Virtual basilica

I once bought the DVD version of UT2004 to learn how to make virtual environments to design churches and monasteries. However, lack of intuitiveness in the editor, my not willing to sit down and learn it, and intrest in the game itself caused me to quickly abandon that.

How cool is this? These guys took a video game engine and made a virtual copy of the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi.



I did notice that they are missing all the choir stalls that go along the entire back wall of the apse. Still, the project is pretty impressive. I noticed that since they labelled it "1.0" it looks like they plan on refining it in the future. I'd love to get my paws on this.

For comparison, here's the only picture I could squeeze off.


You can purchase their program which gives you the ability to move wherever you want. I couldn't get the demo to work since I don't have the right operating system.

More info here:

Institute of Digital Theology

RS

Happy Transitus of Saint Francis

Today, October 3rd, is the celebration of the Transitus of Saint Francis. It may seem odd that we celebrate his feast day on October 4th, but this is because Saint Francis died after sundown on October 3rd, which in medieval times was the beginning of the next day. (The same logic applies to how we have vigils for Solemnities and Sundays)

Here's some pictures from my recent trip to Assisi a few weeks ago.

(As always, you can click on the pictures to get a better view)
Saint Francis died in the valley below Assisi, just outside the little chapel of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Our Lady of the Angels). Actually, now, there is a huge basilica built around the chapel.

This picture couldn't have been planned, right when I got off the bus and was taking this picture, a Franciscan Friar was walking in the perfect place.
The original chapel of Santa Maria degli Angeli is inside the basilica under the dome.


Even the inside of the chapel has a rugged beauty to it.


Saint Francis himself said "Our Lady and the Angels frequent this place." Hence the message on the floor at the entrance of the little chapel.

"HIC LOCUS SANCTUS EST" ("THIS PLACE IS HOLY").
Just behind the chapel and to the right is the little infirmary area where Saint Francis actually died. There is now a chapel inside the infirmary at the place where Saint Francis died.

"Qui mori S. Francesco 3 Ottobre 1226"
("Here Saint Francis died October 3rd, 1226")
On the outside of the infirmary is a beautiful painting of the death of Saint Francis called "The Transitus" by Domenico Bruschi.


I know the post is almost exactly the same as last year's, but I wanted to share some of the pictures I just took over there. I think they came out rather well given the lack of lighting. So, hope you enjoy them.

Sancte Francisce, ora pro nobis.

RS

Altering an Altar

I just saw this over at Fr. Z and The New Liturgical Movement, and I have to post this as well. This is awesome! With a bit of simple carpentry and some nice linens, you too can turn your dull sanctuary "table" altar into something that's actually beautiful for the Mass.

La métamorphose d'un autel

As a side note, a couple of simple pre-dieu kneelers make excellent "makeshift" Communion rails.

RS

Hi Res Picture

They always say that you can't go wrong with a Ferrari.
As regular readers know, I really enjoy classical religious art and also the internet. So, as you can imagine, this link is just too cool not to share.

8.6 Gigapixel picture "Vita di Christo" by Gaudenzio Ferrari

Yes, that's GIGA pixels (8600 x Megapixels)
[Sorry for those of you on dial-up, you might not be able to appreciate it.]

You can zoom in on the picture to look it with detail of up to a few centimeters in the frame.


Just to show the detail, if you look at the first picture above, you can see a circle near the top of the picture. The detail here is of the eye of the man inside that circle.

Nice background music too. Beautiful painting and probably one of the biggest pictures on the web. Wish there was some way to download it. ;)

You can spend a lot of time on this link. Amazing picture.

RS

September 15th, Our Lady of Sorrows

"The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin" by Albrecht Durer

The Church Shall Triumph

While surfing the other day I came across an entry at The Brussels Journal which suprised me.

It shows a late 17th century pulpit in the Church of Our Lady in Dendermonde, Flanders (Belgium).

The pulpit shows two Angels trampling a man who appears to be Mohammed.



It reminds me of one of the statues in "Il Gesu" in Rome, the church where Saint Ignatius of Loyola is buried. The statue shows the Holy Mother Church throwing down who I believe are Luther and Calvin. Even a cherub is tearing the pages out of one of Luther's writings.


(click picuture for bigger version)
I've never had problems with a little triumphalism now and then. Fr. John Hardon defines it in his "Modern Catholic Dictionary" as, "A term of reproach leveled at the Catholic Church for the claim that she has the fullness of divine revelation and the right ot pass judgement on the personal and social obligations of humankind."

Certainly a triumphalistic approach is not going to work in certain situations of evangelization, but I often find that many Catholics are anti-triumphalistic to the point that they really don't believe that the Catholic Church contains the fullness of revelation. I find many Catholics who think that being Catholic is just one religion among equals. Other religious certainly participate in the Truth to some degree, ie the Orthodox have many of the same principles of faith and have valid Sacraments, many Protestants believe Jesus is Lord, Jews believe in God, etc. But none of these contain the fullness of God's revelation as the Catholic Church does.

I like to use a quote from Fr. Bill Casey, who is a Father of Mercy, when he was speaking about the struggle of the Church against the Devil. "I have read the Bible. I read the end ... and we win!"
Sounds triumphalistic, but if you believe in Christ and His Church, then you have to believe it is true. "The gates of Hell shall not prevail."