I was raised non-denominational “Christian” and attended Hope Church here in Dubuque as a child and teen. I have been to “Christian,” Catholic, and Seventh-Day Adventist services, and many different kinds of churches for weddings.
Today at the St. Francis Xavier Basilica in Dyersville, my first impression said: big, gaudy, and CATHOLIC. For me, the Basilica epitomized my mental picture of a Catholic church. While I found the church itself somewhat stereotypical, I thought our tour guide gave a wonderful presentation of the history of the Basilica.
His lively demeanor and vast knowledge showed just how involved the people of Dyersville and the surrounding community are with their church. Our tour guide seemed to think that not a whole lot had changed in Dyersville since the 1860s when the church was first erected by German immigrants. A fellow student pointed out that everyone in all of the paintings and windows was white, more specifically: German. These people wanted their church's decorations to represent their lives and things they related with.
The interior design was completed by a Michigan sister and brother pair of designers, Alfonse and Ladie Brillmeyer (Sp?). It was revamped in the late 1990s by Fr. Petty, who also acquired a set of four 1975 Holy Door Bricks from Rome. These were later installed into the walls of the Basilica, as well as marble from St. Peter's Basilica and pebbles from Lourdes, France.
The altar space holds the tabernacle, relics from countless saints and apostles, images of angels and saints, and the altar and high altar themselves. This space is meant to be imposing, powerful, and other-worldly, and I must say it succeeded in overwhelming me with things to look at and learn about.
All of the relics in the church are regarded as sacred, but they are not integral parts of the church. They add additional meaning and symbolism to each Mass and each visit to the church, but they do not replace the rituals performed. However, they may draw visitors' attentions away from the rituals at hand, even if the distractions are sacred and powerful, like inscriptions on the walls, images of the Blessed Virgin, and miniature angels hanging from the ceiling.
In complete contrast, the New Melleray Abbey and its monks specifically try to stay away from complicating their lives and their worship space with anything unnecessary. In the Abbey's worship hall, the seats are plain gold-colored wood pews with a bench in front for hymnals. The floor is tile, and the walls are built from beautiful white limestone.
When the Abbey was first built in the 1850s by Trappist monks that immigrated from Ireland, fleeing the potato famine, Bishop Loras gave them 500 acres of land outside of Dubuque to built their home. Their chapel was erected in 1865, with limestone walls covered in plaster. Until the 1970s, the building remained relatively unchanged.
However, Fr. Steven, our tour guide at the Abbey, assisted in the renovations of the chapel, revamping the floor, expanding the ceiling, and uncovering the gorgeous white limestone walls.
The current design of the chapel really communicated for me the meaning of their simplistic lifestyle. The monks try to focus their entire life on prayer. Not prayer and helping the poor, or prayer and ministering to the townsfolk, simply prayer. The wooden pews, stark flooring, white stone walls reminiscent of a European castle, and simple, raised wooden altar covered in white linen all had clean lines and absolutely no clutter. The two religious images in the chapel: a picture of Mary and baby Jesus, and a crucifix, were both mounted on simple black metal and were not displayed in prominent places.
Although I was unable to take pictures, I think I could describe everything that was in the Abbey's chapel and meeting room. In contrast, it would take weeks or months to describe everything in the Basilica's worship space. The Abbey, to me, communicated a more devout, disciplined lifestyle than anything I had seen before. Even priests and nuns are allowed to go about the world to some extent, and mingle with others. These monks are cloistered, which means they never leave their Abbey except for some kind of emergency or medical reason. They attend services seven times each day.
If I had to give a tour of these two very different places to someone who wasn't a Christian, like me, I would focus more on the basic purposes and uses for each item in the space, and then move on to the history of the items.
The umbrella of "Christianity" encompasses so many different forms and variations; if someone hadn't grown up around Christianity it would be difficult to explain how these two spaces could relate whatsoever. The simplicity and reverence held at the Abbey for their basic tools of worship contrasts so strongly with the way parishoners could bid money for the best pew in the Basilica, I can barely believe these two spaces share the same "religion."
Even though both the Basilica and the Abbey are both Christian spaces, and contain the same basic items, the level of pomp and show at the Basilica overwhelm the true meanings behind the traditions or rituals performed there. For me, the Abbey conveyed a message of sincerity, symbolized in the way the walls were stripped of their plaster facade. The Basilica conveys pomp, show, and a sense that the way everything looks is more important than what's actually happening. The altar's decorations are gold-plated, not solid gold.
If I were asked which of these two spaces I preferred, I would say I enjoyed both but in different ways. The rich history behind EVERY ITEM in the Basilica was very interesting and informative, and the place is simply beautiful. However, the Abbey conveys a much more sincere, faithful, and sacred tone than the Basilica ever could for me, even though they are both Christian spaces worshiping the same God in *mostly* the same way.
I don't believe a place of worship should need to be "decorated." If I ever wanted to commit myself to one religion some day, it would be because I found truth in it. Truth doesn't need decorations.
This is really very well done, Christie. You not only mention detaiuls, you use them--and in a critical way. And the pictures are a nice touch. jw
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