Just in time for the dedication of Christ Cathedral on July 17, a new book has been released chronicling the story of the former Crystal Cathedral and its transformation into Christ Cathedral.
Author James Day, who has written frequently for OC Catholic, is the author of “A Place for Christ Forever: Becoming Christ Cathedral,” ($18.95); Sophia Institute Press. It is available in the newly opened Christ Cathedral Gift Shop, located in the Cultural Center on the campus of Christ Cathedral. His book is a study of architecture, cathedrals and what they both mean to humanity.
The book’s foreword is penned by His Eminence Robert Cardinal Sarah, who is viewed as a potential future candidate for pope. The afterword is written by The Most Rev. Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange. It is rich with spectacular photography.
Matthew Kelly, founder of Dynamic Catholic and himself a bestselling author, is quoted on the back cover of Day’s book. His comments mirror themes within its pages. “You can tell so much about what a society worships from its architecture. For hundreds of years cathedrals were the center of life for most cities where Christianity thrived.”
Full story at OC Catholic.
I have watched some of the videos on the renovations, and they really are doing some very lovely things with this building. For one thing there are festal doors for special feast days that open up to a beautiful traditional icon of Christ at the entrance of the room. Another is a baptismal font in the shape of a cruciform where the ones to be baptized will go down into the water from the west and rise up out of the water on the east, very symbolic of our death to sin and rising to life in Christ.
I must say, though, that I much prefer a church with a high altar where the priest faces Christ over the altar when talking to God and the people when talking to them. That is one reason why I prefer the older Latin Mass and the Masses of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.