Old Churches Vs. New Ones

Onesimus

Was in my local Parish today which was recently built and fairly modern looking. It got me thinking though that people prefer the older Church in my area that is a 100 years old. Everyone I speak to say this is the best and nicest Church in town.

Why do you think people prefer the old structure and style than the modern? I don't mind any structure to be honest as long as it's theologically correct on all corners. But if I did have a preference I would go for the older. I don't know why though haha I cant even answer me own question as to why I lean more towards the old even though I like both kinds.

martinedwards

both have thier merits.

our church is 40 or so.

the electrics work, the roof doesn't leak and we don't have a million pound refurbishment fundraiser to fill.

it has no historic signifigance so when we wanted an extension a couple of years back we didn't need to get special permission.

its a good shape for what we want to do and now that the extension is done we have enough rooms to have all the things that go on midweek to have space to do them.

the main church body is functional, but is lacking in personality, stained glass, uncomfortable carved pews and a pulpit.

we DO have a data projector and screen mounted where everyone can see it, movable lectern & font, so we can stage manage a service how we wnat it, PA speakers mounted high on the wall where our pro sound man wanted them, and a desk at the back where HE WANTED IT. multicore box in the band area and tracked cables along the side of the wall where there AREN'T any tombs or memorial plaques to obscure.

My parents and inlaws both attend church in much older (traditional) buildings and dragging those buildings into a modern worship style is much more challenging, purely on a mechanical basis.

big old churches were designed for a totally different acoustic model than we have today.

as someone who loves the modern styles, and is perfectly tolerant of the older, MY choice is a modern building, but I do enjoy poking around old churches.

a while back we "did" Armagh and visited both cathedrals with our kids.

neither one would suit what WE do in church....... one of our kids asked where the worship band would set up in the RC Carthedral......:rolleyes:

doctoremma

I don't visit many churches except as a tourist. Therefore, they are always old ones. And many are fabulous. When I frequented mass, it was in a new build and it was pretty grim/boring.

Old ones look better in wedding photos. Probably worth paying a bit of lip service to a different parish if you want to get married in a beautiful old building.....#troll.

lmaopml

Some of the modern buildings can look a bit like prefabs I think Onesimus - I much prefer the older churches with beautiful stained glass windows depicting the life of Christ and those carved stations of the cross around the edges - fresh flowers and real candles - To be honest though, there are a lot of old abandoned Churches dotted around the countryside and we've often stopped to picnic on a sunny day - they still have a 'presense' about them. Still, nothing wrong with the new ones, but not a whole lot of effort there on the architecture...

Perfect example is a Church in North Dublin in Skerries town - The new Church was built right beside the old one, and the old one converted into a library - the new Church is not near as lovely as the old - strange thing to do, but they must have had their reasons.

Onesimus

I think it's terrible to see Churches all across europe being sold to allow casinos use them. gambling taken place on a consecrated area where the Sacrafice took place. It just just sickens me to think the Church would do that.

Brer Fox

Many of the modern ones look like toilet blocks or bathroom showrooms.

The traditional designs are timeless, whereas modern designs age very badly and look so very seventies.

There was a trend in modern architecture and it tended to deny the transcendental. Also, many of these churches are round so people end up looking at and worshipping themselves since God is forgotten. I hate those churches and avoid them as much as possible.

Run_to_da_hills

A big problem for a lot of the older churches at the moment is scrap metal theft.

They area now becoming a haven for wroth iron, lead, copper and brass plaques etc.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1061997/Thou-shalt-steal-lead-says-vicar-sleeping-church-tower.html

Doc Farrell

Onesimus wrote: »

I think it's terrible to see Churches all across europe being sold to allow casinos use them. gambling taken place on a consecrated area where the Sacrafice took place. It just just sickens me to think the Church would do that.

I can't imagine any denomination intentionally selling their property so it can be turned into a casino. Have you any examples? I know of one casino that was a church for a small denomination but they had no say in who the buyer was once it went up for sale.

Doc Farrell

Brer Fox wrote: »

Many of the modern ones look like toilet blocks or bathroom showrooms.

The traditional designs are timeless, whereas modern designs age very badly and look so very seventies.

There was a trend in modern architecture and it tended to deny the transcendental. Also, many of these churches are round so people end up looking at and worshipping themselves since God is forgotten. I hate those churches and avoid them as much as possible.

I've met a number of different parish council people from small churches in the middle of housing estates recently and they certainly do not worship themselves. If you get involved with one of these groups, which I recommend that you do, you will find them to be kind people and you will no longer hate the churches.

Don't confuse the building with the message when you are searching for God. The Cathedral in Vienna is pretty spectacular but for many years it stank because of the thousands of bodies stuffed in its crypts who had died from plagues. Sitting through a Latin sermon in those days I would have dreamt of a bland centrally heated chapel in the suburbs of Ireland!

PDN

If I'm sightseeing then I love old churches. Last Summer I spent some happy hours wandering round Winchester Cathedral.

When it comes to worship, then give me a well-planned modern building anytime.

Brer Fox

Doc Farrell wrote: »

I've met a number of different parish council people from small churches in the middle of housing estates recently and they certainly do not worship themselves. If you get involved with one of these groups, which I recommend that you do, you will find them to be kind people and you will no longer hate the churches.

Don't confuse the building with the message when you are searching for God. The Cathedral in Vienna is pretty spectacular but for many years it stank because of the thousands of bodies stuffed in its crypts who had died from plagues. Sitting through a Latin sermon in those days I would have dreamt of a bland centrally heated chapel in the suburbs of Ireland!

The modern churches in the round are horrible, no matter how pretty they may look.

Many people find them awkward - a Catholic wants to focus on God, not on the people across the way. It's very difficult to have an intimate moment with the Lord in one of these modern round churches. I think that's the idea - the focus is taken off the Lord God and placed on the people across the way.

The old church design isn't any more expensive, so the reason for the new churches has to be ideological.

Run_to_da_hills

Church organ acoustics tend to sound better in a large high roof old fashioned church compared to a modern church but the trade off is that they cost more to heat in winter.

Guitar_Monkey

PDN wrote: »

If I'm sightseeing then I love old churches. Last Summer I spent some happy hours wandering round Winchester Cathedral.

Was there last September. Pretty amazing place.

Doc Farrell

Listen Brer, I'm saying this for your own good. You need to be careful about thinking too much about sin, demons, churches as 'toilet blocks' or 'horrible places, no matter how pretty they look'. There is ugliness and evil by the bucketload in the world but as a Christian you need to focus on the point of the Resurrection and on the message of the Good News. Otherwise you are wasting your time. Drop this negative view of what goes on in churches before its too late.
Get stuck into the goodness of life.

Onesimus

Brer Fox wrote: »

The modern churches in the round are horrible, no matter how pretty they may look.

Many people find them awkward - a Catholic wants to focus on God, not on the people across the way. It's very difficult to have an intimate moment with the Lord in one of these modern round churches. I think that's the idea - the focus is taken off the Lord God and placed on the people across the way.

The old church design isn't any more expensive, so the reason for the new churches has to be ideological.

Our surroundings do not determine our relationship with The Lord. Only the state of our souls do.

There are many people who have had intimate moments with the Lord right there on the busy Liffey....True story.

Opticom

The disappointment with some modern churches is that sometimes, very little thought has been put into their design. Some of them can feel like soulless places. Some modern churches are very well done though. I don't mind if a Church is old or new, as long as careful thought and design has been put into them. A few trees and nice gardens also help !

Black Suir

Terrible thing to say i know, but the Church in Old Parish in Co Waterford is one of the most ugly i was ever in. It was built in the early 1970's and i am told replaced a building from the mid 1800's which was supposed to be very nice, but in need of a little work. The windows in the church take up about half the wall on one side of the church, on the other side about a quarter of the church. It is the only Catholic Church that i was ever in that does not have a statue to Our Lady or the Sacred Heart in or indeed to any local saint. A small statue to Our Lady (I think) was put on the wall outside the church last year.

Doc Farrell

I'm sorry to hear that the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin disappoints your religious aesthetics so much but I'm sure the parish will be delighted that you are willing to raise the tens of thousands required to refurbish and relandscape it. Although marble and metals are a teeny bit expensive no doubt you will find the funds to improve the church to your satisfaction.
I can think of two dozen churches in working class housing estates that can benefit from your generosity and once they are completed in their rebuilding we can start on the 3rd world shacks!
The spirit of generosity and positive adventurous courage gladdens the heart!