Richard S. Vosko

Richard S. Vosko (Born November 1943) is a liturgical design consultant and priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany who has overseen the redesign and renovation of numerous churches and cathedrals around the country.^[1] Vosko has worked throughout the U.S. and Canada as a designer and consultant for worship environments since 1970. He is the author of God's House Is Our House: Re-imagining the Environment for Worship (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2006) and Designing Worship Spaces: The Mystery of a Common Vision (Meeting House Essay #8) (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1996).^[2]

Design principles

Vosko states that today's cathedrals should "resonate" with the makeup of the diocese they serve." The role of the cathedral in today's society is different from the times that came before. "The vision of 150 years ago had to do with a reflection of their own understanding of the Church and its liturgy." They were churches "designed to house a liturgy of a different age and genre -- a different, pre-Vatican II understanding of what liturgy is." Since then, the Church in America, originally conceived as a missionary country, has shed that identity by having more than 70 million members. "The reasons for retaining and building our churches have changed."^[3]

Vosko's perspective draws heavily from Environment and Art in Catholic Worship (EACW), a 1978 document drawn up by a standing committee of the Bishops Committee of the Liturgy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops(USCCB). Although the EACW was never voted on by the full body of bishops and does not carry the force of law,^[4] it was used as the standard for new church design and renovation for over 20 years.^[5] EACW’s status has been controversial since its inception not only due to its canonical standing but also its content. EACW uses as a basis the Second Vatican Council’s emphasis on Christ’s presence in the assembly celebrating mass and - in what some consider a stretch - shifts the basis for the design of the “liturgical environment” to the “the action of the assembly” of believers rather than the principles from liturgy, theology, or architecture.^[6] The EACW states: "Among the symbols with which liturgy deals, none is more important than this assembly of believers." Vosko states that the "new focus on the assembly" comes from the "recovered role of the people of God during acts of worship and not because of any subversive movement to discount the presence of God in the church." In Vosko's opinion, it is the assembly, not the church building, which must "transcend the ordinary."^[7]

In 2000, the EACW was replaced by Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship (BLS). The BLS has been voted on and approved by the USCCB.^[8] Vosko has been a critic of this new document.^[9]

Vosko church designs and renovations emphasize:^[10]

• the Visual - Improved lighting and sound so as to allow all to see and hear the actions of the priest. This often includes moving the organ from the choir to the position directly behind the altar.
• Participation - As every worshiper is called to participate in the Eucharist, the altar is relocated as far forward as possible often to the center of the church so the priest is part of the assembly. This also improves sight lines. Items such as altar rails and pulpits are removed as they inhibit the sense of participation. Worshipers should be arranged around the altar so they can see each other. The baptismal font is generally moved into the assembly and includes full immersion capabability.
• the "Horizontal" - Traditional "vertical" churches orient in one direction treating God as transcendent whereas more ascetic "horizontal" churches emphasize God's presence in and with the community.
• Symbolism and Simplicity over Ornamentation - Noble simplicity is better than sumptuous display which only distracts from the actions of the priest during mass. Elaborate reredos behind the altar, baldachinos, and excessive statuary are generally removed.
• the Imagination - As the community changes, the church needs to adapt to new art, music, language, and ritual practices
• Flexibility - Church pews are often removed and replaced with chairs to allow the church to be used for other functions.
• Other - The tabernacle is typically moved into a separate chapel away from the main church to allow for private eucharistic adoration. Private confessionals are removed and replaced by face-to-face confessional rooms.

Completed projects

Vosko has presided over renovations or contributed to the design of the following cathedrals:^[11]

• Sacred Heart Cathedral (Rochester)
• Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
• Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles
• St. James Cathedral in Seattle^[12]
• Cathedral of San Fernando in San Antonio
• Cathedral of the Incarnation (Nashville)
• Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Memphis, Tennessee)

Criticism

Some have branded his church renovations as wreckovations due to what they see as the imposition of a non-traditional re-alignment of essential church elements and the stripping of iconography.^{[13][14][15][16][17]} Architect Michael Rose accuses Vosko of being a "liturgy deconstructionist."^[18]

References