Fr. Longenecker on the Church, Beauty, and Poverty

“What is the truly Catholic version of poverty? What is the truly Catholic version of beauty?

“Here’s a dilemma: my parish is in the worst socio economic area of our town. Across the street from our campus is a crappy old motel which was built along I-85 probably forty years ago. It’s a notorious flophouse. What goes on there? Suffice it to say that they offer weekly, daily and hourly rates . . . It’s not the worst. Next door is another old motel just as bad and across the highway there is the worst one of all with the sadly ironic name of Camelot. Up the street another run down motel has been transformed by some heroic people into a residential drug rehab center for men. You name it we’ve got it.

“We’ve got prostitution, gangs, drugs and crime. We’ve got broken homes, broken hearts and broken lives.

“In the midst of this we are trying to build a beautiful new church. . . . As you can imagine there are some who complain that we are spending money building this beautiful building when the poor are in great need. So we reply that it was Judas who made that argument – when the woman came with rich ointment to worship the Lord Judas wanted to sell it and give the money to the poor. ‘The poor you shall have with you always’ says Jesus in reply. Have you thought how arrogant that must have sounded? Either he was a megalomaniac or he was Christ the Lord.

“It sounds arrogant and disdainful in our day as well does it not? As if in building a beautiful church we do not care for the poor, and yet why should the two be mutually exclusive? Only because in modern America the poor are expected to get by with the very worst and nastiest of everything while the rich are supposed to get the best of everything.”

In a recent commentary, Father Dwight Longenecker (parish priest at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Greenville, SC), reflected on the importance of beauty and splendor being offered to the Lord because He deserves the best. He also reflected on some perceptions of the Church when priests in well-to-do parishes have top-of-the line facilities because they can afford it.

To access Fr. Longenecker’s complete post, please visit:

Standing on My Head: Beauty and Poverty (15 NOV 13)

Background information:

Dwight Longenecker - Catholic priest and author