Your church building is the most expensive tool for mission and evangelization that your parish has. At a pastoral staff, parish council or liturgy committee meeting, look at it with fresh attention. (Don't discuss it abstractly. Take this article with you and go walk around!). This is basic stewardship. It's also an exercise in practical theology. Architects know, from Winston Churchill, that "we shape our buildings then they shape us." Is your church building shaping your parish into the body of Christ, or into something else? How boldly, and correctly, is your building proclaiming the good news of Christ? In this article, we will look at the exterior of the church building. In the second part, we'll move inside.
Gift Box
Your church building is a gift box: It's the "package" in which God presents this Christian community to the world. Twenty four/seven, the building either invites people to "come and see," or it inhibits them from doing so. Look at your building from a distance: across the street, or the far corner of the lot. If you were new here, would you know the name of this place? Is the sign easily read by someone zipping by in a car? At night? If there is no sign, would one help? Would you feel welcome to check it out, or feel warned to stay away? Does the landscaping say "We are rooted here to thrive," or "We're broke, tired and can't even pick up the litter"?
The grounds are an important tool of parish life and ministry -- even when you have no more than a stretch of public sidewalk between your door and the street. In front of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville, Kentucky, two life-size sculptures stand on the sidewalk. One is of a man about to take a photograph, and the other is of a mother and daughter walking down the street. Without blocking traffic, these statues provide a bit of welcoming whimsy. Don't underestimate the power of a few judiciously placed, well-maintained planters. Make sure that whatever you do is to proper scale, and remember to obtain the appropriate legal permissions whenever a public way is involved.
St. Josaphat Church, Chicago also sits right at the sidewalk. Before undertaking a lovely interior renovation, parish leaders walked around back and decided that they could spare a small patch of concrete for a modest neighborhood park. It was an excellent choice. From the street, you only see the imposing façade. From behind, you can see the outside of the apse, the semi-circular back of the sanctuary - an interesting form. The parish planted flowering trees, and installed a small fountain and some benches. Homeless folks have a place to rest, and young mothers often wheel their strollers up to the fountain. How might your parish provide an oasis -- however small -- for your neighborhood?
Outdoor Art
The lighting of the bonfire at the Easter Vigil is a significant enough rite to warrant a permanent place. At St. Vincent de Paul Church, Baltimore, a marvelous bronze sculpture sits outside in year-round witness to the paschal night. Shaped as a fire itself, the deep interior space holds wood each Easter eve that is set ablaze. At Resurrection Church in Destin, Florida, a garden marked by a life-size crucifix is the place for the Easter fire. Inscribed into the pavement at the center of the garden is a copy of the ancient labyrinth found in the floor of the medieval pilgrimage cathedral at Chartres, France. Contemporary Christians can now spend some time in contemplative walking here.
Christ the King Catholic Community in Las Vegas has done a marvelous job with its parish campus. Behind the church is a lovely desert garden. Because of good weather year round, the stations of the cross are here. Each station consists of a bronze plaque depicting the scene, set into a large native boulder, at just the right height and angle to encourage meditative walking and praying. If you were carrying a Bible or prayer book to read the scriptures for each station, you can comfortably gaze over the top of your book and contemplate the artist's rendition. There is also a fine stone sculpture of Mary in the garden. The plaza in front of the church has a fountain and a monumental sculpture based on Matthew 25: "Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you to eat?" This sculpture confronts parishioners on their way out of Mass as a reminder to "go in peace to love and serve the Lord" by finding him in the least of his sisters or brothers.
Security fencing and lighting are a necessity in many places. What can we do to secure the property without making it look like a prison? Wrought iron fences can be beautiful as well as secure, although costly. If you are lighting for security, take advantage of the opportunity to light any significant architectural details of the building. But make sure there is a way to turn the lights off in order to light the Easter Vigil bonfire. Check to see if local government offers any assistance with outdoor lighting. A few years ago, the city of Chicago assisted churches with significant buildings to light up their facades by attaching lamps to nearby streetlight poles. The city sees it as dramatizing some stunning architecture as well as enhancing public safety.
All of these efforts speak loudly to people in search of a spiritual home, as well as ennoble those already members of the parish.
The Parking Lot
Is your building "floating" in a sea of paved parking lot? If so, what landscaping might be provided to enhance the building? Can you afford to lose just enough parking spaces, for example, to dot the lot with large planters? The folks at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Rowland Hills, California, broke up their huge parking lot not only with flower beds, but also with walkways made of brick pavers leading to the central plaza (a pedestrian mall) off of which all the parish buildings sit -- a great touch. It allows for a physical experience of journey in that most suburban of places: the parking lot.
Don't forget to set aside parking spaces for folks with mobility challenges; parking spaces without curb cuts and ramps won't help. Take a comprehensive approach to accessibility. The National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities can help with the technical and spiritual information you need. See its website at www.ncpd.org. Efforts at accessibility teach an important theological lesson: In the reign of God, all will be welcome, all will find a place, all who desire God will gain entrance. Practically speaking, if people in wheelchairs or those who use walkers are discouraged by barriers, they will not come in.
When water runs off of a parking lot, it washes into the earth automotive oil, antifreeze, and salt or other de-icing chemical. Not only do these poisons affect the fertility of the immediate soil -- they may also leech into nearby streams or rivers or the ground water itself. That's why the folks at St. Philip Neri Church in Portland, Oregon learned about and built a bioswale at the edge of their parking lot. A bioswale is a trench dug around the lot and planted with particular, native grasses and ground cover. Water from the lot runs off into the trench, and the plants filter the water of residues before it seeps into the ground water. Efforts such as these help make the parish a good steward of God's creation, and will surely act as an invitation to others who share this value.
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