Built in the first quarter of the twentieth century, the chapel of the former Carmelite Monastery of St. Joseph and St. Anne in Philadelphia is/was quite a beautiful example of contemporary liturgical architecture, filled as it is with a mixture of stonework, metalwork, mosaic, frescoes and sculpture. For myself, it represents some of the very best impulses of twentieth century liturgical art.
It's exterior is simple but beautiful, built of stone and capped by a small spire. Inside, the chapel follows a rather typical model, with a simple basilica-style layout that also includes an open-trussed, timber ceiling.
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| A view of the ceiling, looking back toward the narthex |
In addition to this particularly noble space, found at the end of each of the two side aisles are two further side altars, one dedicated to the the Virgin and the other presumably to St. Joseph. Here is a detail taken from the Marian side altar, showing an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The chapel is also characterized by its gorgeous, Victorian style stained glass windows, as well as beautiful gilt Stations of the Cross and medieval style hanging corona chandeliers.
Most impressive though is the beautiful sanctuary and altar. The sanctuary itself is separated from the nave by a marble altar rail with a suspended crucifix above. Beside the high altar we find two sculptural roundels depicting St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross.
The altar itself is a beautiful stone altar with the Chi-Rho Christogram and the gilt Latin text, "Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto" on the face of the altar. Perhaps most striking of all, however, is the gorgeous and colourful mosaic found on the altarpiece, depicting an image of the Holy Family, the Holy Spirit as well as an evocative image of the Old Testament prophet, St. Elias, seen ascending into heaven on a chariot of fire (see 2 Kings 2:11-15) -- a saint and theme frequently associated with the Carmelite order.
G. Photography and Films provide us with the very best way to appreciate this chapel and its associated art, however, by sharing a series of images that they took during a Solemn Mass offered here by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. (As a point of note, this particular Carmelite community was dedicated to the usus antiquior, but regrettably the community was suppressed in 2024).
Finally, I would leave our readers with this historical photo of the chapel, taken prior to the installation of some of the later artistic additions. (Specifically, one will note the absence of the mosaic behind the high altar.)
To my mind this chapel demonstrates the promise of what twentieth century liturgical art could well have been had it remained focused on and moored to the artistic and liturgical patrimony of the Church.
We see here a chapel characterized, not by "art de Saint-Sulpice" or cheap, mass produced catalogue offerings, but rather one which is exemplified by its use of classical styles with a particular emphasis on the quality and nobility of the materials and techniques used.
The end result is a beautiful example of the principle of noble beauty in action.
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