There are two aspects of the main altar of the abbey’s oratory that many may not realize. First, on the east side of the altar’s base, facing the monastic choir, is an image of the Lamb. Many congregants and guests never encounter this image as it is not visible from the nave. Also typically unseen, unless the altar is stripped of covering as it is on Good Friday, is the engraving around the table of the altar, three biblical quotations in Latin. In addition to these less visible physical attributes of the altar, many do not realize that the altar’s original location was not in our present church. It resided in the previous monastic chapel, now no longer extant. These “factoids” are actually all interconnected, and suggestive of more substantial elements in the history of Benson’s altar. 

 

 

John Howard Benson

Much has been written on John Howard Benson, and we will not take up the task of introducing him here. The Benson family has passed down a stone-carving operation in Newport for nearly 100 years, continuing as only the second family to own the business since 1705, when it was established by John Stevens. The shop still bears that name, though it has been maintained by several generations of Bensons, now operated by Nick Benson, grandson of John Howard. The Abbey has certainly also retained its awareness of a Benson legacy. Bensons of the John Stevens Shop have done much engraving of stones on the grounds and in the cemetery. The School library recently offered an exhibit on the elder Benson, focusing in particular on his calligraphy. Simultaneously, the School’s art department has been exhibiting, thanks to Salve Regina University, a collection of Benson’s pen and ink drawings of Newport landmarks, produced for the “Carrier’s Calendars” circulated by the Newport Daily News from 1927-1956. Of a more personal legacy, we can note that in addition to sending two of his sons to the School, John Howard’s granddaughter, Abby Benson ‘92, has the distinction of being the School’s first female graduate and currently serves on the School’s Board of Regents. 

 

 

 

 

 

It is remarkable that the master stone-carver who created the massive piece did so with no vision of the Pietro Belluschi edifice that surrounds it, nor of the Richard Lippold wire sculpture that floats above it. And yet more remarkable, that sacred space now feels as if the work of Belluschi and Lippold has grown organically around that altar, as if to serve its purposes. Such a feeling may simply flow from the ongoing liturgical life of the community, centered in the altar. Yet it may well be true that in a certain sense the creative influence did run this way, from altar to edifice, as Benson’s limestone work was already in use by the monastic community. One must assume that the decision to move his altar into the present Church of St. Gregory the Great had been in the minds of some monks already, and was no afterthought. It is thus further remarkable, and truly unfortunate, that John Howard Benson would have never seen the altar in its present setting in the oratory, as he died in 1956, only 54 years of age, and four years before the construction of the church.  

 

 

The altar in the old chapel, with the Lamb visible

Constructed for use in the previous monastery chapel, the altar was designed for a pre-Vatican II church. One therefore sees in the pre-Vatican “ad orientem” placement of the altar that the Lamb was previously more visible to the congregation, with its opposing side not expected to be visible at all. In light of anticipated changes of the council, the choice was made, with the altar now visible on both sides as positioned in the church of St. Gregory the Great, to have the Lamb face the monastic choir rather than the nave. One could speculate about pros and cons, with a good case either way. Perhaps one can consider that the monks are seated in choir for the divine office many more times each day then is a greater congregation. Further, the presence of the Lippold wire sculpture offers adequate visual activity for a view from the nave. Still, it is unfortunate, admittedly, that many who attend service in the church may never realize the image of the Lamb is there.  

 

 

 

 

The engraving around the table represents Benson’s expertise as a master-carver. This ability was passed on through generations, as his son John Everett “Fud” Benson (see interesting video where he discusses engraving) notably carved the inscriptions for the John F. Kennedy Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery - Bensons have left their mark at many locations around the country. The quotations his father engraved around the main altar carry the theme of the presence of God. “Ego sum qui sum” and “Qui est misit me ad vos” (“I am who am”; “I am sent me to you”) are from Exodus 3. These resonate with Christ’s proclamation in John’s gospel (Jn 8:58): “Amen, amen, dico vobis antequam Abraham fieret ego sum.” (“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am”) 

 

 

The Lamb on the Benson altar

The theophanies expressed in these biblical passages draw us to the one Who Is, and call to our attention the presence of God, the fullness of being - for Moses, in the Burning Bush and for John, in the person of Jesus Christ. Their presence engraved into our altar calls to our attention the presence of God, the theophany of Christ, in the Blessed Sacrament.

As the altar reminds us of John the Evangelist announcing Jesus as the “I Am,” we also hear at each Mass from the altar the words of John the Baptist directing us to, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1383):

The altar, around which the Church is gathered in the celebration of the Eucharist, represents the two aspects of the same mystery: the altar of the sacrifice and the table of the Lord. This is all the more so since the Christian altar is the symbol of Christ himself, present in the midst of the assembly of his faithful, both as the victim offered for our reconciliation and as food from heaven who is giving himself to us. "For what is the altar of Christ if not the image of the Body of Christ?" asks St. Ambrose. He says elsewhere, "The altar represents the body of Christ and the Body of Christ is on the altar." The liturgy expresses this unity of sacrifice and communion in many prayers. Thus the Roman Church prays in its anaphora:

We entreat you, almighty God, that by the hands of your holy Angel this offering may be borne to your altar in heaven in the sight of your divine majesty, so that as we receive in communion at this altar the most holy Body and Blood of your Son, we may be filled with every heavenly blessing and grace.

This community is blessed, in its Church of St. Gregory the Great, to have in its main altar this beautiful “symbol of Christ,” both representing and supporting the Body of Christ.

Additional information, related to the School library’s exhibit.

On John Howard Benson; On Benson’s calligraphy; The School’s collection of his works: The Elements of Lettering by John Howard Benson and Arthur Graham Carey (McGraw Hill, 1950); The First Writing Book by John Howard Benson (Yale, 1955) donated by Roberta Stevens in 2006 and Herbs and the Earth, by Henry Beston (Woodcuts by John Howard Benson), New edition, (Godine, 1990); and a biography,  John Howard Benson & His Work 1901-1956  by Philip Hofer published by The Typophiles (Typophile chap books ; 31.)  1957.   

Special thanks to Mrs. Roberta Stevens, retiring this year as School librarian while continuing her work in the monastery library, as well as to Mr. Mark Nadeau, Head of the Visual Arts, who created the McEvoy Gallery exhibit.