“Charitably and Cheerfully Challenging the Cheap Chapel Change” by Trent Beattie

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Lafayette, LA – Conrad Schmitt

After encountering some severely simple convent and monastery chapels, I asked friends in the architecture world to suggest material that would contradict the cheap chapel change mindset. Two of the books suggested were Stones Laid Before the Lord: Architecture and Monastic Life, by Anselme Dimier, and Religious Poverty, Visual Riches by Joanna Cannon.

One of the architect-friends, however, summed it up in two paragraphs. I had been expecting a book with quotes from artistic and saintly souls (such as Catherine of Bologna, a Poor Clare, as well as Fra Angelico and Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli, both Dominicans) who, despite their own freely-chosen personal poverty, enthusiastically emphasized the eternal value of sacred art. What I got was this eagle-eyed observation that may help to qualify my friend for the artist-saint category:

Cathedral of Christ the king – Atlanta, GA – Daprato Rigali

The history of the architecture of religious orders until the emergence of modernism is replete with counter-examples to this [cheap chapel] attitude, whether for mendicant orders or otherwise. What examples we have of stark religious architecture are often the result of being unfinished or a prior finish later destroyed.

Even where noble simplicity was the stated aim of a religious community, the minimalism extolled today as its purported heir stands as much in contrast to that humble aesthetic as the machine does to nature. Even “Cistercian simplicity” before modernism ranges from the dressed and hand-carved stone of the Romanesque to the ecstatic flights of the Rococo in ways that render the term “simple” anachronistic when used today to refer to those earlier eras as somehow identical or even analogous to the “simplicity” now championed.

Some communities appear to be laboring under the assumption that, not only personal property, but even sacred art is an impediment to union with God. This might seem like a supremely noble pursuit of perfection, but it is actually an anti-Incarnational misconception. Even one of the top mystics of the Church fell prey to it before being set free.

 How Great Thy Art

In The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, Saint Alphonsus Liguori recounts a story about Saint Teresa of Avila, saying that she “complained of certain books which had taught her to leave off meditating on the Passion of Jesus Christ, because this might be an impediment to the contemplation of his divinity.” He continued, writing that Saint Teresa exclaimed:

O Lord of my soul! O my Jesus crucified, my treasure! I never remember this [iconoclastic] opinion without thinking that I have been guilty of great treachery. And is it possible that You, my Lord, could be an obstacle to me in the way of a greater good? Whence, then, do all good things come to me, but from You?

San Joselito Chapel – Before & After – Norwalk, CT – Canning Liturgical Arts

How can this be remembered and lived out when Crucifixes or the Stations of the Cross are so small, colorless, or vague that they are nearly or totally unidentifiable? The purpose of sacred art is not to satisfy a bare-minimum church checklist, but to help us enter into the reality of the Incarnation via the Sacred Humanity of the Lord.

 Beauty Embarkment

There are many resources explaining why chapels should be beautiful—including the Bible (such as Jacob’s exclamation about the majesty of the temple Genesis 28), Saint John Damascene (a monk who strongly defended the value of sacred art), the Second Council of Nicaea (which repudiated the heresy of iconoclasm), and the Catechism of the Catholic (which stated in the explanation of the Commandment about not bearing false witness, that genuine sacred art draws us to the adoration and love of God).

These resources, along with images showing how magnificently chapels can glorify the Lord and sanctify worshipers, should be enough to ignite the spirit of the Transfiguration within religious communities. A charitable and cheerful challenge is hereby extended to our cheap chapel chums to add identifiable and colorful stations, statues, mosaics, paintings, and other decor as part of their sacred art.

St. Paul Center- University of Wisconsin – Ever Greene

Because real artists are needed for this beautification, it is worth mentioning that Daprato Rigali Studios (whose work can be seen in the image of the Ann Arbor chapel of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist), Conrad Schmitt Studios, Ever Greene Architectural Arts, and John Canning Company are four of the best-known groups that can help chapels change back to the glorious ways of the Church.

St. Catherine of Bologna, Bl. Fra Angelico, Ven. Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP,  and all artistic-saintly souls, pray for us to better understand how to employ material means to attain greater union with the goodness, truth and beauty found in the Almighty God who became a man in the Incarnation, whose beginning is celebrated on the Annunciation (March 25).

Trent Beattie has written or edited books on topics such as sports and spirituality, scrupulosity, and St. Alphonsus Liguori. He has written numerous articles for publications such as the National Catholic Register, Catholic Digest, The Latin Mass, Columbia, Sacred Music, and Religious Life.

NEW BOOK! Espoused to Christ: A Theology of Consecrated Virginity

Although consecrated virginity lived in the world is the oldest form of consecrated life in the Church, it is also one of its most hidden treasures. However, since the Second Vatican Council called for the renewal of this vocation, increasing numbers of women have sought to discover whether the Lord is calling them to become His mystical bride, and the number of consecrated virgins continues to increase worldwide.

Specifically addressing consecrated virginity lived in the world, this book by Erin Kinsella, CV, is an invaluable and timeless resource for women discerning and in formation, as well as bishops, formators, and even the already consecrated. It covers topics including:  The nature of vocation and unique aspects of various vocations in the Church; the charisms of celibacy and virginity in the history of the Church and now; the Holy See’s instruction on consecrated virginity in Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago; the prophetic role in the Church of the vocation of consecrated virginity lived in the world; the Marian nature of this vocation and the call to live in imitation of Our Lady; the essence of brideship and spousal love, and the gift of spiritual maternity.

Espoused to Christ provides both a theological framework for understanding this vocation and real-life applications that illustrate how to live it, with helpful Scripture passages and reflection

You can order it here: SophiaInstitute.com

Erin Kinsella was consecrated to a life of virginity lived in the world on September 14th, 2019. One of the challenges that she faced…and that many women face…is finding helpful resources for discernment and formation that are specific to consecrated virginity. Her website (espousedtochrist.com) is meant to be a tool that can point people toward useful resources for discerning consecrated virginity.

 

 

Emotional Holiness: Discovering the Divine Plan for Your Human Emotions by Abbot Austin Murphy, OSB

IRL Board Member, Abbot Austin Murphy, OSB, has written the very timely and timeless book entitled Emotional Holiness: Discovering the Divine Plan for Your Human Emotions, available from Our Sunday Visitor. To become a better Christian, you need to form your emotions aright. The traditional Catholic view—supported by giants in the Catholic tradition such as Saint Augustine, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and St. Thomas Aquinas—is that ongoing conversion does not mean suppressing, ignoring, or eradicating the emotions, but reforming them.

In Emotional Holiness, Abbot Austin Murphy, OSB, shows how the emotions are to be shaped and trained so that they work with your pursuit of all that is good and avoidance of what is evil. Getting the emotions to work with the mind’s pursuit of God and the things of God is especially important to help you persevere in your God-given vocation.  (OrderOSV.com)

Abbot Austin Murphy was the Abbot of St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, Illinois, from 2010 to 2024.  He earned a PhD in theology at the University of Notre Dame, focusing on the thought of St. Augustine.

Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Jacksonville to Relocate to Connecticut

From the nuns’ website:  www.carmeljax.org

J. M. † J. T.

MONASTERY OF THE LITTLE FLOWER OF JESUS
Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Jacksonville
8002 James Island Trl
Jacksonville, FL 32256

July 26, 2025

Pax Christi! To all our dear friends in Christ, Praised be Jesus Christ! Many of you have been asking for an update regarding our search for a permanent location, and after months of prayer and discernment, we are now able to share some exciting news.

As we were about to begin fundraising to purchase property and commence building a new monastery in northeast Florida, we were made aware of several Church properties in other dioceses that were available and being offered to us, which would promptly enable us to resume our strictly cloistered life. Our living quarters for the past eighteen months have proven inadequate for daily monastic observance, and unfortunately there are no vacant Church properties available in this area. Moving to a larger and more suitable home had become imperative for a variety of reasons, so we took the matter to fervent prayer. The thought of being able to live our structured contemplative life again sooner rather than later was very appealing, and moving to a larger house would enable us to welcome new vocations.

Therefore, with the sympathetic blessing of our dear Bishop, the Most Rev. Erik Pohlmeier, we investigated these possibilities, and several Bishops who were very eager to have a cloistered Community in their diocese extended warm invitations. After prayerful discernment, we decided to accept Bishop Frank Caggiano’s generous offer and petition the Holy See for permission to relocate to the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut; that request has now been granted. We will reside at a diocesan retreat center in Danbury, Connecticut while a new monastery is built in a lovely rural area about half an hour away. May Our Lord and His sweet Mother reward Bishop Caggiano abundantly for his extremely gracious welcome! We are deeply grateful to all the wonderful friends we have made in Florida and will always keep them in our hearts and prayers! And we will now be much closer geographically to our dear friends in Buffalo, who have never ceased to have a fond remembrance in our prayerful intercession. Updates on our move and building project will be forthcoming! Be assured of our prayers, as we humbly ask your prayers for us. May God reward you!

Gratefully yours in Jesus, Mary and Joseph The Carmelite Nuns of the Monastery of the Little Flower of Jesus

Following the announcement of relocation to Connecticut, the Sisters will be officially moving on September 9th, 2025. Their new address for the time being will be:
71 Southern Blvd
Danbury, CT 06810

Mother Mary Maddalena Bentivoglio, O.S.C. & Liturgical Embroidery

by Sr. Mary Rose Mormino, O.S.C.

The Order of St. Clare hopes that Servant of God Mother Mary Maddalena, OSC, who brought Poor Clare life to America, will one day be canonized.  Here is an article on her exquisite embroidery skills that were used to support the community and to glorify God.

Mother Mary Maddalena, the foundress of the Poor Clares in America, came from an old Italian family, the Bentivoglio’s of Bologna.  She was born in 1834 and received the name Annetta at baptism. The ladies of the Italian nobility received a genteel education, suitable for their rank in society. Their training included proper deportment and manners, as well as the cultivation of singing and music, such as playing the piano, organ, or other musical instruments. They were often fluent in foreign languages, such as Latin and French. The young women were also known for their fine sewing, needlework and embroidery.  Reading her biography, we learn that Annetta Bentivoglio was proficient in all of these areas.

After her parents died, Annetta joined the Poor Clares of San Lorenzo-in-Panisperna, taking with her the needlework skills she had learned as a girl. She became quite a needlewoman, doing all types of embroidery, as well as ordinary sewing.  There is preserved one of her tunics in which none of the original material remains. In the end, the whole tunic consisted of nothing but a series of patches, all done so skillfully that not a seam is to be seen. Years later, in her monastery in Evansville, Indiana, it is said that even though her sight was failing, she could still sew just by the feel of the thread.

After being sent to America, Mother Maddalena’s needle helped support the little Community of nuns, when they had no other means of sustenance. She was over-joyed when she could do liturgical sewing, and felt that nothing was too good for our Lord.  Gradually young women joined her, and she taught these young nuns how to make the various linens for the altar and for the use at Holy Mass.

Mother Maddalena died in the Evansville Poor Clare monastery in 1905, but some of the nuns who had joined her in Evansville were still alive when our founding Sisters entered there.  Several of them entered within a few years of Mother Maddalena’s death and her memory was very much alive in Evansville. All of our founding Sisters learned the fine, liturgical embroidery that is part of our legacy from Mother Maddalena.  At Evansville, the Sisters also painted exquisite pictures and designs on satin and linen.  We possess some of these palls painted on satin, although we do not know if they were painted at Evansville or by one of our founding Sisters here in St. Louis.

The Evansville Poor Clares founded this monastery in 1959 at the request of Joseph Cardinal Ritter. In his sermon at the dedication of the monastery on August 12, 1959, he observed:

For me, this occasion has a very personal significance. I have been associated with the Poor Clares since my Ordination day in a very special manner, due to my association with the Bishop of Indianapolis, their Monastery being in Evansville, then in the Indianapolis diocese.   Aside from the Community being a source of inspiration to me and of help and prayer for my work as a priest, I have always been impressed with the fact that the Community was a constant source of joy and satisfaction to the Bishops of the Diocese — all of them.

The founding Sisters were truly heroic as they struggled to establish in St. Louis a house dedicated to God. One of the ways they supported themselves was in all types of churchwork, the making of altar linens and vestments. The first members to join in St. Louis all became adept at liturgical work. These in turn have taught some of the younger Sisters.

Although we do not support ourselves any longer by doing liturgical artwork, we still occasionally make altar linens and palls as gifts for newly ordained priests or priest-friends celebrating a Jubilee.  Our main work is the baking of traditional altar breads, which Mother Maddalena also did in her time, and one that we cherish.  All of these are part of our Bentivoglio heritage.

For more information about the Poor Clares of St. Louis, contact:
Monastery of Saint Clare
200 Marycrest Drive
Saint Louis, MO  63129-4813
(314) 846-2618
www.poorclaresstl.org

There is also an Aleteia article on her life.