Built of Living Stones

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops promulgated Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship in 2000 to help churches plan for new construction and renovation of worship spaces. This document, based on the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, guides our efforts for Together We Build. The following are excerpts from that document that pertain to Together We Build.

§ 16. Just as the term Church refers to the living temple, God’s People, the term church also has been used to describe “the building in which the Christian community gathers to hear the word of
God, to pray together, to receive the sacraments, and celebrate the eucharist.”[13] That building is both the house of God on earth (domus Dei) and a house fit for the prayers of the saints (domus ecclesiae). Such a house of prayer must be expressive of the presence of God and suited for the celebration of the sacrifice of Christ, as well as reflective of the community that celebrates there.

§ 18. Churches, therefore, must be places “suited to sacred celebrations,” “dignified,” and beautiful.[17] Their suitability for worship is determined by their ability through the architectural design of space and the application of artistic gifts to embody God’s initiative and the community’s faithful response.

§ 26. Just as Christ invited those who heard him to share his personal union with the Father through material signs, so Christ leads the Church through these same signs in the liturgy from the visible to the invisible.[33] As a result, effective liturgical signs have a teaching function and encourage full, conscious, and active participation, express and strengthen faith, and lead people to God. Poorly utilized or minimal signs do not enliven the community’s faith and can even diminish active participation.[34] It must likewise be kept in mind that the liturgy and its signs and symbols do not exercise merely a teaching function. They also touch and move a person to conversion of heart and not simply to enlightenment of mind.

§ 44. § 5. The church building should be beautiful. The external and internal structure of the church building should be expressive of the dignified beauty of God’s holy people who gather there and of the sacred rites they celebrate. Liturgical art and architecture reflect and announce the presence of the God who calls the community to worship and invite believers to raise their minds and hearts to the One who is the source of all beauty and truth. Art or architecture that draws more attention to its own shape, form, texture, or color than to the sacred realities it seeks to disclose is unworthy of the church building.[60]

The Baptistry
§ 66. The rites of baptism, the first of the sacraments of initiation, require a prominent place for celebration.[89] Initiation into the Church is entrance into a eucharistic community united in
Jesus Christ. Because the rites of initiation of the Church begin with baptism and are completed by the reception of the Eucharist, the baptismal font and its location reflect the Christian’s journey through the waters of baptism to the altar. This integral relationship between the baptismal font and the altar can be demonstrated in a variety of ways, such as placing the font and altar on the same architectural axis, using natural or artificial lighting, using the same floor patterns, and using common or similar materials and elements of design.

§ 67. The location of the baptismal font, its design, and the materials used for its construction are important considerations in the planning and design of the building. It is customary to locate the baptismal font either in a special area within the main body of the church or in a separate
baptistry. Through the waters of baptism the faithful enter the life of Christ.[90] For this reason the font should be visible and accessible to all who enter the church building. While the baptistery is proportioned to the building itself and should be able to hold a good number of people, its actual size will be determined by the needs of the local community.

§ 69. 5. Because of the essential relationship of baptism to the celebration of other sacraments and rituals, the parish will want to choose an area for the baptistry or the font that visually symbolizes that relationship. Some churches choose to place the baptistry and font near the entrance to the church. Confirmation and the Eucharist complete the initiation begun at baptism; marriage and ordination are ways of living the life of faith begun in baptism; the funeral of a Christian is the final journey of a life in Christ that began in baptism; and the sacrament of penance calls the faithful to conversion and to a renewal of their baptismal commitment. Placing the baptismal font in an area near the entrance or gathering space where the members pass regularly and setting it on an axis with the altar can symbolize the relationship between the various sacraments as well as the importance of the Eucharist within the life and faith development of the members.

The Gathering Space or Narthex
§ 95. The narthex is a place of welcome—a threshold space between the congregation’s space and the outside environment. In the early days of the Church, it was a “waiting area” for catechumens and penitents. Today it serves as gathering space as well as the entrance and exit to the building. The gathering space helps believers to make the transition from everyday life to the celebration of the liturgy, and after the liturgy, it helps them return to daily life to live out the mystery that has been celebrated. In the gathering space, people come together to move in procession and to prepare for the celebration of the liturgy. It is in the gathering space that many important liturgical moments occur: men and women participate in the Rite of Becoming a
Catechumen as they move towards later, full initiation into the Church; parents, godparents, and infants are greeted for the celebration of baptism; and Christians are greeted for the last time as their mortal remains are received into the church building for the celebration of the funeral rites.

§ 96. In addition to its religious functions, the gathering space may provide access to the vesting sacristy, rooms for choir rehearsal, storage areas, restrooms, and rooms for ushers and their equipment. Adequate space for other gatherings will be an important consideration in planning the narthex and other adjoining areas.

§ 97. The doors to the church have both practical and symbolic significance. They function as the secure, steady symbol of Christ, “the Good Shepherd” and “the door through which those who follow him enter and are safe [as they] go in and go out.”[122] In construction, design, and decoration, they have the ability to remind people of Christ’s presence as the Way that leads to the Father.[123] Practically, of course, they secure the building from the weather and exterior dangers, expressing by their solid strength the safe harbor that lies within. The appearance and height of the church doors reflect their dignity and address practical considerations such as the accommodation of the processional cross or banners.

The Rite of Penance or Reconciliation
§ 104. By its design, furnishings, and location within the church building, the place for reconciliation can assist penitents on the path to contrition and sorrow for sin and to proclaim their reconciliation with God and the community of faith.

§ 105. In planning the reconciliation area, parishes will want to provide for a sound-proof place with a chair for the priest and a kneeler and chair for the penitent. Since the rite includes the reading of Scripture, the space should also include a bible.[128] Appropriate artwork, a crucifix symbolic of Christ’s victory over sin and death, icons or images reflective of baptism and the
Eucharist, or Scriptural images of God’s reconciling love help to enhance the atmosphere of prayer. Warm, inviting lighting welcomes penitents who seek God’s help, and some form of amplification as well as braille signs can aid those with hearing or visual disabilities. Additional rooms or spaces will be needed as confessional areas for communal celebrations of penance, especially in Advent and Lent.

Christian Funerals
§ 111. Because the faith journey of the deceased began in baptism, it is appropriate that there be a physical association between the baptismal font and the space for the funeral ritual. “In the act of receiving the body, the members of the community acknowledge the deceased as one of their own, as one who was welcomed in baptism and who held a place in the assembly.”[131] With the baptismal symbols of water, light, and the pall, the mourning community prepares for the “liturgy in which it asks for a share in the heavenly banquet promised to the deceased and to all who have been [baptized in Christ].”[132]

§ 114. The funeral rites permit the celebration of the vigil for the deceased in the church.[134] If this is the practice, it is appropriate to wake the body in the baptistry or gathering area or in another dignified area of the church that will not interfere with the normal liturgical life of the parish.