Maurice & I

Sep 27, 2024

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My introduction to the power and beauty of architecture was through the work of and friendship with the well known and respected Christchurch architect Charles Thomas, best known to many FFF readers as the artist behind Our Lady of Victories Church in Christchurch.

Charles was always keen to meet for a coffee and talk about things architectural, his own work, and the work of many who were his Canterbury contemporaries. Several names come to mind: Don Donnithorne, Peter Beaven, Paul Pascoe and of course Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney.

I don’t get to the movies very often, but yesterday I had a couple of hours between appointments and grabbed the opportunity to see the recently released Maurice and I, Warren and Mahoney documentary which is accurately advertised as “a powerful and enthralling exploration of partnership, loss and the enduring importance of architecture in shaping and enriching our lives.”

There were only a dozen of us at the afternoon screening in the Lumière attic-cinema of the beautifully restored (post earthquake) Christchurch Arts Centre, and I could tell during the screening that the emotions of each of us were being stretched – at times laughter and a bit of prolonged giggling at the usually unintended humour of these two old friends, and in other moments tears with some audible sobbing as our little afternoon group re-lived the trauma of the Canterbury earthquakes of 2011-2012.

And so for almost two hours yesterday I enjoyed an unexpected spiritual experience since in the little theatre the focus was the traditional divine transcendentals: goodness, truth and beauty, and the fact that our emotions surfaced is evidence of the goodness, truth and beauty of all who took part in the events, the processes and the decisions which were highlighted in the film.

Many well-known architectural maxims were repeated throughout the film including some of my favourites: form follows function and people get the buildings they deserve! 

And I loved the unexpected use of terms which are close to the architecture of the Food For Faith mission. Architecture was referred to as being of the “same family as grace and love” and the word “relationship” was prominent as being the “spiritual essence” of good architecture.

As I drove home after the film I was thinking of the Catalan (Spanish) architect known as “God’s architect”, Antoni Gaudi, the designer of the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona who is now well on the road to being named as a saint of the Church.

In 2010 when Pope Benedict opened the (still unfinished) basilica he referred to the architect Gaudi reflecting:

…”he brilliantly helped to build our human consciousness, anchored in the world yet open to God… In this he accomplished one of the most important tasks of our times: overcoming the division between human consciousness and Christian consciousness, between living in this temporal world and being open to eternal life, between the beauty of things and God as beauty.”

Yesterday I was reminded that the same tribute can be given to Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney, and all good architects and artists.

4 Comments

  1. I can see your sabbatical has refreshed you, John

    Maybe your could break out with some design… 😉

    Nice to have you home

    Reply
  2. So true Fr John. A wonderful humble partnership -sad memories along with hope & growth in our troubled world

    Reply
  3. It is lovely to have you back Father John. I haven’t seen the documentary Maurice and I. But I have visited the SAGRADA FAMILIA BASILICA a few years ago. I was filled with awe! Such an amazing tribute to our God. I saw many of Gaudis works around the city of Barcelona but nothing as awe inspiring as the basilica. I never new he was on the road for a sainthood but I am sure it would be well deserved.

    Reply
  4. “People get the building they deserve”
    As the people of Otago and beyond plead with their government to honour their promises
    for a new hospital perhaps that is the primary question………..
    “What do you think we deserve?”
    Ma te wa.
    Garry.

    Reply

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