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