Frank Kacmarcik

Frank Kacmarcik was born March 13, 1920, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in North St Paul. His father had immigrated from Slovakia; his mother was born in Minnesota of Polish immigrants. His father worked as an upholsterer and refinisher of furniture.

No longer having a draft exemption, Kacmarcik was drafted into the Army where he was sent to Europe as a Chaplain's Assistant. He also traveled extensively, visiting historic works of architecture, especially churches and monasteries. When the war ended, Kacmarcik was discharged and returned to the Minneapolis School of Art to complete his fourth year, 1946-47. Thanks to a scholarship and the G.I. Bill, Kacmarcik spent 1947-1950 in Europe, continuing his education at the Paris schools, Academie de la Grande Chaumiere and Centre d’Art Sacre, painting, traveling, and coming in contact with other artists producing contemporary religious art.

While in Europe Kacmarcik received an invitation from the president of St. John's University to join the faculty. (St. John's Abbey and St. John's University share the same campus in rural central Minnesota. At the time the abbot was also the president of St. John's University.) Kacmarcik began in September 1950. Although he was very disappointed at not being able to continue on to become a full-fledged member of the abbey, he had never broken off contact with some of the friends made during his time in the abbey as a novice monk. These monks were to be instrumental in smoothing Kacmarcik's dealings with the monk who was head of the art department and very anti—modern art. Eventually the department head and Kacmarcik developed a mutual respect for each other. Kacmarcik turned out to be a successful and popular teacher. He was a born educator. Although at times his methods might have seemed unconventional, his students responded to his views on what is art, what is sacred art, what is the vocation of the artist. But Kacmarcik's career as teacher at St. John's University was suddenly cut short. Although Kacmarcik's return to the St. John's campus as a faculty member was a welcome one to his friends in the abbey, he still had his detractors among many of the monks. He had an apartment on campus which made it easy to meet with his monastic friends for social and serious conversation. However Kacmarcik seemed to have a talent for generating controversy wherever he went. His frank opinion about the designs for the new abbey church, given even when not asked for, did nothing to win over his detractors. His very presence on campus became a divisive issue among the monastic community. Kacmarcik was informed by the university he would be on the staff for the school year 1953-1954, but the Senior Advisory Council of the Abbey stepped in and overruled the university's decision. Even though the abbot was a personal friend of Kacmarcik's, the abbot thought it best to follow the Council's advice. It would be better for the monastic community if Kacmarcik left. However he lingered on in his campus apartment during the following year in hopes the university would find a way to rehire him. That did not happen and he moved to St. Paul, MN, in late 1954 to begin a career as a liturgical consultant for church architecture projects and graphic artist.

An architect designing a church for a congregation that has a liturgy, such as Roman Catholicism, is faced with not only designing the exterior but also the interior. For the interior design there are decisions to be made, e.g. placement of the altar in relation to the congregation, where should the Blessed Sacrament be kept, how to provide for devotions to the saints, etc. Also there are directives from Rome concerning church architecture to consider. To cope with these decisions architects often call upon a liturgical consultant for assistance. Kacmarcik is usually credited with expanding the role of the liturgical consultant. In working with an architect he functioned, depending on the circumstances, as teacher, artist-maker, artist-designer, theologian, art consultant and coordinator. As liturgical consultant he regarded his role as being the one who "should act more as a teacher making the architect more than he would be if the consultant were not there the pastor more of a pastor, and the people’s role more active." Kacmarcik is recognized as being the "creator of new models for Roman Catholic liturgical space and furnishings." Perhaps the most dramatic change in church interiors mandated by Vatican II was the directive that the priest is to say Mass facing the people. This usually meant moving the altar forward. Many church saw this as an opportunity to renovate which explains why many of Kacmarcik's projects were renovations of church interiors.

In the early 1950s St. John's Abbey realized they needed a new church. An increase in vocations to the abbey after WWII had increased their members to over 300 (many were not in residence). Thanks to the G. I. Bill the enrollment of all male St. John's University had increased dramatically. The abbey church, built in the 19th century, was simply not adequate. The Abbey decided to build and they contacted several well-known architects inquiring if they would be interested in the church project. Several architects visited campus and made presentations why they should be chosen. The Abbey decided on New York based Marcel Breuer who was not a Catholic and who had never built church; however the community felt Breuer was a person who would listen to their concerns; someone they could work with.

From the beginning Kacmarcik was unofficially "very involved" in the new church project. He put himself forward as having studied the theology of the visual expression of the liturgy in art and architecture. He was informally consulted by members of the Building Committee as design topics came before them. In December, 1958 Kacmarcik was given a more official role when he was hired as liturgical and artistic consultant. In that role he made several trips to Breuer's office to discuss his concerns about how "Breuer’s architectural language could be used for sacred space" Throughout the planning process Breuer who was not a Catholic often called Kacmarcik for advice. Breuer wanted to understand the "function of the space as well as the supporting theological foundation" in order to aid him in getting things right. In the lower level of the church the plans called for 34 private chapels to be used by the monks to say their daily Mass. Kacmarcik was asked to design the altar for 19 of these chapels. (Breur did the other 15 altars.) Each chapel had art work appropriate to the saint honored in that chapel. As part of the art committee Kacmarcik suggested artists to contact to furnish the art work for these chapels. He participated in furnishing the artists with background material on the saint, his or her relevance to the Benedictines and theological comments the committee thought might be useful to the artist. His work as an artist himself gave him an easy rapport working with the artists. Early in the planning process one of the monks had written to Breuer: "I feel there should be someone consulted now in the early stages of the planning of the church on the possibilities of integrating painting, sculpture, etc, in the architectural masses in such a way that they will really belong to the building. Nothing happened. Breuer was busy with the outside of the building. Finally he contacted the abbot asking for help with the interior. The abbot suggest Kacmarcik and in January 1960 an art committee consisting of Kacmarcik and two monks was formed. Their responsibility was quite broad --- it covered "all new vestments, rugs and furnishings."

Between 1947 and 2004 Kacmarcik was connected with 334 church related projects in some capacity. Some of the more his more successful projects are: • St. Francis de Sales, Muskegon, MI. Marcel Breuer, architect • Annunciation Priory, Bismarck, ND. Marcel Breuer, architect • St. Patrick’s Church, Oklahoma City, OK. "There is a mystical sense of transcendence in the space." • Church of St. John the Evangelist, Hopkins, MN. "Kacmarcik is especially proud of this project.""One of his [Kacmarcik] most highly regarded churches." • Abbey of Our Lady of New Melleray, Peosta, IA. "The overall effect of the renovation is powerful." "A Kacmarcik project of exceptionality and excellence. • Mepkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, SC. "The new church at Meplin Abbey in South Carolina is eminently successful from both architectural and liturgical points of view." • Church of St. Peter, Saratoga Springs, NY. "A prime example of an innovative renovation done well." • St. Boniface, Cold Spring, MN. "Shows a revisioning of liturgical space for the American Catholic that is more in keeping with the desires of the Church for the church." • St. Mary Church, Alexandria, MN. "Kacmarcik considers it one of his better churches." • Sacred Heart Chapel, Sisters of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN. "This renovation stands as a good example of the quality work of Kacmarcik and his creative ability in design." • St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Carmel, IN. "For Kacmarcik, this work is one that he believes to be successful."

Kacmarcik also did some consulting for non-worship spaces. He worked on 22 projects---schools, houses, student housing, art museums, etc.

Kacmarcik designed a variety of printed works from the covers for Worship, a periodical promoting the liturgical movement published by St. John's Abbey, from 1951 through the 1990s, to ephemera e.g. cards, stationery logos, etc. Gerard S. Sloyan says Kacmarcik's drawings "possess equal parts of discipline and fantasy [yet] force the viewer to ponder seriously the implications of the Christian mysteries that the drawings evoke." Kacmarcik's worked as a book for a variety of publishers. Perhaps his best known designs are those done for Benziger Brothers, 1959-1975, during the period when Benziger Brothers issued new editions of liturgical book reflecting changes asked for by Vatican II..He also did work for several other publishers, i.e.. Sheed and Ward, University of Chicago Press, P. J. Kennedy & Sons, Liturgical Press, and McGraw-Hill. In 1955 Kacmarcik was one of forty-three internationally known book designers invited to participate in Liber Liborum, a Bible design project published by the Royal Library of Sweden.

In 1995 Kacmarcik donated his library of books, manuscripts and art works to St. John's where it is housed in the university library as a separate collection called Arca Artium. The rare book section consists of more than 4,000 volumes. There are examples of early printed books as well as examples of fine printing from the 19th and 20th century. The reference library section has 20,000 volumes. The art section more than 6,000 prints most of them prints originally connected with books. Prints by contemporary religious artists are also a strength. The Frank Kacmarcik Archives is part of Arca Artium.

In 1986 Kacmarcik approached the abbot of St. John's Abbey about returning to live in the abbey as a claustral oblate. Many religious orders enroll people as oblates. (Oblates are persons who seek to integrate their daily life with the ideals of a religious order, in this case the Benedictines. Oblates look to the religious order for spiritual direction.) Normally oblates live in the world outside of an abbey; however Kacmarcik wished to live within the monastic community as a claustral oblate. The abbot sounded out the community about the advisability of taking in Kacmarcik before he was actually in residence. The vote was favorable and Kacmarcik received the Benedictine religious habit in 1988. He continued to do a little consultant and design work, especially for the Liturgical Press, the publishing arm of St. John's Abbey. Kacmarcik died in his sleep February 22, 2004. He is buried in the abbey cemetery in a grave marked with a headstone of his design.

Kacmarcik was a "Personality." Once met, not easily forgotten. He was above average height, well-built, and by most standards not handsome. He was blunt; he was opinionated; he was honest (on his terms) to a fault. But he was not bombastic. He was not pompous. He had a tendency to make pronouncements which many found stimulating and showing integrity; while others thought his pronouncements, often couched in colorful metaphors, as coming from an inflated ego. As a friend of Kacmarcik's remarked---his honesty "was not always accepted nor was it understood." At times he did not seem to care how his opinions were going to be received by other people. Yet at the same time he was willing to accept that some people were put off by his outspoken manner. Another called his criticism of artistic mediocrity "trenchant" And still another "acknowledged Kacmarcik’s ability to be an annoyance, a gadf...this type of counsel was able to open people’s eyes wider to a broader vision and spur them to action that would have far-reaching results." As Kacmarcik's long and successful career of working with architects and church building committees attests, he got results.