Can Bishop Tod Brown Be Stopped? at least for ten months?

 

I just ran across a story at OC Weekly from December about Bishop Tod Brown's continuing machinations to build a new "cathedral" in Costa Mesa.

It appears that the legal entity set up by Bishop Brown to receive contributions for his pyramid cathedral project has been suspended by the California Secretary of State. Here is the info as of 26JAN2011.

 

Entity Name:	CHRIST OUR SAVIOR CATHEDRAL FUND, INC.
Entity Number:	C2564295
Date Filed:	11/12/2003
Status:	SUSPENDED
Jurisdiction:	CALIFORNIA
Entity Address:	PO BOX 14195
Entity City, State, Zip:	ORANGE CA 92867-1595
Agent for Service of Process:	MARIA RULLO SCHINDERLE
Agent Address:	2811 E VILLA REAL DR
Agent City, State, Zip:	ORANGE CA 92867

This suspension occurred in May of 2010. Nonetheless, in July of 2010 the Diocese announced the selection of  Craig W. Hartman, FAIA, of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) to design the new Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s location is on a 15 acre parcel near the intersection of Bear St. and West MacArthur Blvd.

 

Mr. Hartman is an interesting guy. He was made a Papal Knight of St. Sylvester by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

Hartman is also the designer of the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland (exterior and interior below).

 

I guess I am not as worried about Hartman as I am about Bishop Brown. He may want something akin to Cardinal Mahoney’s minimalist Protestant barn in downtown Los Angeles.

 

Here’s what a recent Diocese of Orange press release had to say:

"The Phase One challenge is to artfully create a new cathedral complex that will meet the present social and spiritual needs of the 1.2 million person diocesan community and to accommodate anticipated growth.  From the outset, Bishop Brown has emphasized the diocese has no interest in copying the past and will make every effort to develop a structure that respects the environment as much as it will its people. This new facility, as the focal point of Catholicism in Orange County will embody the church’s spiritual commitment to environmental stewardship. … The new Cathedral, the first true diocesan cathedral in the Diocese of Orange, will serve as a visible and central pastoral campus for generations to come. An important distinction for the new Cathedral is the long-range plan to make the complex serve ecumenical as well as parochial needs; and to become an important spiritual and cultural center for all of Orange County."

WOW!

1. No interest in copying the past…
2. Embody spiritual commitment to environmental stewardship…
3. Serve ecumenical needs…

In the hands of Bishop Tod Brown, under his leadership, this is neo-modernist “doublespeak” from a lost chapter of Orwell’s “1984.”

I take heart from one undeniable fact.

Bishop Brown was born on 15 NOV 1936.

On 15 NOV 2011 he turns 75.

For a Roman Catholic Bishop that means:

 

M  A  N  D  A  T  O  R  Y

R  E  T  I  R  E  M  E  N  T  !

 

Can the momentum of this juggernaut be stopped for 10 months?

Comments

[John]

Really enjoy your blog! Keep up the good work! May God Bless you

[Joseph Therese]

praying hard for you guys out there

[Mike]

Will this ever end? How many more barns must be erected? Pathetic.

[Rosie Davis]

Hartman Cox have done some fantastic work in the past. All over the place. ?

[Sam]

I like the blog. However I am not sure the choice of architectural style is worth getting bent out of shape about. (This is entirely a different matter than Bishop Brown's stewardship). I am sure somebody criticized the architecture of St. Peter's and Notre Dame Cathedral.

Michelangelo took a lot of heat for nudity in his paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but now everybody thinks it is a masterpiece.

Wait 600 years and see if people like the design later.

[James]

Sam,

I don't think so.

I think there are universal principles of beauty in our hearts, minds, and souls which are the driving forces of all true/good art. The awful adobe box (aka, LA Cathedral) seems to violate many of those principles, and we inherently see it and groan our disapproval. Like the liturgy (which is also our cooperation with God's Spirit in our worship), the Spirit has spoken through our art and architecture; that doesn't mean new inspirations can't come along, but ignoring the past is not particularly wise--as the results of changed liturgy also show.

It only doesn't matter if there's really nothing we mortals can do anyway, and I don't think anyone believes that. We are contributers...co-operators with God. Our Churches should be our attempts to please Him.

[Emmet--St Marys By the Sea]

Went to Saturday night Mass at St. Mary's by the Sea. A little perturbed by the goings on there. Havent been there in a while. Anyhow the usual gentleman who does one or more of the readings and acts as eucharistic minister usually sits up on the altar area during the entire mass--I think that was his habit. His services are used. However he now has his wife up there. He reads the first reading, she the second and she hangs up there sitting or kneeling next to the altar boy(s). He grabs his wife by the knee before sitting down several times during the service--a sign of affection. She while she is sitting has a habit of crossing her legs and swinging the top leg during the mass keeping some kind of cadence. Thankfully she's not chewing gum.
She and her husband are right up there receiving communion with the altar boy, she goes back to her altar chair. He serves as Eucharistic minister. Between the signs of affection and the swinging leg, and the fact that one or both shouldn't be up there had me pretty distracted during church. I like St. Mary's mostly, but over the last 10-12 years I've always noticed a sense of entitlement and outright ownership of the church (in a bad way) by its parishioneers that extends to their proclivities not the rubrics. I'm sure the rubrics is being violated in several or more ways.

[Rosie Davis]

Maybe we are having a run of "bad luck" when it comes to architecture. Maybe the brilliant creative juices have run out for the time being ? ......
In Melbourne Victoria Australia some pretty pathetic attempts to cover empty land mass have happened & a good many of us are appalled & out spoken.
Emmet :- Isn't it funny what attracts our attention. Parishioners are a strange & motley crew & can get a bit possessive & set in their ways...

[Emmet--St Marys By the Sea, Huntington Beach,CA]

Well I've never seen anyone with crossed legs sitting & shaking their leg in the sanctuary during Mass or a husband showing signs of endearment there during the Mass. Its inappropriate. In some 50+ years as a Catholic neither boy, nor girl , nor singer nor band, nor any adult has done this in my exp. I am posting so that attention at St. Mary's By the Sea, Huntington Beach will be drawn to the situation and corrected.

[Harry]

Get rid of one of the biggest idiots among the American Bishops. Tod D (stands for dumbell)Brown is a very stupid man, clearly has no interest in anything except his own agenda---which is largely a new cathedral. The sooner he and most of the people he has on his Executive Committee are gone, the better. The Diocese of Orange will need a good house cleaning after they are gone. Let's pray for a new Bishop who actually has intelligence!

[Rosie Davis]

I have heard that a minimalist approach is sweeping/seeping, is all the go, in building design.
ie; the odds that all the tenants of a building will need, or use the plumbing at the same time at any given time are slim....
therefore, smaller/slimmer pipes can be used in construction ..
there by saving on the all-mighty DOLLAR...
Imagine having to cue at the diner next door to use the toilet facilities at crucial times of the day or night..
It is said that when you see the legal minds running to the ale establishment near by to their work place, it is not for a drink but matters more pressing....

[Merwin Pinto]

From what I have read of this Bishop Tod Brown I summarize that this is an evil man placed by Satan himself in the church to lead his flock astray with his ultra modern views, suppression of traditionalists, encouragement and tolerance of homo sexual priests and gays.

Is Vatican sleeping for so long? Throw this bishop in the dungeon.

[Yohannim]

I live in Orange County California and Tod D. Brown is one of the major obstacles to my returning to the Catholic church, (him and his bootlicking sycophants), the other was the Pedophile protector in LA, who is FINALLY returned to the sewers from where he came, roger lavender mahoney.