The Theology of the Church Building
Much like a mosaic or statue, a church building is a sacred image in architectural form, and the Church teaches that a church building is “a special sign of the pilgrim Church on earth and reflects the Church dwelling in heaven.” This architectural theology traces back to the Gospel of John, where Jesus equates his body to the great Jerusalem Temple. Paul would later speak of the Church as a union of all Christians into a spiritual body with Christ as its head. From the earliest days of Christianity, then, the term “Church” was applied to the people who worshipped. But over time, the same word came to be used for the building in which the liturgy was celebrated. For this reason, the liturgical book the bishop uses to dedicate a new church teaches: “Rightly, then, from early times ‘church’ has also been the name given to the building in which the Christian community gathers…”
This theological meaning is no accident, since the building—made of many parts properly assembled under the headship of Christ—symbolizes the full union of worshippers, both on earth and in heaven. A church building is therefore an image of Christ and the full membership of his Mystical Body, which includes all the communities of the liturgy: earthly worshippers, angels, saints, the souls in purgatory, and all of creation including flowers, trees, animals and the star-filled heavens.
Moreover, the church building does not only show who is present in the worship of God, but what they are like. Angels and saints in heaven are not so much in a different location as a different state of existence: they are glorified, transformed, perfected and living outside of time. In other words, they live in an eschatological condition, after all the disorder and deficiencies of fallen creation are taken away and they worship perfectly in full union with God. Likewise, every church building is meant to allow earthly worshippers to encounter heaven’s condition and heaven’s residents. To enter a beautiful church is to leave the fallen world and walk in the halls of heaven-on-earth, surrounded by the “signs and symbols of heavenly realities,” as Vatican II mandates. So every design decision in a church building is a theological decision as well.
As we embark in this next phase of the Sanctuary project, you're invited to preview the booklet below to learn more about each element of this renovation. Soon, we will begin the next phase of this campaign to raise additional funds for the remainder of this project. If you would like to meet with Fr. Bob to learn more about this project and discuss how you can help, please call the parish office at 262-942-8300.
Saint Annes_2025 Sanctuary Renovation Booklet_folder_9_26_25FINAL.pdf
Saint Annes_2025 Sanctuary Renovation Printable Pledge Form 2025.pdf
