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The Dome and Pendentives - 11/17/2008 |
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Friday, 03 February 2006 |
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"GO MAKE DISCIPLES, BAPTIZE, TEACH, KNOW THAT I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS."
Matthew 28:19
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"THEY SHALL CALL HIM EMMANUEL, GOD IS WITH US."
Matthew 1:23
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Looking high overhead your eyes carry you to the cupola eighty-five feet above the marble floor. There, a beautiful dove hovers within its open heavenly cage, signifying the mysterious descent and role of the Holy Spirit who helped realize the Incarnation. Click the icon for a larger picture of the dome:  The Dome 716.11 Kb |
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| Directly beneath are the words from the first chapter of John's Gospel which clarify the fundamental thrust of the art and architecture of Saint John Neumann Catholic Church: God has become one with man in the Incarnate Son of God. The two distinct, but related paintings could speak for themselves, but are supported by two scriptural passages from Matthew's Gospel, which complement the passage from Saint John's Gospel; the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth (1:14). |
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| In relaying the truth of God's irrevocable union with mankind in the Person of His Word and Beloved Son the dome sets the tone for the major theme of the Incarnation revealed inside and out. The photographs below when combined are the art that fills the dome. The photographs were taken before final finishing layers were applied. |
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Descending farther from the cupola the four pendentives display four saints whose lives reveal the three tasks of the Church and the prayer that must accompany them. The roles of teaching, governing, and sanctifying are expressed through the eyes of Sts. Augustine, Elizabeth Ann Seton, and Pope Gregory I, while the fundamental power of prayer, which directs them in the light of the Holy Spirit, has Saint Therese of Lisieux as its visible manifestation. |
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ST. AUGUSTINE
(Aurelius Augustinus)
Born at Tagaste on 13 November, 354; died 28 August, 430. Doctor of the Church, Bishop of Hippo Regius, was a philosopher and theologian. Augustine, is one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. He framed the concepts of original sin and just war. He developed the concept of the Church as a spiritual City of God, distinct from the material City of Man. Click here for a biographical sketch.
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ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON
Born in New York City, 28 August 1774; died at Emmitsburg, Maryland, 4 January 1821. Foundress and first superior of the Sisters of Charity in the United States. Click here for a biographical sketch.
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POPE ST. GREGORY I ("THE GREAT")
Born at Rome about 540; died 12 March 604. Doctor of the Church; He greatly influenced the doctrine, the organization, and the discipline of the Church in the Middle Ages. Click here for a biographical sketch.
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SAINT THERESE OF LISIEUX
(Sister Teresa of the Child Jesus)
Born at Alençon, France, 2 January 1873; died at Lisieux 30 September 1897. Carmelite of Lisieux, better known as the Little Flower of Jesus. Click here for a biographical sketch.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 18 November 2008 )
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The Dome