Mystery Church

Moving to sadder things at the end of Guadete Sunday, here is a church that represents the sens of pathos that is in an undercurrent on this blog. Traveling along Rt 50 on a rainy and cold Thanksgiving morning, I saw the remains of an old town or neighborhood, peaking out of the valley between two hills. Amongst the old buildings my attention became riveted by a large steeple.   The church, a tall building towered over the rest  of the valley as it rested partway up a hillside.   As I drew closer the extent of its dereliction became clearer, but I could find no trace of its name

http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/UnknownChurch#


Once again however the  Catholic Telegraph agency comes through ( near the bottom).
http://tctphotos.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html

The Church is the old Our Lady of Perpetual Help (I am rather fond of that image) it sits in the old Sedamsville neighborhood of Cincy.

From there I found more, but disturbing information
http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,17276.0.html

Apparently the stain glass windows are still in the building, with some pieces of them lying on the floor.

"Ha'nacker Hill is in desolation, ruin atop and a field unplowed,
spirits that call on a fallen nation , spirits that loved her calling aloud"
"the sweep have fallen from the Ha'nacker Mill"

St Rosa Kirche

 As far as I know, this church is still loved and attended.  I first encountered it after being lost in Cincinnati around midnight for several hours after having lost track of US 52 coming into town. Upon finding it and heading out of town I was struck by a spire and clock rising up out of the darkness.  I felt greatly comforted by its sight, it was like a huge guardian or sentinel pointing the way.  I went back to investigate it later..... not till the third visit did I actually arrive when it was open, (on a 1st Saturday in time for Mass.... the old priest then sat after Mass for a good 30 minutes hearing confessions). I now see it as a last vestige of some of the great German Churches that used to dot Cincinnati's skyline (a  few others remain, but the likes of St Philomena and St Mark's I believe are gone).

Not being a native Cincinnatian, I have to rely on outside source for info about it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Rose_Church_%28Cincinnati,_Ohio%29

I wish I could convey to you how I first saw it, but I have no picture....... and I am not sure one could really do it justice.  That being said, here are some pictures  of the exterior and interior

http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/ForFB#

 The windows are simple for such a large church, but good, a reflection perhaps of a less affluent parish by comparison to other older Cincinnati churches. The interior is decidedly superior to most modern churches.  I saw it after having visited the cathedral in Covington and the Mutter Gottes Kirche, so it seemed much more humble.  Having seen it both towering and humble I am fond of this church either way and I am happy every time I see it passing along 52, and I think of it every time I see the Ohio River Bi-way signs which depict a church steeple overlooking the river.

St Philomena (on Stonelick Creek)

I admit I have been remiss at posting, but this is a labor of love so one should not attempt it halfheartedly.  I have recently returned form a trip through Covington, Kentucky and southwestern OH.  There were several churches of note, but today we will focus on St Philomena.  The church sits aside Stonelick Creek, not to far above OH 50. It sits  on Stonelick-Williams Corner Road, one of those wonderful hyphenated OH roads, which by their name very succinctly inform one which two hamlets the road connects, but which always accomplish the connection in a seemingly indirect and decidedly rural fashion.   The parish is an old German foundation, with the present structure dating form the 20s.   While some of the family lines have recently died out, others are still present at the parish and in fact sit in the same seats as their fore bearers.  ( Yes the pews do in fact have the names discretely appended.)  Unfortunately, the high altar has been removed. Strikingly though, after talking with one of the locals who showed us the church, we learned that more than a few are dissatisfied with the results of 60-70S "renovations".  There is a push to move thing back to the way they were, or failing this, to replace some of the more offensive features, with improved wooden furnishings, in some cases hand carved by a parishioner.  The present wood altars replaced an unsatisfactory Formica altar.   The windows are simple colored glass, with religious symbols in medallions, fitting for a small rural church.  The statuary, particularly St Philomena, is well done.   I will also include some photos of photos showing both the original interior, and the parishioners building the present day structure.

http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/10210GStPhilomena# 
http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/72310StPhilomenaStonelick#


It is actually the oldest parish in Clermont County. For more information, you can also check the website for St Philomena and its partner (cluster) parish of St Louis.

http://home.catholicweb.com/stlparish/index.cfm/about

Reccomended Blog.... and I think I cannot reccomend it enough

I was looking into Cincy area churches for a photo trip I may soon take,and stumbled upon a wonderful resource...

 The Catholic Telegraph photography Project has just sky rocketed up the list of my favorite websites.... With photos and details of things long past, it is a window onto an older Cincinnati of which I can only dream... I am probably going to link to this and other blogs for some photos and a post on the splendid German churches that used to dominate the old Cincinnati... Some of these demolished in the name of "urban renewal" or to build an interstate....What in the hell were people thinking?   Did they really make the neighborhood better by destroying such beauty?

Old St Bernard's

So I have been derelict in my web posting..I am trying to get back to speed.  Today's subject is a dear subject, perhaps one that ultimately inspired this site.  I have never been to Mass at St Bernard's and have only been in the building once, after it ceased to function as a Catholic Church.   As is apparently more common in rural Illinois, the church served a township, as opposed to being attached directly to a particular town.  The building still sits along Illinois 17. The Church was a home to the people of Sunbury Township. From anecdotal evidence, second and possibly third hand, I heard of stories of this church in its livelier days. Though the account was limited, it is quite striking.  Imagine this church rising out above snow covered fields on Christmas Eve, the bells peeling for the midnight Mass.  In the distance, bells on the sleighs of the approaching parishioners answer back to church bell....  wonderful thought isn't it.. On first considering the fate of St Bernard a poem started to take shape in my mind.  Here it is

She came to this by practical men
Swift with the paper and nimble with pen.
A dishonest scale has left her alone
Paper and coin outweigh spirit and stone.

Her altar, her very heart, sadly now lost
Few the living souls who tend to her repose
Green steeple red bricks, scoured by wind
Grey roof, a tombstone on which lichen now grows

Old St Bernards by the roadside is left
Of all affections, save memories and ghosts, bereft
She stands solemnly still among Sunbury fields
Forgotten by men, to times advances she yields

Oh that she might yet reply to wandering bells
on a holy and white winter's eve bloom  again.
Yea that we would favor the fiery folly of faith
Not the  pale providence of practical men

Now churches must be closed on occasion I suppose... but their loss or worth just cannot be measured by mere economics  Being "practical" is often confined to  precisely to economics.  Men who make decisions based on economics alone are often being honest to themselves by the narrow rules of coin, but the scales they use to judge things, which see only economics, are dishonest or at least blind... they simply do not  take into account all the factors.  As is the custom  here are additional pictures, there are few of the inside , which is barren, but being cleaned up.

http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/82210StBernard#5512406639266313058

http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/82909OldStBernardNearBudIL#
The image of the ship of the church crossing rough seas seemed particularly apt on this visit.

St Mary of Immaculate Conception - Kankakee, IL

ST. MARY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH
Taken from the Church Bulletin, March 5, 1989.
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church, Kankakee, will close
permanently March 4, 1989. The sacramental books will be transferred to St.
Rose of Lima Parish, Kankakee. In this way, parishioners who were baptized,
confirmed, married, or had relatives burled from Immaculate Conception will
still be able to obtain records of that event with a minimum of inconvenience.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
(Taken from http://www.kvgs.org/theakiki/tkkv19n2.pdf)

 St Mary was the church for the German immigrants to the region, (which, though principally French, had a significant population of Irish, and Poles as well).  The structure depicted her is the 1901 building which replaced an earlier 1900 version which fell casualty to a fire. Kankakee grew up largely due to the arrival of the Illinois Central Railraod (now owned by the Canadian National).

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilkankak/history/k3hist06/k30615.html 


The source also notes that...

"The Catholics of Kankakee display remarkable activity in their literary and dramatic clubs, and in their social and religious organizations for men and women. The Club Français and the Knights of Columbus are two very thriving societies. The Union of St. Joseph, the Foresters and the Lady Foresters are also successful religious and charitable organizations, and have courts in all of the important parishes of the county. The college and convent education which a large portion of the younger generation enjoy in Kankakee and Bourbonnais renders them amenable to promoting and actively participating in dramatic and musical entertainments of the highest order, as well as keenly appreciative of the monthly lectures in English or French given yearly during the winter season."


One hopes that overall community is still as vibrant, though it is obvious that St Mary fell on hard times. I am trying to give a mix of scenarios in my recent posts: churches that are thriving, churches alive but in peril, churches that are closed, and we shall even  yet see if you will, churches that no longer exist.   I must break from the custom of internal shots, for I have none.  If by any means I can obtain some, I will certainly append them to this post, or revisit this church in a subsequent post. Here are a few external images


http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/61109Kankakee#5506765642244534770

Living Faith

Just in case you should think that this blog is a mere exercise in amateur architecture or aesthetics, my compatriots and I who love beautiful Catholic churches also love the practice of the Faith.  Our Parish,danke sei Gott, has just completed its 4th annual Pilgrimage in honor of the Assumption.  No we are not rivaling Częstochowa or Chartres, but we are trying.   Here is a link to some photos thereof....
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=73428&id=1357834840

Here, as well, is a snippet of music from our lovely choir.... No I am not it and it ( the choir) probably does not know of this blogs existence just yet... but God be praised, they are good.

http://www.facebook.com/doc.meadows58?v=app_2392950137#!/video/video.php?v=1167630475092

Sacred Heart - Fowler, Indiana

The town of Fowler, being named after one Moses Fowler, is the county seat of Benton county, a northwestern county in Indiana which is home to excellent farm land, and more recently wind-farms 1. Such prosperous farm country has, in my experience, been a good indicator of a classic rural Catholic church in the vicinity.  There is in fact such a church, Sacred Heart, which unlike many rural parishes the church still has an attached school.   The church itself, though largely intact with respect to the exterior, has not fared as well internally.  A "renovation", no doubt in the post Conciliar period of reckless exuberance, deprived  the church of  its orignial order (high altar and side altars.)   A considerable amount of empty space in the front of the church is conspicuous.  What appears to have been all or part of the main altar and reredo has been moves to the left of the later and serves as the tabernacle.  The dome atop this tabernacle/altar hints at a much richer interior beauty prior to the renovation.   Other interior features such as the vaulted ceiling and stations of the cross are intact and attractive.  Residuals of one of the sides altars remains on the right side of the main altar, along with a very ornamental ( though not elevated) pulpit, which is either original or contains parts of an original altar or pulpit. (I will have to seek further information to resolve this uncertainty.)  While the parish is still active, the clustering of this parish with a nearby church at Oxford and the nature of the renovations raise the question as to how well Catholics of the golden age, which this blog honors, would recognize and or approve of the present state of the the church building and the Church.   It is said that those who saw the second temple in Jerusalem wept over it,  in comparison to the great temple of Solomon.  I cannot help but think of this when I see "renovated" churches.  In fairness, but unto greater sadness, Sacred Heart at Fowler is not alone in this experience, nor has it alas fared the worst.

As always here are photos from the interior... Pay particular attention to the carved dome and to the unfortunate amount of open space at the front of the church.

http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/82909SacredHeartFowler#



1)   http://www.townoffowler.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=33  

Church Closings

Seems important to what my blog is about, and the Papist ( Mr Peters) always has good info

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&tid=1444630249715#!/americanpapist

for those of you who do not Facebook
http://www.catholicvoteaction.org/americanpapist/index.php

it concerns church closings and their effects I believe (though he has not written the post yet.)

St John the Baptist -L'erable

The town, a very small one at that, derives its name from the French word for maple tree.  A very good (as I can tell) synopsis of the origins of French Catholic settlement in the Kankaee river valley of Illinois is given at the following locations.

 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilkankak/history/k3hist06/k30615.html
http://www.lib.niu.edu/2005/iht1220528.html

Much of the early work can be attributed to the work of a Father Charles Chiniquiy, who set about steering expatriated French-Canadians from the towns of New England  (Chiniquy proposed to turn these French-Canadian migrants away from the towns of New England, which were the "tombs of all that is dear to a Canadian: his religion, his language, and his nationality,"  (quote taken from 2nd reference www.lib.niu.edu......etc..) While the unfortunate Father Chiniquiy eventually came to grief over disputes with his Bishop and later became an apostate, laying some ground work for the "Chick tracts" of today ( may God have mercy on them both), the work of French priests in the Kankakee river valley bore fruit. As with German-Americans, the use of the mother tongue is, unfortunately, largely lost.  Still, the Catholic presence remains alive and well.  The Church at L'erable is an excellent example.  One of the oldest all wood structures in Illinois, it is, unlike the Ha'nakcer Mill, not abandoned.   Though it is locked most of the time, the parishioner are proud of and love their church, and it was through their agency that we were allowed a glimpse of the inside.   The reredos and and original paint scheme of the church are preserved and parishioners are making efforts to restore the stained glass windows as well.  The church contains a very uncommon representation of Our Blessed Mother known as Our Lady of the Spindle, likely an allusion to the excellence which would have pervaded all  Our Lady's affairs, even the simplest house work.  There was a school at the site, now derelict, whose name escapes me, and a churchyard full of old headstones which bear witness to the French-Canadian and Belgian roots of many of the early Catholics. Although the loss of the school, and the fall of Fr Chinquiy cloud the otherwise pleasant memory, the Church at L'erable is alive and though perhaps a little more distantly, is still in touch with the glorious age of American Catholicism which this blog holds in memory.  As you may expect, here are some pictures of the location.

http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/101009StJohn#

Catch-up

Sorry I have not posted any churches for the assumption pilgrimage, but I was on a ~30 mile pilgrimage in honor of the Assumption. I may post some pictures of this endeavor.. Most likely though, the next church is at L'erable.

St Stephen (of Hungary) - Streator, Illinois

The last in our series of the Streator parishes, and perhaps the one most likely survive consolidations.   The church was built not so much for Hungarians as for the large Slovak population that existed here at one time.  ( I believe there is still a notable presence of Slovakian-Americans in the area.)  The Church has both its main and side altars intact.  In addition to the stained glass windows and altars, St Stephen has at least two notable frescoes, one depicting St Stephen offering the crown of the kingdom to Our Blessed Mother.  I  was actually fortunate enough to attend Holy Mass in this church on one of my trips.   The only thing that puzzles me is a sort of neon-lighting as back-lighting around the side altars.  This should be visible in the interior pics.  As with Immaculate Conception, I am still looking to take better whole-building exterior shots.


http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/82909StStephenStreator#

Immaculate Conception -Streator, Illinois

Built in what appears to me to be a sort of mission revival style architecture, this Church, located near a park in downtown Streator served the needs of the the Irish-American Catholics.   If current consolidation plans go through it will be closed on September the 29th.  What will become of the building, I do not know.   While the main sanctuary seems to lack a classic high altar, the Church has several attractive features.   The general layout of the church is pleasant and the blue ceiling adorned with golden star motifs reminds one of what Pope Benedict the XVI might call the cosmic nature of the Sacrifice of the Mass.  The stained glass is very good.  Details such as the feet of Our Lord being visible under water in the Baptism window are quite impressive.   The encounter of Jesus with the rich young man is also striking.  I do not have an overall shot of the church exterior, something I hope to remedy on a trip to Streator in the next few weeks As is my custom, additional (primarily interior) images are given below..

http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/82909ImmaculateConceptionStreator#

St Philomena

On the new calendar today is the feast of St Claire, but it was also the feast of St Philomena on the the old calendar (pre-1961 I believe). In her honor, we present the church of St Philomena in Oak Forest, Indiana.  Sitting near  Pump House Rd in the hills of southeastern Indiana the is church, once diocesan, it is now cared for by the FSSP.  The church was, if I recall correctly, changed to St Cecilia in the later half of its diocesan period, owing perhaps to her removal form the Roman calendar.  ( I still pray for her intercession regularly, no slight against St Cecilia intended.)Though the community is small, I can personally verify that their is good attendance (composed in no small part of young families) at the Sunday High Mass.   The walls are extensively decorated with paintings.   The namesake saint is represented by both a painting on the reredo of the high altar and by a large statue in the rear of the church. Images of the interior are given below.   Not many photos of the stained glass are included. they are of a simpler type common to country  churches.  they generally have small holy images at the top of  each window.

http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/71810StPhilomena#

Ha'nacker Mill

I suppose I really ought to post the poem from which the blog derives its name

Ha'nacker Mill 

Sally is gone that was so kindly,
Sally is gone from Ha'nacker Hill
And the Briar grows ever since then so blindly;
And ever since then the clapper is still...
And the sweeps have fallen from Ha'nacker Mill.

Ha'nacker Hill is in Desolation:
Ruin a-top and a field unploughed.
And Spirits that call on a fallen nation,
Spirits that loved her calling aloud,
Spirits abroad in a windy cloud.

Spirits that call and no one answers --
Ha'nacker's down and England's done.
Wind and Thistle for pipe and dancers,
And never a ploughman under the Sun:
Never a ploughman. Never a one.

Hilaire Belloc 

thanks to poem hunter....... http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ha-nacker-mill/

St Anthony Church at Streator, Illinois.  There are three classic churches in Streator.  I went there to engage in another hobby of mine, the watching trains. (The old ATSF line still runs through Streator, though now under the BSNF banner.)  We discovered these churches after talking to locals.  As was common the parishes developed largely along ethnic lines. St Anthony served the German and Italian-American in the city. Unfortunately these churches may soon be gone, casualties of consolidations brought on by a rapid decline in the number of priests in the Peoria diocese. Streator like many Midwestern towns has endured a loss of manufacturing jobs and subsequent economic and demographic declines.One would hope they would just shutter the buildings, perhaps even temporarily, rather then demolish them. Here are some links on the situation

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=316614218852

http://www.cdop.org/post/PostArticle.aspx?ID=1691 

The interior is also splendid. The high altar is magnificent, the stained glass excellent, and statues of the twelve apostles crown the  pillars of the church.

http://picasaweb.google.com/DocMeadows85/82909StAnthony#5504160435345139986 

A Different Take

My last blog seemed so disappointing, that even I seldom visited it.   The construction was faulty, the vision unclear and the title utterly prosaic.  Tradition and Treasure... Blargh!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot help of think of that horrible cliche of time, talent, and treasure one always hears at diocesan appeals..  I needed both a clarification of what I was trying to focus on with this blog and a title that would really sing.  For those who are familiar with my reading preferences, the title will need no explanation.   For the rest, I shall explain.  The line is taken from Ha'nacker Mill, a poem by Hilaire Belloc. The piece describes the loss of rural England, as the Industrial Revolution took its toll. The mill from, which the poem derives its name, had fallen into disrepair and stood as a symbol of the decay and death of a culture, a way of life.  Like the Ha'nacker Mill, many glorious Catholic churches from the late Nineteenth Century have fallen on hard times. They have been disfigured, disused, disdained, and even demolished ... the travails arising from a toxic mix of population shifts, economic decay, misrepresentations of the Second Vatican Council, and a general vulgarization  of modern culture.   Fortunately not all these gems have been lost or mauled, and there are if you will some spirits who still love them and who still hear their call.  This blog is a remembrance of these monuments and the culture which produced them.  I shall try initially to post photos of  a particular church every day or so.   When many churches have been addressed (and when my knowledge of architecture has been somewhat fortified) I shall endeavor to make comparisons of pattens, and to address how these churches were a manifestation to the glory of the Faith in every little detail.  Some of the churches pictured may not last much longer, so it is almost with a sense of urgency that I endeavor to document them and to make them known, known to those spirits who might still love them and the vibrant orthodoxy which they embody.