St. Francis de Sales Oratory, known to many as the Cathedral of South St. Louis, is a magnificent building which has allowed Catholics to glorify God for almost 150 years. Looking around for places to visit in St. Louis I was somewhat lost. On one hand, there are places of worship on nearly every block and congregations as diverse as the city itself. However, considering the fact that I do not live in the city and work on weekends, I figured it may be tough to find somewhere that would do this project justice. Although I have been to various worship services in the past, I was not interested in simply visiting a church to complete a project. I wanted to take this chance to really learn something while I could and embrace what different religious groups have to offer. Suddenly I came upon St. Francis de Sales oratory which is one of the only remaining churches that prays the traditional Latin mass. After a quick Google search, I found out that every first Friday at the Oratory there is a solemn High Mass at 6:30 p.m. which seemed perfect.
Upon arriving at the church I was blown away at the magnitude its size and not only the engineering, but also the artistry that was required to construct such a place. The European Gothic style architecture was immediately evident from the street as the pointed arched windows seemingly reached up to heaven. These stained glass windows once again made me pause to reflect on the craftsmanship and man hours that must have gone into its creation. Although I didn’t know much about the church itself other than what I had just seen, I was intrigued to learn more once inside.
Approaching the front of the church I walked up several steps to large wooden doors that must have been ten feet tall. Immediat...
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...s and the stability of the service pointed to a religious group dedicated to the preservation of tradition and opposed to any changes in what is believed to be divinely inspired work of God.
Lastly and possibly the greatest difference I noticed was the role of the priest. The priest was constantly faced toward the altar in reverence to God and in some ways seemed almost indifferent to the people gathered behind him. In other words, prayer to God was of the utmost concern which feels vastly different form the new Mass in which the priest faces his congregation and speaks to the people. I was extremely grateful for my time at St. Francis de Sales Oratory. Not only was I able to experience a wonderful celebration, but I walked away with a greater respect for all religious denominations after being a witness to the sincerity of the good people at St. Francis de Sales.
As I walked deeper into the gallery, I found myself walking through what looked like a church with pillars of stone, stained glass windows, ...
...entrance door and archway, that had and overwhelming impact on me, these over exaggerated entrance doors, were built to awe and act as the gateway to salvation, they succeeded. Upon entering the church, the saints were lined up and down either side of the church and were lustrously painted and adorned, the cathedral with its stained glass also elumeminated the church with bright sunlight that gave the church a peaceful and serene atmosphere. While viewing the church from the outside, you tend to fixate on the towers, and you tend to divert your view skyway. The massive Gothic church, really humbles you, the enormity and size are truly overwhelming. The ornamental gargoyle sculptures placed around and throughout the rooftops of the church, really feel as if they were alive and guarding the church.
... beauty and light in the building, they realized that the church must really hold the key to salvation, for they were able to construct a place so similar to the afterlife that many people longed for. It seemed almost as if Abbot Suger had visited heaven and created a physical representation in the Basilica of St. Denis.
While attending the Annunciation Orthodox cathedral’s high Mass, I think the church is beautiful, the architectures of the Church is fill with icons. The celebration is proper and formal. The singing and chanting are nonstop throughout the entire Mass including the constantly present of incense. The solemn procession that invited the faithful to participate in the celebration more
The religious site that I chose for my course assignment is the Church of Saint Raymond, a historical landmark. One could say that it definitely stands out boldly in the neighborhood that its located in which is the Castle Hill/ Parkchester proper in the Bronx. Growing up I frequently visited the church and was always astounded by its massive size and incredible architecture. Compared to the dimly lit parish of Santa Maria, which always smelled like wet wood (and still does), it always seemed unreal being inside. I was born and baptized a Roman Catholic, and became a parishioner of Santa Maria church located in the Zerega Avenue neighborhood of the northeast Bronx. I attended school, played on the basketball team, and was an altar server there as well. Santa Maria and St. Raymond’s always had a big rivalry when it came to the basketball season. Growing up I was fortunate enough to have attended several summers the “St. Ray’s” annual basketball training camps where I had the pleasure of meeting both college, and professional basketball players. Besides its beautiful and massive church, Saint Raymond’s has two separate elementary schools, one for boys and one girls, and a high school for boys. Its high school basketball team, “The Ravens” has a great reputation known on a national level. Another thing that I should not fail to mention is St. Raymond’s Cemetery, which is one of the busiest cemeteries in New York City. It is located in the north eastern part of the Bronx in a sector that in ranges from the Bruckner Expressway, Cross Bronx Expressway, the Hutchinson River Parkway and ends in Ferry Point Park by the Whitestone. It has an estimate of 4,000 annual burials.
If you are to ever travel to Helena, Montana. You will want to visit St. Helena's Cathedral. It is one of the sites that your trip wouldn't be complete without. Saint Helena's Cathedral was a an amazing feat of the time. It is a truly beautiful and astonishing sight to see from the breathtaking stained glass windows that uphold the tradition of telling biblical stories. To the majestic twin spires that reach nearly 230 feet in the air. This cathedral is a true marvel still at this day and age.
The church external appearance was quite different than other churches that I have seen. It was basically a big white stucco block with a gold dome on top and four decorated spikes on each corner of the building that surrounded the dome. The people of course were all Greek and were very well dressed. Most of the men and boys all wore suits, and If not they had some kind of vest on. I don’t know if this was some kind of rule or tradition, but it mostly seemed as a respect to God. The women all wore the basic dresses, and all the skirts fell down below the knee. Everybody was proper and ordered. As I walked in the church I entered a lobby of some kind. What I saw hear was something like social hour. Everybody was in there. They were all speaking Greek, and I felt as if I was in a family reunion party. The children were all together; the adults talked together and the young adults all were together. The way they all socialize is when someone comes up to say hello, they give each other a kiss on the cheek and a hug. These people are all very close to each other. It seems as if the church is the center of their lives. I admire that trait as well. To enter the auditorium you must enter this little room, which has a piece of garment from St. Constantine and St. Helen. Also there were candles lit. As they walked through this little room they lit a candle and knelt down for a moment to pray, and then touched each garment and made a cross over their chest.
Thesis: Both St. John the Baptist Cathedral and Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Chartres are constructed in French Gothic style which means that architecturally they have many similarities. However, the 700 year gap between their construction offers St. John the Baptist more flexibility in design and style. Still, their likeness and variations extend far beyond the realm of their design.
The structural and technical features of the story point towards a religious epiphany. The title of the story, as well as its eventual subject, that of cathedrals, points inevitably towards divinity. Upon first approaching the story, without reading the first word of the first paragraph, one is already forced into thinking about a religious image. In addition, four of the story’s eleven pages (that amounts to one third of the tale) surround the subject of cathedrals.
I observed the 11am mass at St. Jane Frances De Chantal Roman Catholic Church in Toronto, on Sunday 6, October 2013.
This cathedral was built during the Medieval Period for the worshipers of God. To this day pilgrims come to see the pure, Gothic cathedral. The massive cathedral seems to loom overhead as if a symbol of God watching over the worshippers that visit. The earlier church burned in 1194, it was rebuilt and has gained a much more appreciated and admirable character distinction, statuary, and stained glass. The distinct character of the thirteenth century was captured, through the “Age of Faith” period. The architecture is Gothic which was very popular in the 1200s. Gothic architects created a frame of support with columns and arches so that the walls no longer need to support the ceilings, but are freed up to hold windows. The Gothic structure allows for plenty of windows. Chartres has a significant collection of medieval stained glass, with over 150 early thirteenth century windows. The windows allowed sunlight to enter the dark, Gothic cathedral in order to highlight the story of Christ through the stained glass windows told throughout history to pilgrims alike. These windows create a spiritual and promising place for thought and prayer. Stained glass was used to help teach the stories of Christ to people that were illiterate during the medieval times. While most worshippers of that day were illiterate, comprehending the symbolism of the story of Christ in each of the windows was vital and gave meaning towards adversity during the medieval ages, as they struggled through their dark and dreary lives, which were filled with hopefulness, while viewing the story through the stained glass windows. The windows are also...
To begin with, the history of Christian church architecture is, obviously, a highly complex one, but it is important that one understands the evolution of the floor plans of Catholic churches to see how the changing shapes of churches reflects an extended analysis of Catholic belief and practice. According to Cunningham, the architecture of a church building was designed in a certain way and it had a certain
I enjoyed my time at Our Lady of the Highways Catholic Church. I learned many things that day. I was able to appreciate their different customs and see new things. Though Communion was something I knew was going to happen at the Catholic Church, I wasn’t really comfortable being there because I felt like I was intruding. It was something meant for their members of the Catholic Church so I just stood there watching them. It was a different experience for me, but I enjoyed it.
When I was a child I used to be frightened of entering such a place for it seemed so imposing and somewhat dangerous, especially when music was being played. One day, in order to keep a promise I had made, I saw myself forced to enter. It took me quite a while to get the courage to pass through the old oak door, but the moment I stepped in, I realized just how enchanting and breathtaking this building could be. Its fantastic architecture and exquisite frescoes reflect perfectly the unity between this earth and the unseen kingdom of angels in such a manner that one cannot say where one ends and the other begins. The way in which the church was built is also the vivid testimony of a medieval period. Although it is a place that can sometimes be cold and ask for respect it is where prayers are answered and magic is done. An overwhelming feeling of inner harmony takes over you once you enter and God seems much closer. Darkness and light are welded perfectly together creating Redemption’s house. The tower allows you to see the entire town from the smallest river to the biggest building site, offering you its mightiness.
I attended a Wesleyan church service in Sandy Lake as a religious event, and will comparing it to my normal church service of Christianity service in my hometown of Grassflat, PA. There were many aspects of the religious services that were different, such as the clothing worn, music sang, and setting. I also experienced many things that were unique to what I was used too. Many aspects of the service also appealed to me, while some parts of the service were unappealing to me. It also relates to many things that I have learned in Western Humanities thus far. Church services have went from a group setting to a more individualized approach to better fit the way people want to worship God.