A R T I C L E S

S ACRED A RT I NSTITUTE ...N OW !

A MANDATE OF VATICAN II
Hugh J. McNichol

Episcopi vel per se ipsos vel per sacerdotes

idoneos qui peritia et artis amore praediti
sunt, artificum curam habeant, ut eos
spiritu Artis sacrae et sacrae Liturgiae
imbuant.
Insuper commendatur ut scholae vel
Academiae de Arte Sacra ad artifices
formandos instituantur in illis regionibus
in quibus id visum fuerit.

Bishops should have a special concern for

artists, so as to imbue them with the spirit
of sacred art and of the sacred liturgy. This
they may do in person or through suitable
priests who are gifted with a knowledge
and love of art.
It is also desirable that schools or
academies of sacred art should be founded
in those parts of the world where they
would be useful, so that artists may be
trained.

--Sacrosanctum Concilium, 127

O
ne of the most important
teachings of the Fathers of the
Second Vatican Council was
the provision for the establishment of
schools or academies of sacred art in
order to train artists. To the best of my
knowledge, this responsibility entrusted
to local Episcopal conferences has not
been implemented. Not only does the
council specifically mention artists; it

Photo: Duncan Stroik

specifically entrusts the responsibility of
ensuring the quality of their work to the
concern of the Bishop and appropriately
trained priests to help in this endeavor.
My questions are simply these:
Where is the Institute for the Sacred
Arts in the United States?
Why have the bishops not estab-
lished this particular institute for the
United States?
Why do the American Bishops
frequently use artisans not from the
United States when commissioning li-
turgical art?
It confounds me that our own Cath-
olic clergy persist in absolute decision-
making authority when it comes to the
execution and implementation of new
SACRED ARCHITECTURE ISSUE 14 2008
Anthony Visco’s Descent of the Holy Spirit at the Rosary Walk at the Shrine of
Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
liturgical spaces or the commissioning incorporate mutual understanding of
of sacred art. Most clergy with which I the Church’s needs for artistic integrity
am familiar do not know the difference and the implementation by the artisans
between Baroque and Bauhaus but they of qualitative expressions of religious
insist on making the decisions about belief. Such an understanding does not
church design and architecture. imply that the most expensive repre-
The Fathers of the Second Vatican sentations of religious expression con-
Council did not intend for this to stitute the highest quality of the artistic
happen. When proclaiming an appre- endeavor; rather it suggests that the
ciation of art and artists the Council highest quality compositions by artists
Fathers envisioned a partnership should be included in the Church’s ex-
between the communities of Church pression of her beliefs.
and artisans. Such a relationship is to It seems that in neglecting the need
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the establishment of a liturgical arts or-
ganization within each bishop’s local
jurisdiction. This group would serve
as a conduit for local artists and parish
communities that are seeking to utilize
each artist’s and artisans’ unique skills
and talents. At the same time, perhaps
this same “liturgical arts” group could
provide an educational element for
priests and parishioners alike. Lectures,
seminars and workshops as well as ex-
hibitions of liturgical and sacred art
might take place so all of the faithful
would appreciate and understand the
true importance and necessity of such
contributors.
One of the only examples of such
an exhibition of liturgical and sacred
arts took place in Philadelphia in 1976
during the 41st International Eucha-
ristic Congress, held in August of that
year. The location was the old Phila-
delphia Civic Center where exhibition
space was provided to highlight local
examples of sacred and liturgical art.
Photo: Hugh J. McNichol
future priest the qualitative differences
between vellum and plain old paper,
the nuances of quality between hand
woven wool and mass produced poly-
ester, as well as the material exquisite-
ness of handcrafted liturgical vessels
when compared to off the shelf items.
Quite frequently his voice was similar
to St. John the Baptist calling out in an
artistic wilderness where the message
of liturgical quality of materials was
not always understood or appreciated.
I am glad to say that after thirty years
he is still teaching me and other former
students about the necessity of highest
quality materials in our oblations to the
Almighty.
Clearly, the intentions of the Second
Vatican Council regarding art and artis-
tic expression within the Church is in-
tended to launch a Renaissance of art-
istry in our contemporary Church. Un-
fortunately, in most cases this rebirth
and new appreciation of artisans and
their crafts is only realized on a limited

Jesus, the Bread of Life, by Walter
Erlebacher, originally commissioned for the
41st International Eucharistic Congress at
Philadelphia, 1976. The statue now stands
in the gardens of the Cathedral of SS. Peter
and Paul, Philadelphia.
to establish an American Academy for
Sacred Art, the symbiotic relationship
between Church and Artisan is deemed
as unimportant or unnecessary.
As the Catholic Church in the United
States develops a richer understanding
of its mission and sacramental activities
it is time to implement the decrees of
the Second Vatican Council and estab-
lish an institute for the study and pres-
ervation of sacred and liturgical art.
Most often, the major metropolitan
areas of the country contain many of
the individuals that possess artistic ex-
pertise and creativity. It makes logical
sense then that most artists that special-
ize in liturgical and sacred arts would
cluster around the larger Catholic pop-
ulations in our larger dioceses and arch-
dioceses. Sacrosanctum Concilium makes
a very specific point that the Bishop
should entrust the proper understand-
ing of proper artistic and liturgical in-
tegrity to priests especially trained and
associated with the visual arts. One
step further would also to provide for
It was also an opportunity for me as a basis. That is exactly why the United
high school student to begin to under-
stand the truly symbiotic relationship
that exists between the Church and
the Artist, Sacred Art and Liturgical
Expression, as well as the relationship
between architecture and sacred space.
During my tour of the exposition, I
was introduced to many artists and
craftsmen that continue to produce
exceptional pieces of art that are most
worthy additions to sacred spaces.
Some of these artists, such as Robert
McGovern, Bill Daley, Wayne Bates and
Anthony Visco have been great sources
of friendship as well as artistic mentors
over the past 35 years or so. During
my tenure as a seminary student, I was
very fortunate to have experienced
both artists and their works. In particu-
lar, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary
commissioned and still utilizes origi-
nal furniture constructed by George
Nakashima in the Sacred Liturgy. The
liturgical furniture has for over 30
years provided exceptional examples
of good design and exceptional execu-
tion of natural materials in the liturgi-
cal space.
Of course, one of the most endur-
ing mandates of the implementation
of Sacrosanctum Concilium was the
entrusting of an educational under- The responsibility for the creation
standing of the sacred and liturgical of liturgical and sacred art has been
arts to the Bishop, who in turn del- consigned to companies that mass-produce
egated this task to Msgr. John Miller religious articles for hundreds of Catholic
in Philadelphia. Throughout the years, churches throughout the world.
Msgr. John Miller has taught many a

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States Bishops need expression. Rarely in

to establish an insti- our modern United
tute that promotes States do we place
and fosters an appre- a high regard on ar-
ciation of all of these tistic craftsmanship
artistic disciplines. that includes mate-
Not only would such rial quality. This dis-
a school of sacred art regard for humanly
provide much needed created things quite
education for clergy honestly is reflec-
and faithful alike, it tive of the dangers
would provide a cre- of secular humanism
ative incubator for that present them-
ecclesial art. Artisans, selves to Catholi-
clergy, faithful people cism. An individual’s

Photo: Duncan Stroik

would all have vast essential value and
resources available worth at times are
to further appreciate neglected for more
and explore the rela- collective goals,
tionship between the Pendentive canvas by Anthony Visco, depicting St. Cyril of Alexandria, and the dignity of a
Church and Artistic Doctor of the Church, before its installation in the dome of the Shrine of human person’s life
expression. Such a Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Crosse, Wisconsin. and work is some-
relationship would times disregarded.
provide opportunity for cooperation would also help a considerable bit if In a time when more is best, biggest
with all parties to explore artistic ex- parish communities were involved in is better, most expensive is best and
pression and its age-old relationship to a catechesis regarding the importance mechanical engineering is superlative,
the worship of God. of quality in our liturgical and sacred perhaps we should pause and rethink
We are 40 plus years since the end of arts. Quite frequently, our post-Indus- our Catholic appreciation of human
the Council and sacred art still does not trial society prides itself on the expedi- labor. Sacred Art in our liturgical ac-
have a domestic United States academy ency of just about everything. It would tivities is reflective of man’s deepest
for its study and development. Since be an enriching insight for parishioners desire to pursue an understanding of
the close of Vatican II hundreds if not to understand the difference between God. Sacrosanctum Concilium implied
thousands of Catholic churches have mass produced religious materials, there is an interconnected relationship
been renovated, renewed, restored or and the essential quality and dignity of between art and religion, the Church
even ruined by a disregard for their ar- handcrafted articles destined for sacred and the Artisan, and the Artisan with
chitectural and artistic integrity. the Church community. It is an appro-
As a result, we have neglected as a priate time in the 21st century to revisit
Church to appreciate our own gifted the Church’s appreciation of artistic
Catholics that worship God through expression with a manner of material
their artistic expressions. At the same integrity. We have had enough of mass
time, the responsibility for the creation produced religious art, inferior repre-
of liturgical and sacred art has been sentations of quality materials and the
consigned to companies that mass- exclusion of Catholic artistic talents. It
produce religious articles for hundreds has been 44 years since the Holy Spirit
of Catholic churches throughout the through the Second Vatican Council in-
world. spired Sacrosanctum Concilium. It is time
In addition to the initiation of a we implemented and paid attention to
school for sacred arts, every parish its significant message.
community is best served by trying to
incorporate local artists into all of their
projects. It seems that the notion of W
community also involves appreciating
the fields in which all of our parishio-
ners labor. Hugh J. McNichol is a freelance Catholic
Education of priests and faithful author, businessman, and educator. He
Photo: James Langley

should not be a subject that is over- writes daily for the Catholic News Agency
looked. Sacrosanctum Concilium also in his column, “Nothing Left Unsaid!” He
recommends that clergy and future received his education in philosophy and
clergy be educated in an appreciation theology at the Saint Charles Borromeo
of all of the arts. This is not something Center panel of triptych of the Holy Family Seminary in Philadelphia, and is an en-
that the Fathers of the Council consid- at the chapel at Murray Hill Place, New thusiast of American Catholic culture and
ered optional, it was part of the dec- York City, by James Langley, 2005. Philadelphia history.
larations of Sacrosanctum Concilium. It email: hugh.mcnichol@trinettc.com

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