A tribute to the treasure trove of ecclesiastical art and architecture in the Diocese of Toledo.
Monday, May 5, 2008
A Thought
Do you realize it would be quite possible to write a short book just on the metalwork on church doors, in Toledo? This one's at Immaculate Conception and the one below is at St. Paul's Lutheran, Downtown.
Quite striking! I don't know where on the building that's at, but I find myself wondering if perhaps an old door was salvaged and re-used in the newer construction ...
Perhaps there was some intent in the minds of the builders to incorporate the metaphors of Holy Writ into the physical structure of our houses of worship?
The remarkably pliant shapes that the ironwork are wrought into inspired me to this pious thought, considering the Easter verses of Isaiah 45:2 "ego ante te ibo et gloriosos terrae humiliabo portas aereas conteram et vectes ferreos confringam"
["I will go before thee, and will humble the great ones of the earth: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and will }.~.> burst the bars of iron <.-{
Perversely, I can't help speculating on how some of the older members of that congregation would respond to your scriptural quotation in Latin! Especially referring to "their" church.
If you mean Immaculate Conception, they're used to it. We have a bit of Latin at Mass during Lent, and a lot of the older ones are regulars at the monthly Tridentine Mass. I can think of one or two who might not be pleased, but they know a lost battle when they see it.
Do you realize it would be quite possible to write a short book just on the metalwork on church doors, in Toledo? This one's at Immaculate Conception and the one below is at St. Paul's Lutheran, Downtown.
That door must be much newer than the ironwork. The church has been through several remodelings. A surprising find.
ReplyDeleteQuite striking! I don't know where on the building that's at, but I find myself wondering if perhaps an old door was salvaged and re-used in the newer construction ...
ReplyDeleteThat would be my guess. It's on the front door, which doesn't look all that old.
ReplyDeletePerhaps there was some intent in the minds of the builders to incorporate the metaphors of Holy Writ into the physical structure of our houses of worship?
ReplyDeleteThe remarkably pliant shapes that the ironwork are wrought into inspired me to this pious thought, considering
the Easter verses of Isaiah 45:2
"ego ante te ibo et gloriosos terrae
humiliabo portas aereas conteram et vectes ferreos confringam"
["I will go before thee, and will humble the great ones of the earth:
I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and will
}.~.> burst the bars of iron <.-{
God Bless!
clare,
ReplyDeletePerversely, I can't help speculating on how some of the older members of that congregation would respond to your scriptural quotation in Latin! Especially referring to "their" church.
If you mean Immaculate Conception, they're used to it. We have a bit of Latin at Mass during Lent, and a lot of the older ones are regulars at the monthly Tridentine Mass. I can think of one or two who might not be pleased, but they know a lost battle when they see it.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey, my apologies. I was referring to the Lutherans, not Immaculate Conception.
ReplyDelete