An Architect on the Dominican House Chapel
April 26th, 2008 by Fr. Pius, OP
One of the benefits of a world interconnected through the Internet, with websites like blogs, is that you are able to read comments and even compliments that you might not otherwise hear. In a recent blog interview, Architect Adam Hermanson in describing some of the influences on his own appreciation of sacred architecture mentions our own Dominican House chapel:
Q: What church building has made the biggest impression on you?
A: I would have to name two. The first is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at Catholic University in Washington, DC. …The second is a chapel within a building - at the Dominican House of Studies adjacent to the campus of Catholic University. While a student at CUA I attended daily Mass very often with the friars who were teaching and studying at the Dominican House. We would join them in the choir stalls and participate in Vespers with them, chanting the psalmody back and forth across the chapel. The simplicity and order of the chapel along with the beautiful wood altar and reredos left a substantial impression on me as an aspiring architect - strengthening my appreciation of the role and value of tradition in the life of the Church.
