively recent acquisition of the former Crystal Cathedral and its extensive 35-acre property in Garden Grove, California, into Christ Cathedral. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campus that is now the heart and center of the 42-year-old Diocese of Orange came about as a result of the acquisition, in 2011 of this 35-acre site of the former Crystal Cathedral site in the heart of Orange County.  Why? Sadly, with the bankruptcy and relocation of the once phenomenally successful ministry of the televangelist, Rev. Dr. Robert Schuller,<\/a> of the Reformed Church of America, the site went up for sale.  The Diocese acquired it for a little over 57 million dollars.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On this premier piece of real estate, Dr. Schuller over the nearly 50 years of his ministry, secured three of America\u2019s iconic architects of the 20th century to design not only places for worship but also a strikingly beautiful welcome center.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richard Neutra<\/a> designed the first sanctuary or arboretum together with the Tower of Hope between 1961 and 1968.  In 1980, the new sanctuary called the \u201cCrystal Cathedral\u201d by Philip Johnson <\/a>was dedicated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The final major structure to grace this property was the 57,000 sq. ft., five level Visitors Center designed by Richard Meyer<\/a>, completed in 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shortly after the acquisition of the property and its buildings by the Diocese of Orange, visioning began for the eventual transformation of the Philip Johnson structure that would become the new Cathedral for the local Church.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simultaneous to this visioning, it was necessary to restore the original arboretum sanctuary by Neutra to accommodate the pre-existing, 5000 household St. Callistus parish community that had moved from a nearby location to now form the nucleus of the new Christ Cathedral parish community. The restoration of this beautiful structure to its original pristine form has garnered multiple architectural awards for its sensitive and careful desire to return the structure to its classic Neutra design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The work on transforming and repurposing the Philip Johnson structure began in earnest in 2012 with the hiring of Br. William Woeger, a Christian Brother and Director of the Office of Worship in Omaha, to function as the principal liturgical consultant on the project.  Bringing with him over 40 years of experience in liturgical design and Cathedral renovation, Br. William worked closely with the newly formed Architecture and Renovation Committee <\/em>for Cathedral design in eventually assisting in securing two Los Angeles based architectural firms, Johnson Fain <\/em><\/a>and Rios, Clementi, Hale<\/em>.<\/a>  With the architects in place, they and their teams now became actively engaged in the synergistic process that brought together sacramental theologians, liturgists, artists, architects and designers to eventually bring about the transformation of this site from Crystal to Christ Cathedral.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenges we faced in repurposing this structure were innumerable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Respect for the architectural lines and genius of Johnson\u2019s original structure<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Moving from a Word centered space geared toward televangelism and an entertainment model of worship to<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      A place of sacramentality, were the traditional ritual interplay between the centrality of the Eucharistic Table, the Proclamation from the Table of the Word, and the episcopal presidency of the one at the cathedra would now take center stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      The judicious integration of sacred iconography within a space that was visually opened completely to the outside environment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Taming hostile temperature variances that in the summer could range from 80 degrees at the floor level to 110 degrees in the upper sections of the Cathedral<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Restoration of one of the great pipe organs of the world that had experienced 30 years of these temperature fluctuations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Creating a ritual, liturgical and architectural \u2018center\u2019 for the Cathedral building itself in a campus that incrementally grew somewhat topsy-turvy over the years, without a specific focus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These and countless other \u2018surprises\u2019 were the \u2018stuff\u2019 of the monthly meetings of our team as our discussions and visioning led to preliminary designs, concepts and approaches.  These were then further refined and discussed in subcommittees, leading eventually to the completed design concept that is now in place, the fruit of a year and a half birthing process.  The process itself became a transformative experience for liturgists coming to know more of the dynamics of architecture and architects and designers coming to understand the place of sacrament and symbol in the shaping of a House for the Church. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her recently published book, St. John\u2019s Abbey Church: Marcel Breuer and the Creation of a Modern Sacred Space<\/em>,<\/a> Victoria Young tells the story of the planning and building of this architecturally significant contemporary church structure in Collegeville, Minnesota.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the positioning and orientation of the Table of Sacrifice that orchestrated the eventual positioning of all the other symbols for worship.  So it was for Christ Cathedral.  After reviewing a number of different orientations for the Altar it was initially strongly felt that the Catholicity of this unique project of transformation called for the positioning of the Table of Sacrifice within the axis mundi <\/em>of the Johnson structure.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This initial conceptualization, clustered the assembly in antiphonal seating to its right and left and positioning the ambo at one end of the centrally raised predella and the cathedra at the other end \u2013 the three primary symbols would now be liturgically, ritually and visually at the center of the structure with a seating capacity of 2100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While this design had its liturgical precedents within primarily monastic communities, it was subsequently wisely felt that such a \u2018radical\u2019 design would be too disengaged from the ordinary worship experience of the faithful in the parishes of the Diocese.  Hence, at the behest of the Bishop of the Diocese, a slight modification was made in this original orientation, moving the Altar slightly back creating a more fan-like seating arrangement for the assembly with the Ambo off to the right side of the worship area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To underscore the permanence of these central symbolic elements of Altar, Ambo and Cathedra, they would be crafted in travertine marble quarried from Turkey and finished in Italy.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the altar we have enshrined a reliquary house, ornamented in semi-precious cabochon stones that holds the relics of martyrs, specifically, the North American, Vietnamese, Korean and Mexican martyrs that have a special place in the hearts of the culturally diverse faithful of the Diocese. To acknowledge the proto-evangelizer of Orange County, a relic of St. Junipero Serra<\/a>, founder of the historic mother church of the Diocese, Mission San Juan Capistrano (1776), will also be housed in the reliquary.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To give visual focus to the table in an expanse that is over 100 ft high, is a suspended baldachino, leafed in antique platinum with an oculus opening to the sky.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the oculus is suspended the crux gemmata<\/em>, in polished bronze and ornamented in semi-precious stones of lapis lazuli, carnelian, malachite, polished quartz crystal, with a large corpus in bleached wood in the Beuronese<\/a><\/em> style reminiscent of the late 19th century.  Capturing the Johannine theme of Christ enthroned in glory on the triumphant cross of victory, the head of Christ is surmounted by a precious crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sanctuary Appointments <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great care was taken in the design and crafting of the sanctuary appointments, beginning with the principal symbols of altar, ambo and cathedra.  Because of the distant sight-lines from the twin transept balconies, appropriate proportion was of paramount importance.  It is for that reason that the marble altar is crafted in a generous 8\u2019 square. As the Table of the Word, the ambo is equally generously proportioned.  Reminiscent of many of the ancient Basilicas, a permanent paschal candle stand, crafted in matching marble and ornamented in semi-precious stones is positioned next to the ambo.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Post-conciliar liturgical directives clearly state that the cathedra should avoid any reminiscence of an imperial throne but rather should in noble simplicity be the place where the shepherd-servant presides over Word and Sacrament.  The designers integrated the simple cathedra into a \u2018presbyterium\u2019 bench, with the episcopal coat of arms of the bishop demarking his chair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the four altar candle holders are of similar substantial proportion and are positioned in such a way as to highlight the holy table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ritual of Dedication specifies that 12 (or 4) candles grace the walls of the dedicated church to mark the place of chrismal anointing. The designers choose 12 hanging lamps that surround the interior wall of the cathedral, symbolizing the 12 apostles to mark the places of anointing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Iconography, Sacred Vessels and Vesture<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In transitioning from a primarily Word centered worship space to a highly liturgically oriented place of sacramentality within the Catholic Tradition, the place of sacred imagery together with all the other areas enriching the Catholic liturgy, i.e., sanctuary furnishings, sacred vessels and vesture, took on pivotal importance in the repurposing of the Philip Johnson structure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The newly established Sacred Arts Committee reviewed artistic submissions by a number of potential liturgical artists as a plan was developed for the use of sacred imagery within the Cathedral.  The Committee commissioned Pablo Eduardo,<\/a> a native Bolivian, for the majority of the artistic enhancement within the Cathedral. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pablo Eduardo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Eduardo was commissioned to craft the four primary images in bronze of the \u201cManifestations of the Divinity of Christ\u201d surmounted on the encircling walls of the Cathedral.  Drawn from Gospels, the images are:  The Epiphany, The Baptism of the Lord, The Wedding Feast in Cana and The Transfiguration.  These images will be installed later in the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Baptism of the Lord by Pablo Eduardo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Together with the Manifestations, Eduardo crafted the 14 Stations of the Cross as well as the bronze bas-reliefs that will be on the primary Festive doors of the Cathedral and on the interior Narthex wall.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n