The splendor of Neo-Gothic in the new world. After returning from touring eight countries in a little over a month, it was pure joy to be home and attending Holy Mass here this morning at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.
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| Photos: OC-Travel |
The pastor and celebrant, Fr. Bryan Pedersen, was a high school classmate of mine and a long-time friend. He is doing great work while setting a very high standard of liturgical arts, teaching young and old the patrimony of the Roman Rite. Our alma mater is the storied St. Agnes High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fr. Pedersen is a stellar priest who leads a model parish with a thriving school. He has excellent taste in the liturgical arts and is very satisfied with this purchase from the St. Bede Studio. The quality of fabric and craftsmanship he agrees is exquisite.
This beautiful Neo-Gothic set matches well the Neo-Gothic church, igniting an imagination formed by beauty in order to see the fullness and splendour of the liturgy.
The Saint Bede Studio, an atelier from Australia, is greatly inspired by Benedictine spirituality. The studio is dedicated to providing dignified, beautiful garments for the sacred rites. The style is largely a re-interpretation, for modern use, of ancient and medieval design. Special emphasis is put on aesthetics, tradition and Christian symbolism, mixed with a good sense of proportions and practicality. A great deal of research goes into each work and the fabrics come from around the world. The new creations are seen not as commodities, but as garments made for sacred purposes. The vestments are not mass-produced, but rather are hand-made. The final products are known for their striking beauty and ease and use of durability.
As an interesting side note: Sacred Heart church, constructed in 1958, was the first air-conditioned church in the diocese. This is because the pastor did not want the men in his parish to have any excuse not to attend Mass in a coat and tie. Further, Archbishop Sheen visited here in 1975 to preach and celebrate Mass, an event still talked about by parishioners.
Thanks be to God this community is flourishing and God is blessing this work of maintaining the highest standard in liturgical arts, a quality most advantageous for the flight of the soul.
