September 8: The Spanish Builder

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is September 8th, and our story is The Spanish Builder. Some have called Rafael Guastavino the best architect you've never heard of. But in the late 19th century, few in the construction business didn't know the Spaniard's name. Born in Valencia in 1842, Guastavino was still in his 20s when he developed an interest in ancient Moorish construction techniques. He became particularly fascinated with the Moor's expansive but unsupported archways and domed ceilings. He practiced replicating those techniques while in Spain and then perfected them after he immigrated to America in 1881.

Typically, working in partnership with other architects, Guastavino built floors, stairs, and curved roofs and ceilings by placing layers of thin, interlocking terracotta tiles in mortar. Strong, enduring, and fireproof, Guastavino's work endures in more than 1,000 churches, private homes, and public buildings, including Carnegie Hall, Grand Central Station, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Great Hall at Ellis Island, Grant's Tomb, the Plaza and St. Regis Hotels, the Cloisters, and more.

In the mid-1890s, while working on the Biltmore estate, Guastavino decided to relocate to North Carolina. He first built a large estate for himself outside Asheville, and later built a large church for local Catholics inside Asheville. As the story goes, Guastavino couldn't find a seat at Mass one Sunday because the town's original Catholic church was overcrowded. After that, he approached the parish priest and offered to design a new church, provide the tile, and oversee the construction. He also volunteered to subsidize a large part of the cost.

Without hesitating, the priest accepted Guastavino's offer. That church eventually became the Basilica of St. Lawrence. It was the first Guastavino-designed Catholic church in North Carolina to receive the papal honor. Gustavino designed the Second, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Wilmington, shortly before his 1908 death. Just over a century later, the Vatican elevated St. Mary's to a basilica, and on September 8, 2013, Bishop Michael Burbage of the Diocese of Raleigh celebrated a massive thanksgiving for the newly received designation.

Guastavino is buried in Asheville, in the crypt of the first North Carolina basilica he built. Guastavino's talent brought awe and utility to everyday spaces while glorifying God through sacred architecture. Identify one personal skill or talent you can offer to serve a parish, school, or charitable organization this month.

Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, September 9th, for another story of faith and courage in America.