Christians Under Siege in Mideast

 Icon representing the Coptic martyrs

Some sources for news and ways to help:

Catholic Near East Welfare Association

Aid to the Church in Need

Help Iraq

Patrick Keely Symposium in New York

On Friday, March 20, 2015, The Monuments Conservancy will present its 25th Symposium at the New York Marriott East Side, 525 Lexington Avenue, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 pm, to  discuss the life and legacy of Patrick Charles Keely.  Keely was one of the most influential church architects of late 19th Century America.  In the Diocese of Toledo, St Francis de Sales chapel in Toledo and St. Peter & Paul church in Sandusky were his designs.

This year's theme is "The Eucharistic Foundation of Patrick Charles Keely's Artistry."   For more information, call 212-764-5645 x10 or email symposium@nationalsculpture.org

Basilicas and More Basilicas

Pope Francis has named the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, Michigan, as a Minor Basilica.  Details HERE.

Somehow I missed several churches in Ohio being given the designation recently:

St John in Canton

St Mary of the Assumption in Marietta

Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Youngstown

Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in North Jackson (near Youngstown).

Our local basilica, Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, was given the title in 1971.

A list of all basilicas in the United States HERE.

Re-purpose . . .

The massive old brick smokestack at St. Joseph church in Tiffin will now serve as the structure for the radio antenna broadcasting St. John Paul the Great Radio (FM 103.3 WSJG-LP).

And speaking of radio -- Catholic radio personalities Marcus Grodi and Dr. Ray Guarendi will speak at the Toledo Men's Conference on Sat., March 14, 2015 at the SeaGate Centre.  Details HERE.

Other Blogs of Note

Check 'em out . . .

Roamin' Catholic Churches - photos of churches in Wisconsin, Chicago, other areas in Midwest:

http://roamincatholicchurches.blogspot.com/

Detroit Church Blog:

http://detroitchurchblog.blogspot.com/

Also, a helpful resource for architecture in Canada (1800 - 1950): 

http://www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/introduction

The Twin Church of Reed Assumption

Blessed Sacrament Church in Lawton, Oklahoma

The former Assumption church in Reed, Ohio, near Bellevue.

Recently a reader of this blog, Marilyn Landoll, sent along a fascinating story about a twin church of Assumption in Reed, that was built in Lawton, Oklahoma:

"It is my understanding that one of the original contributors to the building of the church [in Reed] was Jacob Landoll.  He later moved his family (12 children) to Lawton, Oklahoma.   Two of Jacob's sons, Phil and Albert, later traveled back to Ohio to review/copy (?) the building plans.  These two men helped to build a church in Lawton, called Blessed Sacrament.  It is amazing how similar the design and exterior of Blessed Sacrament is to Assumption ...  Family legend has it that when Phil was helping to build Blessed Sacrament, he put each brick into a bucket of water.  Those bricks that floated were rejected.  Nearly 100 years later, Blessed Sacrament is still solid!  Also, there are still Landoll's serving in the church and school at Blessed Sacrament in Lawton, OK."

According to a parish history of Reed Assumption, their church was designed by Erhard Brielmaier and Sons, architects of Milwaukee.  And on the Lawton Blessed Sacrament website, it says there may be a church in Kansas that used the same plans.

Many thanks to Marilyn for sharing this history!  

Joyful Noise: Art from Florence Cathedral

Coming to the Detroit Institute of Art in February 2015:  "Make a Joyful Noise:  Renaissance Music and Art at Florence Cathedral."  Details HERE.

Florence Cathedral.

Florence Cathedral.