Entering Heaven on Earth

Merridith Frediani reviews a new book dedicated to exploring the beauty and meaning of the aesthetics of church design.

Entering Heaven on Earth: The Signs, Symbols, and Saints of Catholic Churches 

By Father Lawrence Lew, OP 
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor

Beauty is none other than God, whose face is revealed to the world in the person of Jesus Christ…who is with us and whose Eucharistic presence fills a church with his beauty. (117) 

I’ve heard it said that it was a waste of money to build the beautiful churches in Europe. The money should have been spent on the poor. I think that sentiment diminishes the importance of beauty as well as its source: God. I grew up attending a beautiful parish, and being a naive small-town girl, assumed all parishes were beautiful. Until I entered the “spaceship church." It’s not ugly per se, but it is lacking. It was then I recognized how important the aesthetic of a church is which led to noticing the details in the church, all the pieces that are intentional and purposeful. If you, like me, ever wonder what it all means, where it came from, and why it’s there, this book is for you.  

Entering Heaven on Earth: The Signs, Symbols, and Saints of Catholic Churches by Father Lawrence Lew, OP, breaks it down. Father Lew begins with the purpose of a church, quoting Sir Ninian Comprer: “the purpose of a church is to move to worship, to bring a man to his knees, to refresh his soul in a weary land” and reminds us that God deserves the best we can do. Thus, beautiful churches are full of signs and symbols.  

Statues and Spires and Rood Screens, Oh My!  

He goes on to explain that churches reach toward the heavens whether through domes or spires. Domes remind us of Christ’s empty tomb and spires point upward. Everything from the direction a church faces (whether the altar is on the east side of the building or not, the altar end is the east end), to the name of the sides (left side is the Gospel side, right side is the Epistle side), to the colors used on the walls and in art (white stands for glory, blue suggests Mary) has meaning and intention.  

The structure of a church holds significance as well. Pillars remind us of the Apostles standing tall, statues of saints remind us we never come to Mass alone. There are candles and crosses, rood screens and altar rails, the ambo, altar, and tabernacle: all pieces with symbolism and importance that convey a message to us.   

And don’t forget the importance of beauty: It attracts us and holds us in awe. Through his own photographs from around the world, Father Lew shows stunning examples of beauty in Catholic churches. There are examples of the Rosary mysteries in art which draw us deeper into the Bible stories. He dives into images of the Holy Trinity and angels. He writes about stories depicted in stained-glass windows.   

He ends with a chapter on objects, body parts, and instruments. Here’s where we learn the symbolism of images we frequently see in churches and sacred art. For example, a bell is associated with Saint Anthony, but also Saint Kentigern and Saint Agatha. Saint Peter is often shown holding keys, Saint John of Cologne, Saint John Houghton, and Saint Charles Borromeo wear a noose around their necks, and Saint Edward the Confessor is often shown holding a sapphire ring. Wondering why? It’s in the book.  

One of the many blessings of Catholicism is our connection to our past whether it is historical events or the saints we venerate and learn from. Our churches aren’t just boxes where we gather, they are offerings to God. They rightly reflect his glory and greatness. Maybe that’s why the spaceship church doesn’t sit well with me. It doesn’t seem to do enough with a space where God does so much regularly.  

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Copyright 2025 Merridith Frediani
Images: Canva