I invited your photos of your churches with images covered for Passiontide.
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“This blog is like a fusion of the Baroque ‘salon’ with its well-tuned harpsichord around which polite society gathered for entertainment and edification and, on the other hand, a Wild West “saloon” with its out-of-tune piano and swinging doors, where everyone has a gun and something to say. Nevertheless, we try to point our discussions back to what it is to be Catholic in this increasingly difficult age, to love God, and how to get to heaven.” – Fr. Z
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From Groningen, The Netherlands, St. Jozefcathedral
From Bytom, Poland
The Cathedral of Steubenville, OH
St. Peter’s in Troy, NY
should reliquaries be veiled?
http://orbiscatholicus.blogspot.com/2009/03/catholic-custom-veils-for-lent.html
JP Sonnen shows us four of the side altars at Trinita\’ dei Pellegrini
All three statues, crucifix, and two icons in full view. However, the altar had a purple drape, and all the children’s banners on the walls were on purple fabric.
–California
St. Leo’s Catholic Church, Fairfax, Virginia
Our Pastor, Father Whitestone, posted this picture on his Facebook account.
http://www.kardinalvirtues.com/StLeo'sVeiled.jpg
Try #2 – you can delete the first one. Sorry :(
St. Leo’s Catholic Church, Fairfax, Virginia
Our Pastor, Father Whitestone, posted this picture on his Facebook account.
Kardinal:
I have probably seen most of the Churches in the Diocese of Arlington. However, I do have to say (and honestly no offense is intended), that is probably one of the most hideous sanctuaries I have ever seen.
Peoria, AZ, St. Charles Borromeo
St. Michael Church: West Memphis, Arkansas
St. Ann’s Convent
I don’t think Kardinal’s pic is that bad. At least the tabernacle is in the center of the sanctuary which is always a plus, no matter the other aesthetic deficiencies. And, Mass can be said ad orientem if desired, another good sign.
Sigh… yes, we in the Diocese of Arlington have plenty of ugly Churches… but… We also have a great number of Orthodox, Holy Priests and faithful parishioners. Speaking as someone who’s also lived in a Diocese with beautiful Churches but heretical clergy and plenty of VOTF members, I’ll say I’m happy to take Arlington any day! Trust me, we’d be happy to have an awesome looking church handed down by our fathers in faith from the centuries of old, but… we got stuck with the 60-70’s. We make do with what we got. :) The good news is, soon all these churches will need renovations!
Well…my college’s basilica doesnt really have anything to cover…
:/
Nice to see St. Peter’s, Troy, where I hear Mass. Alas, the church is closing; the TLM is moving to St. Joseph’s.
Unfortunately, none of the statues where the church that I serve were covered. I think that it may have to do with that it seems like it would take about a week to do them all…
St. Louis, Batesville, IN
Mater Ecclesiae, Berlin, NJ
Franzjosf
I am horrified to hear that your beautiful, unwreckovated gothic church is closing. Why was that?
Given that one of your countrymen managed to move old London Bridge to Arizona, I wish someone had the money and vision to do the same with these beautiful churches.
Franzjosf, I’m horrified also. I’m so sorry. I hope someone snaps up that beautiful communion rail to insert elsewhere.
This is the way it was when I was young, we lost so much, I am happy it is finally returning, it made one think more deeply what lent was all about as we went to daily Mass, and would make visit.s to the Church during the wk.
St. John’s, Osgood, IN
Good God, what happened to all of the side altars? I would feel sick to my stomach if I was on the detail that had to rip those out.
Istvan–Side altars? You should have seen it before I put a high altar back in. The organ and piano were in the front and a trapazoid tabernacle was on a small table. What you see now is much better than before. As I say: racing forward to the tradition! In your charity pray for my parish. — Fr. SPW
St. Mary’s, Huntsville, AL
Sacred Heart Parish, Du Quoin, Illinois.
Holy Family Cathedral, Tulsa, OK
Here was a quick one from Old St. Patrick Oratory in Kansas City MO:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/slag02/3405678997/
St. Mary’s, Kalamazoo, MI
St. Ann’s, San Diego, CA
This is too fun.
First, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Guadalupe, CA
Then… what the kids did when they got home.
So… what is the lesson to be learned?
Father-that last one is classic! I love all the ‘old’ churches!
Franzjosef-I’m so sorry that St. Peter’s in Troy is closing.
Sacred Heart, in DuQuoin, IL. That’s where we were married!!!
Monsignor Jerome is awesome! He offers the EF once per month and has been for many, many years.
I really love that my church veils its statuary. The only problem is that the main crucifix now looks like a huge purple ghost.
The RC Church in my town in Central NJ has no statues, nor a crucifix. Each Sunday, the altar girls carry a large empty cross “walking to Calvary-style” up in front of the entrance procession ahead of the pastor. This is then set up to the right of the NO table. There are several large purple felt banners (blank) hanging in the sanctuary next to plant pots holding twisted dead tree branches (but they been there since right after New Years’…not sure if they’re permanent or for Lent. And for good measure, all nine female Eucharistic Ministers (don’t get me started on PROPER roles & responsibilities, much less accurate titles)process up as well. (I wish I was joking, but it’s April 2, so I’m just sad instead)
Astronomer: Sounds like St. Matthias…
I recognize St Leo’s in Fairfax! Don’t complain! That is the sanctuary AFTER they renovated the hideous one from the 1960’s!!!
LONG LIVE ARLINGTON DIOCESE CHURCHES…THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!!!!!
Traditional Anglican Communion – Chaplaincy of Saint Mary the Virgin
Please see http://pagesperso-orange.fr/civitas.dei/holyweek09.htm for photos of our chapel veiled in medieval English Lenten Array (we use the Sarum liturgy). We veil the statues from Ash Wednesday, not only for Passiontide. I veiled the crosses (high altar, Lady altar and Rood) for Passion Sunday.
Fr. Anthony Chadwick
I can’t remember what St. Leo’s looked like before, but that sanctuary definitely looks like an effort to improve whatever ugliness predated it.
Rich, I couldn’t agree more. Arlington is proof that faithful Catholics can flourish even in concrete boxes with Pizza Hut roofs. I have sensed in older dioceses that it is easy to take beautiful churches for granted when you have dozens of them.
It’s too bad we don’t own the worldwide beige paint consortium, isn’t it? We could save a mint.
I can only imagine what lies buried underneath all those square miles of whitewash. ARggh.
I took note of Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s inclusion of a photo of San Diego’s St. Anne Church Sanctuary. The church currently is being reconstructed. Much will be done by Holy Week — next week — and it will be a stunning improvement.
Since he arrived in San Diego last September our Pastor, Fr. Carl Gismondi, FSSP, has undertaken a massive reconstruction. The Altar was immediately moved back to its proper place. The footpace, the footpace and floor of the Sanctuary are now marble and a beatutiful marble Communion Rail has been erected. The Confessionals are being built along with a new Baptistry. A chronicle of photos will appaear on our website beginning next week.
Carl H. Horst, Sacristan
St. Anne Catholic Church
San Diego
Here’s a few from my parish St. Thérèse in Alhambra, Ca.