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A Call to Honesty: Art and Architecture
“We’ve had enough exhortations to be silent. Cry out with a thousand tongues – I see the world is rotten because of silence.” St. Catherine of Siena I should begin this post by saying I am no art expert. I am just a girl who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, subjected to the typically horrendous art, architecture and music that made its way into many Catholic Churches in those decades. Even as a small child, I had a strong visceral reaction to it. I sensed there was something off, something discordant about it. Then I went to Europe and was immersed in beautiful art and architecture — and…
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Beauty Will Save the World
“Beauty will save the world.” F. DOSTOYEVSKY, The Idiot Recently I found myself sitting in a faculty concert of some amazing musicians — it was such a gift. I just sat there and was transported to another place — a beautiful place. I found myself being overwhelmed by beauty — in a good way. It was a good moment — a series of good moments, really. It restored my mind and soul after a hectic week. It reminded me of the importance of beauty. Beauty — it’s important. It can lift a soul out of the depths of despair. It can satisfy our deepest desires in this life. It’s a foretaste of Heaven, and…
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Florence: What Art, Beauty, and Naked Statues Have to Do with Being Catholic
“This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair”. ~John Paul II, Letter to Artists~ One of the reasons I love being around kids is that they ask the honest questions that adults are too afraid to ask. When traveling to Florence with kids, a question that will almost inevitably come up is, “Why so many naked people?” I’m not talking about the people passing by, but everywhere you look — in churches, piazzas, and museums — there are naked people depicted in very life-like reality. It might surprise you that the Church was one of the greatest patrons of the arts — and without the Church,…
