Richard Stephen Vosko (born November 16, 1943) is an American Catholic priest of the Diocese of Albany and liturgical design consultant who has overseen the redesign and renovation of numerous churches and cathedrals in the United States., rvosko.com; retrieved May 23, 2011 Vosko has worked throughout the U.S. and Canada as a designer and consultant for worship environments since 1970.
Career He is the author of God's House Is Our House: Re-imagining the Environment for Worship (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2006) and Designing Worship Spaces: The Mystery of a Common Vision (Meeting House Essay #8; Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1996).Vosko, Richard S: "Things to Remember When Building or Renovating Your Church" March 07, 2007 Vosko served as the chief liturgist for Bishop Howard Hubbard of the Diocese of Albany.
Design principles Vosko believes that the role of the church in modern times has changed from the past when churches were designed to house a pre-Vatican II understanding of the liturgy. Vosko's perspective draws heavily from Environment and Art in Catholic Worship (EACW), a 1978 document drawn up by a standing committee of the Bishops Committee of the Liturgy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Although the EACW was never voted on by the full body of bishops and did not carry the force of law,United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Authority of Environment and Art in Catholic Worship retrieved February 24, 2012 it was used as the standard for new church design and renovation for over 20 years.Dellachiesa.com: Rose, Michael, "Environment and Art in Catholic Worship: A Critique" 2004
EACW’s status has been controversial since its inception not only due to its canonical standing but also its content. EACW uses as a basis the Second Vatican Council’s emphasis on Christ’s presence in the assembly celebrating Mass and – in what some consider a stretch – shifts the basis for the design of the “liturgical environment” to “the action of the assembly” of believers rather than the principles from liturgy, theology, or architecture.The Institute for Sacred Architecture: "Environment and Art in Catholic Worship – A Critique" by Duncan Stroik Volume 2 — Summer 1999 The EACW states: "Among the symbols with which liturgy deals, none is more important than this assembly of believers." Vosko states that the "new focus on the assembly" comes from the "recovered role of the people of God during acts of worship and not because of any subversive movement to discount the presence of God in the church." In Vosko's opinion, it is the assembly, not the church building, which must "transcend the ordinary."Adoremus Bulletin: "Displeasure at Domus Dei draft delays new document" Online Edition – Vol. VI, No. 5: August 2000
In 2000, the EACW was replaced by Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship (BLS). The BLS has been voted on and approved by the USCCB.Adoremus Bulletin: "Bishops back 'Built of Living Stones'" December 2000 – January 2001 Vosko has been a critic of this new document.Built of Living Stones: Seven Years Later by Richard S. Vosko Spring 2008
Vosko church designs and renovations emphasize:God's house is our house: re-imagining the environment for worship By Richard S. Vosko
the Visual – Improved lighting and sound so as to allow all to see and hear the actions of the priest. This often includes moving the organ from the choir to the position directly behind the altar. Participation – As every worshiper is called to participate in the Eucharist, the altar is relocated as far forward as possible often to the center of the church so the priest is part of the assembly. This also improves sight lines. Items such as altar rails and pulpits are removed as they inhibit the sense of participation. Worshipers should be arranged around the altar so they can see each other. The baptismal font is generally moved into the assembly and includes full immersion capability. the "Horizontal" – Traditional "vertical" churches orient in one direction treating God as transcendent whereas more ascetic "horizontal" churches emphasize God's presence in and with the community. Symbolism and Simplicity over Ornamentation – Noble simplicity is better than sumptuous display which only distracts from the actions of the priest during Mass. Elaborate reredos behind the altar, baldachinos, and excessive statuary are generally removed. the Imagination – As the community changes, the church needs to adapt to new art, music, language, and ritual practices Flexibility – Church pews are often removed and replaced with chairs to allow the church to be used for other functions. Other – The tabernacle is typically moved into a separate chapel away from the main church to allow for private eucharistic adoration. Private confessionals are removed and replaced by face-to-face confessional rooms.
Completed projects Vosko has presided over renovations or contributed to the design of the following cathedrals and churches:; retrieved May 23, 2011.
Cathedrals Sacred Heart Cathedral (Rochester) Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles St. James Cathedral in SeattleSeattle Catholic: "Weakland's Cathedral Renovations" July 27, 2001 Cathedral of San Fernando in San Antonio Cathedral of the Incarnation (Nashville) retrieved June 15, 2011 Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Memphis, Tennessee)
Churches St. Joe's Catholic Church (De Pere, Wisconsin) St. Vincent de Paul Church, Albany, New YorkHuffington Post: "This Is The Best Religious Architecture Of 2015" by Antonia Blumberg December 31, 2015NewsOK: "Does where you worship affect how you worship?" by Kelsey Dallas October 25, 2015 St. Cecilia's Catholic Church (Warrensburg, New York)The Post Star: "Mass in the round" by MADELINE FARBMAN June 11, 2007
Criticism Some have branded his church renovations as wreckovations due to their objection to the large scale removal of sacred art and ornamentation in service of Vosko's efforts to achieve a non-traditional re-alignment of essential church elements.Catholic Culture: "Liturgical Design Consultant Reveals His New Age Religion"The Friends of St. Colman's Cathedral: "Renovating or Ruining Cathedrals?" ; accessed October 15, 2001.US Catholic: "Who moved my tabernacle? The ruckus over renovation", uscatholic.org, July 24, 2008.Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission: "You Can Dress Her Up, But You Can't Take Her Out", losangelesmission.com, April 2001. Architect Michael Rose accused Vosko of being a "liturgy deconstructionist."Dellachiesa.com "Church Renovator Thrives on Manipulation Skills" 2004Michael S. Rose "Church Renovator Thrives on Manipulation Skills", Catholic.Culture.org; accessed March 1, 2017.
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