Bombay archdiocese hosts seminar on beauty of stained glass

Last updated on: September 27, 2013 at 6:13 am by CNA Daily News

Bombay archdiocese hosts seminar on beauty of stained glass 2013-09-27T06:13:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Bombay, India, Sep 27, 2013 / 12:13 am (CNA/EWTN News).- To promote a revival of beautiful Christian art in India, the Archdiocese of Bombay has held a seminar on stained glass windows in local parishes, called “Windows of Faith.”

“Stained glass brings in an ambiance of prayerful atmosphere, fostering sacred meditative reflections, and recalling a memory of the spiritual history of the Church,” said Father Warner D'Souza, director of the Bombay Archdiocesan Heritage Museum.

Fr. D’Souza spoke with CNA ahead of the seminar, which was held Sept. 22 at St. Peter's parish in the Bandra neighborhood of Mumbai.

“We thought of training priests and our community of lay people,” he explained, “leading them to an awareness and a cognitive revival of Christian art in India.”

The seminar, which featured a talk by Swati Chandgadkar, an Indian expert on the restoration of stained glass, highlighted the Catholic Church's role in being a patron of art and the historical and cultural patrimony of mankind.

Stained glass was brought to India by Portuguese missionaries, and Chandgadkar is involved in restoring the windows of one missionary parish, Our Lady of Glory, in Mumbai's Byculla neighborhood.

Fr. D'Souza said that it is currently of paramount pastoral importance to protect the historical Catholic parishes, monumental churches which today are “bafflingly exchanged” for churches with cheap, shiny fiber or glass-colored art, which are chosen for their brightness and economical value.

This exchange, he said, is a “threat to sacred art” and is “destroying our cultural patrimony and heritage.”

The seminar, he said, was to make “our priests and laity aware of the importance of stained glass art,” because although “there are many Indo-Portuguese churches, we lack experts in this field in India.”

It is hoped that the seminar will help to reverse a trend of renovating parishes without regard for the heritage, historical value, and beauty of the original structure and art.

In 2011, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, opened a Museum of Christian Art, containing artifacts from the Christian history of the area, dating back to the first century. Fr. D'Souza related that Cardinal Paul Poupard, president emeritus of the Pontifical Councils for Interreligious Dialogue and for Culture, had visited the museum and was impressed by the history of the Church in India.

Cardinal Gracias' decision to open the museum was inspired in part by a 1997 message of Blessed John Paul II, who said that “from archeological sites to the most modern expressions of Christian art, contemporary man must be able to re-read the Church's history, and thus be helped to recognize the mysterious fascination of God's saving plan.”

The late Roman Pontiff had himself established a group in 1989 to help make both clergy and laity more aware of the importance and the necessity of preserving the Church’s vast historic resources, entitled the Commission for the Preservation of the Artistic and Historical Patrimony of the Church.

Asia - Pacific

Previous Post

September 26, 2013

Manhattan Declaration draws renewed commitment, prayers

Next Post

September 27, 2013 Benedict XVI assures atheist of need for frank dialogue

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was Moses' father's name?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Abiathar Arron Apollos Amram