More posts tomorrow.
Immaculate Conception, Old South End
If there's one thing about my parish church that could possibly have been done better, it's the windows. I've just never cared for that yellowish fawn color. ( The ones in the apse are almost orange. ) Still, they could be worse. The panels with pictures make up for a lot. This one is St. John. He's flanked by two smaller panels with flowers. The transept windows have much larger panels, one of the Resurrection and one of the Nativity. They're both first rate. In the apse are three windows. The center one has Our Lady and the ones on the sides show the Ark of the Covenant and a tabernacle.
Good Shepherd, East Toledo
The diocese seems to be well stocked with domes. The gables around the dome's base here are rather unusual. Look at the towers. They're possibly the best feature. The whole thing is a sort of Romanesque/Baroque hybrid. It works. I'm looking forward to getting inside this one.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Immaculate Conception, Old South End
This shrine is in one of the transepts. Msgr. Sawkins, the pastor for a good part of the 20th century, found the mosaic copy of one of Murillo's paintings of the Immaculate Conception in Rome.Immaculate Conception, Old South End
A slightly off-balance shot of the main doors. The ironwork is exceptional.Well Deserved Praise
I was pleased to see some very nice comments about Immaculate Conception Church at Toledo Perspectives .Our Lady of Consolation
Kevin Hammer sent a bit of news about the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation. Now, the Shrine is one of the Diocese's greatest treasures and I've been putting off any comment on it until I have more to say. Have you seen their WEBSITE? It's one of the best.
The veneration of Our Lady of Consolation started in Luxembourg in 1624. In the late 19th century, several reproductions of the original image were brought to the USA. This year, on May 19 and 20, several of these statues will be brought to the shrine, in Carey, for veneration and for a public procession. This strikes me as a very good idea. The world needs all the public displays of faith it can get. Contact the shrine for more information. For a good introduction to the history of devotion to Our Lady of Consolation, click HERE
The veneration of Our Lady of Consolation started in Luxembourg in 1624. In the late 19th century, several reproductions of the original image were brought to the USA. This year, on May 19 and 20, several of these statues will be brought to the shrine, in Carey, for veneration and for a public procession. This strikes me as a very good idea. The world needs all the public displays of faith it can get. Contact the shrine for more information. For a good introduction to the history of devotion to Our Lady of Consolation, click HERE
Saturday, January 20, 2007
On The True Cross
You may have noticed, particularly if you read my other blogs, that some things tend to get on my nerves. I'd have to say the worst offender is the habit that was rampant in the late 20th century of considering all our ancestors to be hopeless idiots because they didn't have the benefit of our superior intellectual powers. I won't comment, except to suggest you read the Summa Theologica and Catcher In The Rye. That ought to make it clear.Now, one of the most ridiculous examples is an old line you've probably heard. "There are enough relics of the Cross to make a whole forest of crosses." You've heard that one, haven't you? I've been hearing it for years and I've even said it on occasion. I omitted the sneer that usually accompanies it, however. Then I did something that has to be avoided like the plague if you want to hold on to nostrums of this sort. I started thinking about it. Stop and think about how much wood is in the average tree. Run with it and think about how much wood would be needed to make a forest. That's a lot of wood. In order for the existing relics of the True Cross to make a forest, there'd have to be a hefty chunk in every Catholic and Orthodox church in the world. There isn't. Get the picture?
I'm not generally dumb enough to think I'm the first to think about things like this, so I did some research. It seems the first to come up with this particular bit of horsehockey was an expert in inventing nonsense, the great John Calvin. Really unimpeachable source, that. He was modest about it. Didn't say a forest, just enough to fill a ship. It took later dimbulbs to exaggerate the estimate.
Back in 1870, a man named Rohault de Fleury wrote Memoire sur les Instrument de la Passion. He tracked down the existing relics and started figuring. The Cross would have been about three or four meters tall. Not much room for argument on that. Fleury estimated that its volume would have been about 178 cubic meters. Then he started estimating the size of all known relics of the Cross and started adding. They add up to about 4 cubic meters. Calvin's ship must have been the one that kept his rubber ducky company in the bathtub. We won't even think about the matchstick forest.
By the way, the picture is the largest surviving relic of the True Cross, at the monastery of San Toribio in Spain. Am I saying all the relics of the Cross are genuine? Probably not. But it's no more "scientific" to deny the possibility that some are genuine than to accept the lot without question. For more, click HERE
(Photo Credit)
Bishop Schrembs
This was the only picture I could find of Joseph Schrembs, Toledo's first bishop. That's surprising, since he was later Bishop of Cleveland and was made an archbishop.St. Joseph's School, Fremont
Most school buildings tend to be rather boring. The Toledo area bucks that trend. That cupola is actually rather well done.
St. Hedwig
The main altar. They've done a good job here. If you have to have those dratted banners, these are about the best I've seen. At least they're balanced.Blessed Sacrament, Toledo
Exceptionally nice for the time it was built. That arcade is a good touch. I'll have to get a close look at that window.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Now THIS Is A Mission Statement!
Take a look at Ubi Petrus, Ibi Eclessia. Scroll down the sidebar until you find the mission statement. Best one I've ever seen.
A Return To Common Sense
A quote from Duncan Stroik.
" Beauty is one of the most important things for us to rediscover. We have lived for a long time with people telling us, even architects telling us, what’s important is to have a building that’s functional, that’s liturgical, that expresses something, that seats enough people, that doesn’t cost too much — all these things. They hardly ever talk about beauty.For a Catholic, and for a Catholic building, beauty is essential, because first of all, God’s middle name is Beauty. And he, being in his creation, created great works of beauty that we are able to be stewards of. So, in our own way, we’re asked to imitate the creator in also creating beauty. So that’s the most important reason that we should build beautiful buildings — that it’s for God, it’s for his glory and it’s an imitation of him."
Hat tip to Rome of the West and the
Society of St. Barbara .
" Beauty is one of the most important things for us to rediscover. We have lived for a long time with people telling us, even architects telling us, what’s important is to have a building that’s functional, that’s liturgical, that expresses something, that seats enough people, that doesn’t cost too much — all these things. They hardly ever talk about beauty.For a Catholic, and for a Catholic building, beauty is essential, because first of all, God’s middle name is Beauty. And he, being in his creation, created great works of beauty that we are able to be stewards of. So, in our own way, we’re asked to imitate the creator in also creating beauty. So that’s the most important reason that we should build beautiful buildings — that it’s for God, it’s for his glory and it’s an imitation of him."
Hat tip to Rome of the West and the
Society of St. Barbara .
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Friday, January 12, 2007
Just What I Needed!
My award for the best blog post ever, along with a free lifetime subscription to The Roving Medievalist ( which is free anyway ), and my eternal gratitude, goes to ( drum roll, please ) The Western Confucian, for posting links to this You Tube thingummy. The links enable you to listen to the Bach B Minor Mass. Having had my first experience of You Tube, there's a lot of good material buried in the muck. Let's keep digging it out.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
A Magnificent Font
At St. Hedwig. Visit their WEBSITE and click on the "church interior" link. Beautiful!
Don't Believe Everything You Hear
There's a good article at the National Catholic Register about the growth in vocations. We tend to hear a lot of nonsense from the press. While we're at it, don't forget the Toledo Vocations Blog. It's very well done.
St. Augustine, in Napoleon
Very similar in design to Sts Peter and Paul but with Gothic details, instead of Romanesque. Their website is HERE.Amadeus Rappe
Fr. Rappe was the first priest in Toledo, before becoming the first Bishop of Cleveland.The Future of Church Design
Have a look at THIS, and be sure to click on the "Parish Photo Album". It's the website for St. Raymond's parish in Virginia. They've built a new church and it's beautiful. This is the going trend in design these days and a good thing it is. These people aren't clinging to the old-fashioned ideas of those who don't realize that the sixties are over. ( so are the seventies, for that matter ) The days of churches looking like banquet halls are over. Benedicamus Domino!
This Is Interesting
There's a new blog called Art Solidarity . The last few posts are about the restoration of a magnificent mural of the Crucifixion. It was painted over and almost ruined back in the dark days when nonsense like that was the order of the day. Take a look at the pictures. It's amazing.
Another Good Website
The website for St. Rose, in Perrysburg, isn't bad at all. The first thing you notice is the picture of the church, and it's inviting. The main page has all the information you're most likely to need. Another good idea, they post the homilies. Good job.
Toledo Bishops
Karl Joseph Alter. A Toledo native who was bishop from 1931 to 1950, when he became Archbishop of Cincinnati. For a short biography, click HERE.Saturday, January 6, 2007
Organ Music at the Cathedral
I've taught myself to post videos from You Tube. There's one of Stephen Tharp playing the organ at the Cathedral posted at The Roving Medievalist. You might enjoy it.
For Epiphany: Part 2
This carving of the adoration of the Magi is from a 4th ( yes, that's 4th, not 14th ) century sarcophagus found in the catacomb of St. Agnes. It's in the Pio-Clementine Museum, at the Vatican.Lourdes College
I've been in Toledo for almost a year, but I still haven't had a chance to take a good look at Sylvania. Judging by this LINK provided by Kevin Hammer, I'll have to correct that soon. The chapels look very well done.
Good News
Did you see the fifty-six pictures of men and women getting ready for the priesthood or the consecrated life, that were published in The Chronicle? Very reassuring. It's too bad things like this get lost in the usual run of attacks and general snottiness we get from the other newspapers in town.
Another Good Website
Have a look at THIS. Well done. Be sure to look at the "image gallery" in the history section.St. Patrick's has some of the best stonework in Toledo. The design is rather unusual to begin with. For example, notice the way the roofline is handled on the facade and and the corner butresses on the tower. I like the dormers on the roof, too. Let's hope their plans for rebuilding the spire are successful.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
An Excellent Website
I may have found the best parish website in the diocese. It belongs to St. Peter's, in Mansfield. The building and the website are fantastic. There's a link to a page on the parish history that's better than anything I've seen. There's also a Sacred Art page, but the links that it mentions don't seem to be there. You'll notice the murals in the picture. They're all that could be salvaged after a fire. The artist was John Bernat, who also did some work at St. Stephen's in East Toledo. Be sure to look around this website. They've really done a good job.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Bravo! To St. Joseph's in Maumee.
I just found their WEBSITE. There are a couple reasons to celebrate. First, even though they're building a new church, they're still going to maintain the old one. The other is a quote about the new building project. " Will the new church look like a Catholic church?
Yes! This was a request that parishioners repeated again and again—inside the public meetings and outside—as well as a requirement of the bishop. Despite the many changes our campus plan has undergone, this idea has always been at the forefront of our considerations." Good for the parishioners, good for the pastor, and good for Bishop Blair! Over the last few decades there has been too much of an attempt made to turn churches into something looking more like, to use King James Bible language "whited sepulchers". This has been pushed to accomodate certain "mandates of Vatican II". As time went on, people realized these supposed mandates never existed and the whole thing was being pushed by a few liturgical revolutionaries, without the Church's sanction. I'll look forward to seeing the new design. Hint to the parish: Post it on the website.
Yes! This was a request that parishioners repeated again and again—inside the public meetings and outside—as well as a requirement of the bishop. Despite the many changes our campus plan has undergone, this idea has always been at the forefront of our considerations." Good for the parishioners, good for the pastor, and good for Bishop Blair! Over the last few decades there has been too much of an attempt made to turn churches into something looking more like, to use King James Bible language "whited sepulchers". This has been pushed to accomodate certain "mandates of Vatican II". As time went on, people realized these supposed mandates never existed and the whole thing was being pushed by a few liturgical revolutionaries, without the Church's sanction. I'll look forward to seeing the new design. Hint to the parish: Post it on the website.
