The Church has adapted many styles of architecture for public worship--from the ancient synagogues of Israel and the temples of Greece and Rome to the medieval Gothic and now modern styles. St. Paul's is a "Romanesque" church, patterned after the meeting halls of the Roman Empire. An oblong hall is divided by matching rows of columns, surmounted by a barrel-vaulted ceiling and rounded arches. Since the weight is supported by the walls, the windows are small. St. Paul's, designed by architect Edward Graham, is modeled after the Church of San Zeno Maggiore in Verona, Italy. Beside the church building is the campanile, or bell tower (modeled after the campanile of the Torre del Commune also in Verona). At its top is a clock donated by the teachers and students of the parish schools; originally the clock tolled the quarter hour and angelus and, after falling into disrepair for many years, was recently restored and once again marks the passing of the hours.

Beneath a large rose window there is a stone frieze above the doors. In the frieze above the central door is a figure of St. Paul, the patron saint of the parish, portrayed as interpreter of the Old Law and the New Law, his finger on the text of the Bible, the page held open by a sword, which does not represent physical force but the spiritual force of God's word: "Indeed, God's word is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates and divides the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the reflections and thoughts of the heart." (Hebrews 4) Beneath St. Paul is the Angel of Revelation, holding up the cross, the symbol of salvation; followers are drawn to the cross from both sides. Above the side doors are the coats of arms of those in office when St. Paul's was built: on the left is the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XV, on the right the coat of arms of Cardinal O'Connell. A vine runs through the frieze, symbolizing the Christ-like love which unites the community; the imagery is from the Gospel of John ("I am the vine, you are the branches.").

After passing through the outer doors one enters the vestibule, patterned after a cloister chapel and dedicated to the memory of those who served in World War I. Small basins of holy water stand on both sides of the central doors leading from the vestibule to the inner church; these recall one's first entry into the Church through the waters of baptism.

The interior of the church is more than a convenient meeting place; it is designed as an expression of Christian life, imagery dating from the earliest days of the Church: "You form a building which rises on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone." (Ephesians 2) As in the imagery from Ephesians, Christ is the capstone, dominating the interior of St. Paul's Church in the bas relief above the altar. In the nave the row of pillars not only holds up the roof but represents the "foundation of the apostles and prophets." The effect is to focus attention on the sanctuary.

The sanctuary is the center of public worship in the liturgy of the Mass. It contains the altar in the center, the lectern to the left, and the celebrant's chair behind the altar; to the far left is the tabernacle, where the sacrament is reserved. Christian life includes private prayer as well as public worship, and opportunity for private prayer is provided at the altar of the Blessed Sacrament, located in a small, quiet area somewhat set apart from the main church. To the side of this altar a red candle constantly burns, announcing the presence of the Eucharist and symbolizing God's continual presence in human lives, even when not consciously acknowledged. Light is a common symbol of God's presence.

The statues and windows in the church represent the continuation of Christ's work through the Church. To the right of the main altar table is a statue of an elderly man holding a scroll; he is the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Like all the other statues in the building, it was carved from Caen stone by the French sculptor Lualdi. To the left of the main altar is a statue portraying divine love in human form, the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Behind the celebrant's chair is a crucifix, expressing both the depth of God's love for humanity and the self-sacrificing love man must imitate to share in divinity. Behind the crucifix are twelve large pillars of Brescia stone. The pillars recall the twelve pillars set up by Moses to symbolize the covenant between God and the Israelites and also represent the twelve apostles. Atop each pillar is a portrait of an apostle and a part of the Apostles' Creed. In medieval times the Creed was thought to have been composed by the twelve apostles themselves before leaving Mount Olivet on the day of Christ's Ascension. Each apostle supposedly had written one article, symbolized by the text of the creed atop each pillar. Now historians tell us that the Apostles' Creed was developed for baptisms in the early centuries of the Church, before the Nicene Creed in 325. The name "Apostles' Creed" means that it was faithful to the beliefs of the original apostles, not that it was composed by them. However, the medieval legend still presents a basic truth: that the formulas of the Church are the expression of a community, not the writings of one person.

Atop the pillars is a frieze carved from Caen stone. In the center is a cross, with peacocks (representing immortality) under its arms. In the far right part of the frieze is the Paschal Lamb. The lamb as a symbol of God's grace originates with the feast of the Passover in the Old Testament; the early Church applied the same imagery to Christ. "The sheep gives her flesh for food to those who are strong, her milk to those who are weak; with her fleece she clothes the naked, and with her skin she shelters the cold." (Rupert of Tuy) In the far left part of the frieze is a pelican, which may seem a strange symbol for Christ until one reads the medieval legends of this bird: "The pelican, after having killed her young, revives them at the end of three days by opening her breast and sprinkling them with blood, even as on the third day God raised his Son." (Honorius of Autun) Above the frieze is a bas relief of the Ascension. Christ's hands are outstretched in welcome, while his followers are gathered below on Mount Olivet; Mary, Peter, and John are in the center. Theology can only deepen but never exhaust the mystery presented--the ultimate possibility for human existence. The limitation of human understanding is seen even in the bas relief, where clouds and angels hide the ascending Christ from his followers, who gaze upward in faith and hope, though they cannot see clearly.

In the nave of the church the large columns of Roman Travertine stone not only hold up the roof but also symbolize the Scriptures. Atop each pillar is a six-pointed Star of David, representing the Old Testament. The New Testament is represented by the four beasts which are placed in turn atop the pillars: man, ox, lion, and eagle, symbolizing the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John respectively. The New Testament is explicitly presented above the columns in the two rows of bas reliefs (carved by Hugh Cairns) that face each other above the main aisle. As you enter the church, those on the left portray scenes from Jesus' youth: the annunciation, the visitation, the presentation in the temple, the visit of the three kings, the flight into Egypt, the teaching in the temple, the workshop at Nazareth, and the wedding feast at Cana. On the right are scenes from the public ministry of Jesus: his baptism by John, calling the apostles, conferring primacy on Peter, preaching the Sermon on the Mount, blessing children, forgiving Mary Magdalene, raising Lazarus, entering Jerusalem, the Last Supper. Between the panels is a chasuble with golden cross, surmounted by a tiara, the symbol of the pope. The passion and death of Jesus are portrayed in the Stations of the Cross located on the walls between the stained-glass windows; these were also carved by Hugh Cairns.

To the left of the main sanctuary and above the altar dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament is a statue of St. Joseph, patron of workers. On each side of the statue is a painting by Marisaal of a major event in the life of Joseph: on the left is the espousal of Mary and Joseph, and on the right, the death of Joseph. Above the statue are the words, "Ecce fidelis servus et prudens" ("Behold, a faithful and prudent servant"). In an alcove facing the center of the church is a statue of Mary, crowned after the Assumption as Our Lady of Victory. At the apex is the crown of glory, showing the new star, Mary, now added to the heavens. Two angels trumpet the title, one to heaven and one to earth. In front of the statue of Mary is the baptismal font, where the sacrament of reception into the Christian community takes place. To the left of the statue is a painting of the presentation of Mary in the temple, and to the right is depicted the dormition (falling asleep) of Mary at the end of her earthly life. The feast of the dormition was widely celebrated as early as the fifth century. As time passed, the Western Church emphasized it as the feast of the Assumption of Mary.

Farther along the wall is the statue of St. Peter. In one hand he holds the keys of the kingdom, symbol of his office, and in the other, he holds the Scriptures, symbol of his mission. The statue was donated by the local Knights of Columbus, whose names are sealed below in a box in the masonry. Facing St. Peter across the church, between the stained-glass windows and the organ, stands the statue of St. Paul. The statue was donated by the Harvard-Radcliffe Catholic Club in honor of six of its members who died in World War I; their names are carved on a bronze plate on the front of the pedestal. In addition to his statue, the patron saint of St. Paul's is also portrayed in two bas reliefs in the church over the side doors leading to the vestibule: To the left of the window portraying St. Gregory, Paul is in Ephesus, where his preaching is successful, and those hearing him are burning their books of magic. On the opposite side of the church Paul is addressing the philosophers of Athens; in the background are the Acropolis and the temple of Athena. This was a less successful effort--the philosophers are interested but unpersuaded.

On the right side of the church overlooking the choir stalls is the statue of St. Patrick, patron saint of the Archdiocese of Boston and of Ireland, home of many of the early residents of St. Paul's parish. On each side of the statue is a painting of a major event in Patrick's life. On the right he and his followers are conducted into the court of Tara by Erin and his warriors (note the Gaelic carvings and Irish hound). On the left Patrick is at the cathedral at Armagh, blessing the crown to be worn by the Christian king of Ireland.

There are three stained-glass windows near the choir stalls. In the center is St. Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. Above her is written: "Benedictus fructus ventris tui" ("Blessed is the fruit of your womb"), the words with which she greeted Mary. On the left is John the Baptist. Above is written: "Ecce Agnus Dei" ("Behold, the Lamb of God"), recalling John's mission of preaching. On the right is St. John the Evangelist. Above him are the words: "Verbum caro factum est" ("The Word was made flesh"), from the opening of his gospel. To the left of the window is a painting of missionaries who had served the Church by 1923, when St. Paul's was constructed. Cardinal O'Connell is blessing them, and beside him stands the pastor of St. Paul's, Father John Ryan.

The remainder of the tour of St. Paul's covers the stained-glass windows found on both sides of the nave of the church and explains the role each saint depicted in them played in the history of the Church.

Learning has always been a major part of Catholic tradition. As St. Bernard wrote eight centuries ago: "God is Wisdom, and he wills to be loved not only sweetly but wisely; as St. Paul says: 'Let your service be one that is worthy of thinking beings.' For if you neglect knowledge, the spirit of error will lead you astray effortlessly by means of your own zeal." The ten stained-glass windows in the nave of St. Paul's Church portray those who combined holiness and scholarship in a way suited to the tempers of themselves and their times. The windows were made in Germany, patterned after Renaissance images of the saints. Our tour of the windows begins with the one nearest the statue of St. Peter on the left side of the church.

St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor (297-373)

St. Athanasius is shown carrying the book of a scholar and the staff of a patriarch. Above him are the words "Incarnatus est" ("The Word was made flesh"), referring to his lifelong struggle to defend the doctrine of the Incarnation. Beneath him is a ship, recalling his youth as a dockworker and his time in exile.

Educated in Alexandria in both Greek and Christian learning, Athanasius visited the monks in the nearby desert. His biography of St. Anthony spread the idea of monasticism to the West. Most of his life was spent combatting the Arian heresy, which claimed Christ was not divine and equal to the Father but a lesser creation. At stake was the basic Christian understanding of the relation between God and man and the possibility of man's union with divinity. Athanasius attended the Council of Nicaea in 325, which condemned Arianism and formulated the Creed of Nicaea. Soon after, though only 30 years old, he became bishop of Alexandria.

The struggle with Arianism was not always one of learned discussion or politely written books. Writing was often angry and polemical. The Arians accused Athanasius of exacting tribute, of treason, and of murdering an Arian bishop. Athanasius claimed the bishop was alive and in hiding and was acquitted in a trial before the Roman emperor. Over the years imperial politics added to the controversy. An emperor would side with one faction, die, and be succeeded by an emperor who favored the other side. Confusion resulted. Athanasius himself was banished five times from Alexandria, spending 17 years in exile. In 365 the last banishment was revoked, and he returned unchallenged as bishop until his death in 373. His feast is on the anniversary of his death, May 2.

Of the Incarnation, Athanasius wrote: "For as he abolished death by death, and by human means all human evils, so by this so-called terror did he remove our terror, and brought about for us that nevermore should men fear death....He let his own body suffer, for therefor did he come, that in the flesh he might suffer, and thenceforth the flesh might be made impassible and immortal...and that henceforth men might forever abide incorruptible as a temple of the Word."

St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor (344-397)

As one moves toward the doors of the church, the next window depicts St. Ambrose with the book of a scholar and the staff of a bishop, hand raised to bless. Above him are the words "Tu rex gloriae Christe" ("You are the King of glory, Christ"), taken from the hymn Te Deum, which, according to legend, Ambrose composed at the baptism of St. Augustine. Beneath Ambrose is a beehive, a pun on the saint's name (the word for honey in Latin is "ambrosia"); his preaching was said to be mellifluous, as sweet as flowing honey. Also according to legend, when Ambrose was a baby, a swarm of bees settled on his mouth, an omen that he would be a great orator.

Ambrose was born in Treves, Italy. He followed the path of his father, a high official of the Roman government, and by age 26 was provincial governor of Milan. In 374 that city was split by a violent dispute over the election of the next bishop. As civil governor, Ambrose intervened to quell the violence; both sides agreed that he himself should be the next bishop. Ambrose was taken aback--this was not the way he had hoped to end the dispute; legend says he tried to escape the city by hiding in a basket. At the time he was not even baptized, though he had studied Christianity as a catechumen. Soon after his election as bishop, he was baptized and then consecrated bishop on December 7, 374; his feast is now celebrated on the anniversary of his ordination to the episcopate.

Like Athanasius, Ambrose struggled with the emperor. In 386 he refused to obey an edict transferring a church to the Arians and suppressing the Catholics. He argued that the civil state had no authority on theological matters: "The emperor is within the Church, not above it." Imperial troops surrounded the basilica, besieging Ambrose and his followers. In the words of St. Augustine: "Then the devout congregation stayed day and night in the church, ready to die with their bishop....It was then that the practice began of singing hymns and psalms in the manner of the Eastern Church, so that people would not grow faint and tired in this time of their sorrow. The custom has been kept from that day to this and has been imitated by many, indeed by almost all, of your congregations in other parts of the world." The emperor rescinded the edict and the siege ended.

Ambrose continued to develop the music of the Church and is credited with the texts of several hymns that appear in the hymnal used at St. Paul's: "Come, Thou Redeemer of the Earth," "Th'Eternal Gifts of Christ the King," and several written for Ambrosian chant: "Christ, Lord of Glory," "O Thou, the Heav'ns' Eternal King," and "Come, Holy Spirit, Ever One." As bishop, Ambrose stressed the virtue of charity. He practiced what he preached, distributing his family wealth, living an ascetic life, and at times selling the golden chalices of the Church to raise money for ransoming captives. In his words, "If the Church possesses gold, it is in order to use it for the needy, not to keep it."

St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor (354-430)

The next window depicts St. Augustine with the book of a scholar, the staff of a bishop, and a heart aflame with love. Above him are the words "Mediator est" ("He is the mediator"), referring to the saint's theological writings on Christ. Beneath him is a child pouring water out of a seashell. Legend says Augustine was once walking along the seashore, lost in thought and trying to reason out the nature of the Trinity. He came upon a child attempting to empty the ocean by carrying away water in a seashell. "It's impossible," Augustine told the child, "for your shell is too small." The child replied, "So also your mind is too small to hold so great a mystery as the Trinity." Augustine's feast is celebrated August 28.

"Augustine was great by every standard-a great philosopher, theologian, orator, pastor, and man of God. Few saints of antiquity do we know so intimately, since Augustine in his book of Confessions has told us everything about himself: his moral laxity, his long and difficult struggle against self-indulgence and false doctrine, and then his final conversion and total commitment to Christ. Briefly, the facts of his life are as follows: Born at Tagaste (Tunisia) in 354, he studied philosophy and became a teacher of rhetoric. After years of restlessness and doubt, his final conversion took place at Milan, where he was baptized by St. Ambrose. He returned to Africa and in time became bishop of Hippo." (Austin Flannery, O.P., ed., The Saints in Season)

One of the great theologians of the Church, Augustine wrote extensively on many subjects, including the nature of Christ. An excerpt from The City of God illustrates his thought: "There is but one Son of God, by nature, he who became a son of man, by mercy, for our sake, so that we who are by nature sons of men might become by grace through him sons of God....His purpose was that we should be transformed into something better by losing our sinfulness and mortality through sharing in his immortality and holiness and by preserving the good he put into our nature through having it fulfilled by the supreme good in the goodness of his nature."

Learning was a lifelong process for Augustine. "If you say: 'That is all there is to know,' you are lost." Augustine also prized music. The Psalms were, for him, Christ speaking through King David: "His voice in the Psalms--a voice singing happily, a voice groaning, a voice rejoicing in hope, sighing in its present state--we should know this voice thoroughly, feel it intimately, make it our own." The search for God is like the singing of workers in the fields near Hippo: "So men who sing like this--in the harvest, at the grape picking, in any task that totally absorbs them--may begin by showing their contentment in songs with words; but they soon become filled with such a happiness that they can no longer express it in words, and, leaving aside syllables, strike up a wordless chant of jubilation."

Augustine's life did not end jubilantly, however. Like many others, he suffered through the collapse of the Roman Empire. The Vandals, a tribe from Spain, invaded North Africa and laid siege to Hippo. After 14 months, the city surrendered. Augustine had died after the third month of the siege, in 430, shortly after writing of overcoming the fear of death: "What love of Christ can that be to fear lest he, whom you say you love, shall come? Brethren, are we not ashamed to say we love, when we add we are afraid lest he come?"

St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor (340-420)

In the next window St. Jerome holds the book of a scholar. Above him are the words "Beata Virgo Maria" ("Blessed Virgin Mary"), referring to his defense of the doctrine of the virginity of Mary. Beneath is a lion, a desert beast, recalling Jerome's years as a solitary in the desert of Syria. Some legends describe how he made a pet of a real lion by pulling a thorn from its paw. His feast is observed on September 30.

Born of Christian parents in northern Italy, Jerome studied in Rome and was baptized at age 19. When he was 32, he moved to Antioch and began writing. "Irascible in temperament, he used sarcasm, irony, and invective that reflect the hyperbole of the literary tradition of the age." (New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. VII) His major work was a translation of the Bible. In the spirit of modern scholars, he traveled to Egypt and Palestine seeking archaeological and written records to aid his work. Eventually he settled near Bethlehem, where he continued his biblical studies, often engaging in fiery debates with other scholars. By the end of his life he had translated almost the entire Bible into Latin, a translation used by the Church for over fifteen centuries, until Vatican II.

Like Augustine, Jerome at the end of his life suffered through the shock of the collapse of the Roman Empire. When refugees began arriving at his small monastery, he wrote: "Who would have believed that the daughters of that mighty city would one day be wandering as servants and slaves on the shores of Egypt and Africa? That Bethlehem would daily receive noble Romans, distinguished ladies brought up in wealth and now reduced to beggary? I cannot help them all, but I grieve and weep with them and, completely given up to the duties which charity imposes on me, I have put aside my commentary on Ezekiel and almost all study. For today we must translate the words of the Scripture into deeds, and instead of speaking saintly words we must act them." Jerome's own monastery was attacked and burned by marauders in 416. He died in 419 or 420.

St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor (540-604, Pope from 590 to 604)

In his window, St. Gregory holds the book of a scholar and the pen of a writer. The dove whispering in his ear symbolizes the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Above him is written "Christe eleison" ("Christ, have mercy"), recalling the chant which he inserted into the mass: "Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison." Below him are the two keys of St. Peter, symbols of the primacy of the Pope. Gregory's feast is on September 3, the anniversary of his elevation to the chair of Peter.

Born in Rome, Gregory was educated in law and by 570 had become a prefect of the city, presiding over the Roman Senate. Shortly thereafter his father died, and Gregory left politics to become a monk. In 589 Pope Pelagius II died in an epidemic resulting from a flooding of the Tiber River, and Gregory was elected Pope. As Pope, Gregory was required by the collapse of the Roman government to act as diplomat for the city. Rome had been sacked four times in the previous 150 years and captured four times in the previous 20. He negotiated treaties with the invading tribes, improved relations with Spain and Gaul, and sent St. Augustine of Canterbury and 40 monks to Britain as missionaries.

Gregory also developed the liturgy, especially the plainchant which now bears his name. The St. Paul hymnal contains more than 25 hymns set to Gregorian chant, including the sequence for Pentecost (No. 187) and the processional hymn used on Holy Thursday, "Now, My Tongue, the Myst'ry Telling" (No. 228).

Gregory's greatest contribution, however, may be his writings on the spiritual life. "The legacy left by St. Gregory has been handed down even into our own times, and his ideas and his expressions have passed into the doctrine and language of countless spiritual writings....Without knowing it, we are living, in great measure, on his modes of expression and on his thoughts, and for that very reason, they no longer seem new to us." (Jean Leclerq, The Love of Learning and the Desire for God) Consider, for example, one of his homilies on the Gospels: "If you cannot give up everything of this world, at least keep what belongs to the world in such a way that you yourself are not kept prisoner by the world. Whatever you possess must not possess you; for if your soul is overpowered by the love of this world's goods, it will be totally at the mercy of its possessions. In other words, we make use of temporal things, but our hearts are set on what is eternal. Temporal goods help us on our way, but our desire must be for those eternal realities which are our goal."

St. Anselm, Bishop and Doctor (1033-1109)

On the right side of the church the window nearest the entrance depicts St. Anselm, who holds the staff of a bishop, the book of a scholar, and the pen of a writer. Above him is written "Cur Deus Homo" ("Why the God-Man?"), the title of one of his books on the Incarnation. Beneath him is a cross ringed with the limbs of a fruit tree, contrasting the tree of man's downfall in the Garden of Eden with the tree of salvation, the Cross. Anselm's feast is celebrated April 21.

Anselm was born in Piedmont (in northwest Italy) in 1033 and in 1060 joined the newly founded Abbey of Bec in Normandy. In 1078 he was elected abbot and spent much of his time developing a school of philosophy and theology. A neighboring abbot once asked Anselm why his school at Bec was so much more successful than the visiting abbot's own school. Anselm replied: "If you planted a tree in your garden, and bound it on all sides, so that it could not spread out its branches, what kind of tree would it prove to be when in after years you gave it room to spread? Would it not be useless, with its boughs all twisted and tangled?...But that is how you treat your boys...cramping them with fears and blows, debarring them also from the enjoyment of any freedom."

In 1093 Anselm became Archbishop of Canterbury. A long series of battles with the English kings began over control of the Church. Throughout Europe, as kings became more powerful, they sought greater control over the Church. Loyalty to a universal Church based in Rome was suspicious and threatening to local kings. Anselm became embroiled in the English part of this conflict by resisting the attempts of King William Rufus and later King Henry I to control the Church. The struggle continued long after Anselm's death. In 1170 another Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, was slain by the king's soldiers, and finally, in the 1500s, King Henry VIII seized control of the entire English Church.

Today Anselm is remembered more for his philosophy than for his politics. One of the first to apply logic to theology, he is regarded as the father of scholasticism. His best-known work is on the "ontological proof of the existence of God." The validity of the proof has been debated by philosophers for centuries; the style of the proof is in a way, however, more intriguing than its basic argument. Anselm regards the "proof" as a meditative exercise. Logic, like art, is an aid to the soul, a form of prayer, and not a rational basis for faith. He begins: "Up now, slight man! flee, for a little while, your occupations; hide your self, for a time, from your disturbing thoughts. Cast aside, now, your burdensome cares, and put away your toilsome business. Yield room for some little time to God; and rest for a little time in him. Enter the inner chamber of your mind; shut out all thoughts save that of God, and such as can aid you in seeking him; close your door and seek him. Speak now, my whole heart! speak now to God, saying, I seek your face; your face, Lord, will I seek. And come now, O Lord my God, teach my heart where and how it may seek on, where and how it may find you." This is very different from modern understandings of "proof." Only in later years was Anselm's proof divorced from its basis in faith and purpose in spiritual life, as philosophers sought a purely rational basis for human beliefs.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor (1090-1153)

As we move toward the altar, the next window depicts St. Bernard in the habit of a Cistercian monk. Above him is written "Missus est" ("He has been sent"). This may refer to the Annunciation, as in Luke: "The angel of the Lord was sent...to Mary," recalling Bernard's devotion to the Blessed Virgin. It may also refer to Bernard himself, sent from the Abbey at Cîteaux to found the monastery at Clairvaux. Beneath him is a cross, wreathed in a shroud and accompanied by a lance and sponge, the instruments of the Passion. Bernard's feast is on August 20.

Bernard was born in Fontaines, a small village near Dijon, France. Seeking an ascetic life, he and a small group of friends joined the Cistercians and later founded a monastery at Clairvaux. In 1114 he was elected abbot of the monastery, an office he held until his death in 1153. Much of his time was spent overseeing the monastery, which soon attracted many followers. He also had time for the problems of the larger Church. In 1130 he helped heal a schism arising from the election of two rival popes. He preached in support of the Second Crusade in 1146-1147. His writings criticized laxity among monks and attacked prevalent heresies. He composed several hymns, one of which is used at St. Paul's: "O Sacred Head Surrounded."

However, Bernard is best remembered for his theological writings. If Anselm is the father of scholasticism, then Bernard may be called the last of the patristic fathers. Living at about the same time, the two men exemplify the variety and vitality of the medieval Church. While Anselm sought to apply the new logic to theology, Bernard opposed such abstract reasoning and preferred the imagery of the Bible: "As for us, in the commentary of mystical and sacred words, let us proceed with caution and simplicity. Let us model ourselves on Scripture which expresses the wisdom hidden in mystery in our own words: when Scripture portrays God for us it suggests him in terms of our own feelings. The invisible and hidden realities of God which are of such great price are rendered accessible to human minds, vessels, as it were, of little worth, by means of comparisons taken from the realities we know through our senses. Let us also adopt the usage of this chaste language."

Nor did Bernard regard theology as an esoteric science for a select few. His theology was monastic; its purpose was to dispose the soul to prayer and contemplation. All one's activities, including study, were unified in an effort to achieve perfection in Christian love: "Why store oil up in jars and never apply it to your limbs? Of what use to ponder over your books on the name of our holy Savior if you exclude his love from your lives?"

St. Bonaventura, Bishop and Doctor (1217-1274)

In the next window St. Bonaventura wears the red hat and robes of a cardinal. Above him is written: "Lignum vitae" ("The tree of life"). Legend says that St. Thomas Aquinas asked to see the books Bonaventura had read to acquire his great wisdom. Bonaventura replied by showing him a crucifix. Beneath the figure in the window is an angel with a chalice and the Eucharist. Another legend says that when Bonaventura was too humble to take communion on one occasion, an angel appeared and brought the Eucharist to him.

Bonaventura was born about 1217 in Bagnoregio, near Viterbo, Italy. In 1234 he went to Paris to study, where he joined the Franciscans. He continued to study and teach in Paris and became embroiled in the conflict between the established professors and the newly founded orders of friars (Franciscans and Dominicans). In 1257 he was elected Minister General of the Franciscans and began traveling about, organizing and reforming the order. He was made a cardinal by Pope Gregory X in 1273. He immediately plunged into the work of preparing for the upcoming Council of Lyons, a council that many hoped would bring about a reunion of the Latin Church, under the Pope, and the Orthodox Church, under the Eastern Patriarchs. These hopes were unfulfilled.

Bonaventura died on July 15, 1274, only two months after the council had begun. He was canonized in 1482 and in 1588 was made a doctor of the Church, the "Seraphic Doctor." His feastday is on the anniversary of his death.

Bonaventura wrote at the height of scholasticism, a time when the Church was struggling to absorb the learning of Aristotle. His own works often focused on the Incarnation, especially the Passion, demonstrating the compatibility of human suffering with the divine nature of Christ. Nevertheless, with all his learning, he retained an appreciation for the importance of seeking God in the everyday activities of life: "The perfection of a religious man is to do common things in a perfect manner. A constant fidelity in small things is a great and heroic virtue."

St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor (1225-1274)

St. Thomas wears the habit of a Dominican friar, and in one hand he holds the book of the office for the Feast of Corpus Christi, which he wrote. Above him is written: "Panem de coelo praestitisti eis" ("You gave them bread from heaven"), a reference to the manna given the Israelites in the desert as a type of the Eucharist. This passage is part of the office for Corpus Christi. Beneath the figure is a dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit. Like the sunburst on Thomas' chest, it is a symbol of wisdom and inspiration.

Thomas was born into a noble family at Roccasecca, near Monte Cassino, Italy. He was related to the Holy Roman Emperor, who was almost always at war with the Pope. At the age of five Thomas was sent to the nearby Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino by his family, who hoped he would join the Benedictines and eventually be elected abbot, a powerful position at the time. In 1239 the Emperor's troops seized the monastery, and Thomas was sent to study at the Imperial University in Naples, where he met both the Dominican friars and the works of Aristotle. Like the Franciscans, the Dominicans were committed to a reform of the Church. In 1244 Thomas Joined the Dominicans, much against the wishes of his family.

In 1252 he began lecturing at the University of Paris in a minor position. Like Bonaventura, he was caught in the conflict between the professors and the friars. The professors refused to grant him full teaching privileges until pressured to do so by the Pope in 1256. Even then, it is reported, his first lecture had to be guarded from disruption by soldiers of King Louis IX of France. Like Bonaventura, Thomas was summoned to aid in the preparation for the Council of Lyons in 1274. While traveling to the council he fell ill and died.

Several of his hymns are used at St. Paul's: "Now, My Tongue, the Myst'ry Telling," "Sing, My Tongue, the Savior's Glory," and "Godhead Here in Hiding."

Thomas is most remembered for his philosophical and theological writing, however. The influence of his work has been enormous. A prolific writer, his basic concern was to reconcile the faith of the Church, based on scripture and tradition, with the learning of Aristotle, based on observation and reason. A modern writer, Josef Pieper, summarizes his basic attitude: "St. Thomas does not hold the thesis that neither God nor things are knowable. On the contrary, they are so utterly knowable that we can never come to the end of our endeavors to know them. It is precisely their knowability that is inexhaustible." (Guide to Thomas Aquinas)

Aquinas was canonized in 1323 and proclaimed a doctor of the Church in 1567, the "Angelic Doctor." His feast is celebrated January 28.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest (1491-1556)

In the window closest to the organ St. Ignatius is depicted as a priest. Above him is written "Ad majorem Dei gloriam" ("To the greater glory of God"), the motto of the Jesuit Order. Beneath him is the monogram of the order: IHS (the Holy Name of Jesus), surrounded by the crown of thorns and the three nails of the Crucifixion. His feast is celebrated July 31.

Ignatius was born in the province of Guipúzcoa, Spain, in 1491. He began his career as an aide to the Treasurer General of King Ferdinand and later became an aide of the Duke of Najera. His work at times involved military assignments, and while on one such assignment in 1521, he was struck by a cannon shot: one leg was broken and the other injured. During a lengthy convalescence he read much, especially the Lives of the Saints. Resolving to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, he first went into seclusion for eleven months, writing most of his Spiritual Exercises. He left for the Holy Land in 1523 but was turned back by the hostility of the Turks.

He returned to Europe and spent the next eleven years studying in Barcelona, Salamanca, and Paris. At times he was suspected of heresy and was imprisoned in Alcalo and Salamanca. Finally in 1534 he obtained a master of arts degree. In 1538 he and several companions offered their services to Pope Paul III, and two years later the new order of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, was officially approved; Ignatius was elected General of the order. His remaining years were spent organizing the society, which had over one thousand members by the time of his death. Ignatius died in 1556 and was canonized in 1622.

Ignatius at times exhibited a sternness which may seem harsh to us. He regarded obedience as the most important virtue and opposed the founding of a women's branch of the order. However, he also exhibits great spiritual depth, as in his Spiritual Exercises.

Conclusion

We have "toured" St. Paul's Church in a fairly straightforward fashion: in the front door, through the vestibule, up the central aisle to the sanctuary, then around the outside walls. However, this is not the only way to appreciate the art of the church. If the Church wished her art to be seen always in the same order, she would have strung her symbols out along a corridor as in a museum, with a large sign pointing "One Way." They are not so arranged. They surround a person and provide many views for prayer and reflection. What Thomas à Kempis says of books applies equally well to art. Both help a person seek God: "A book has but one voice; yet it does not instruct all men alike. For within the soul am I, the Teacher, the Truth, the Searcher of the heart, the Understander of all thoughts, the Mover of actions: giving unto every man as I shall judge meet."

The building of a church is one of the few works of art we view from within; indeed, we ourselves become part of the work of art. The building is, after all, important only as the expression of a vibrant community. As St. Bernard told his fellow monks eight centuries ago: "What sanctity can these stones have, that we should celebrate their feast? Yet they are indeed holy, but because of your bodies....Holy are your souls because the Holy Spirit dwells in them; holy are your bodies because of your souls; and holy is this house because of your bodies."