Catherine Oliva ’24 is a recent graduate from the Notre Dame School of Architecture's master of architecture program. During the winter break of the 2023-24 academic year, she traveled to the Czech Republic and Austria to complete an onsite evaluation of several monasteries influenced by the Ruthenian Catholic Church tradition to build this heritage into her thesis design for a new facility for the Christ the Bridegroom Monastery in Burton, Ohio.
We need to learn from living architectural heritage and tradition to guide the design of our buildings today. In the study of sacred architecture, this practice is vital.
For my master of architecture thesis project, I am researching sacred Christian architecture and monasticism to propose a new monastery for the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery in Burton, Ohio. In the Eastern tradition, all female convents are called monasteries. These nuns are part of the Ruthenian/Byzantine Catholic Church under the Eparchy of Parma. Within the Catholic Church, there are 24 autonomous churches, 23 of them Eastern Rite, all of which have their unique liturgical traditions and history. The many churches of the Eastern rite have a unique liturgy and spirituality which differs from the Western (Latin) rite and this is reflected in its architecture. To better serve this community and enhance my thesis project, I need to understand the unique history of the Ruthenian Church and its monastic traditions.
Thanks to the generous support of the academic year research grant from the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, along with the Sorin Fellows Grant, I conducted research in the Czech Republic and Austria, which have valuable precedents for my research. Both of these countries are united by a common ethnic past, evident in the architecture as the living heritage of Moravia. The Ruthenian Catholic Church, also known as the Byzantine/Greek Catholic Church, originates among the Rusyns who lived in the region of Carpathian Ruthenia which straddles the borders of present-day Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and Romania. This area was a part of the medieval Great Moravian Empire. In AD 863, Saints Cyril and Methodius began their mission to the Slavs in Great Moravia, establishing a unique Slavic Liturgy. The new proposed monastery and church must reflect the nuns’ unique Eastern spirituality. Therefore, by conducting this research I have a better understanding of the unique roots of the Ruthenian/Byzantine church, and I can better serve the nuns at Christ the Bridegroom.
During these site visits, I was able to meet the religious that live there, or in some cases speak to the librarians and museum specialists who guided me through their history and explained how the religious communities lived. One memorable visit was the Benediktinský klášter Břevnov northwest of Prague’s city center. It has a long history, founded in 993 as the first male monastery in Bohemia. I was moved by the beautiful location set on a hill overlooking a lake and spent time sketching there. While visiting Melk Abbey located an hour's drive outside of Vienna, I met a librarian who took me on a tour of the historic monastery's interiors. It is an active center for education and culture serving 900 students. I was moved by the fact that even though this Abbey is far away from the city, it is very active and receives visitors even in the winter. People come here to experience the peace and beauty of the monastery and escape from the noise of the city. Another example is Stift Heiligenkreuz, the second oldest Cistercian Abbey in the world. I met with the monks who live there and learned about their daily lives, as well as the school and restaurant they provide. Visiting this abbey helped me gain knowledge about the programmatic design and layout of a working monastery. These examples are just a few of the impressive churches and monasteries I visited and have helped inform my thesis research.
In conclusion, I am incredibly grateful for the support of the Nanovic Institute and the Sorin Fellows program, which has allowed me to conduct research for my master of architecture thesis project. My experiences from this research trip have provided invaluable insight to guide my thesis project and future career in sacred architecture, as well as support my growth as a Catholic. Something that impacted me the most was the inner peace and quiet I felt at these monasteries. By experiencing these sacred spaces, I have a better understanding of monastic design and the role architecture plays in lifting one's soul towards God. Likewise, my meetings with the religious communities were fruitful and helped me understand their way of life and the program of an active monastery. Since arriving back from this trip, I have begun to develop the proposed new monastery for the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom using these examples to guide me. Someday I hope to pursue a career designing churches using the gifts God has given me to better serve the Church.
