Religion has been a central driving force in the world for the majority of history. There are many different religions that exist in the world today. In order for these religions to peacefully coexist, it is important that one becomes educated about any religion that may be foreign. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to attend a religious service for a religion that one may not be familiar with. For my religious site visit I realized that I wanted to attend a place of grandeur so I decided to visit St. Patrick's Cathedral in midtown. I had long wanted to visit this huge,majestic, building many times when I pass through the vicinity, but I never had the opportunity to until now. Now I was able to go as a student looking to gain insight into the Christian tradition. I visited the Cathedral on March 30,2014 for the 12:00PM mass. It was a relatively easy commute as the church is located on 50th street and 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan.
When I arrived, it was not difficult to locate the church since it was under renovation at the time. The outside appearance of the Cathedral was still majestic. There were a lot of arches which had the look of a Gothic style. The inside of the building is also under renovation as there is scaffolding around the marble pillars. These pillars are huge and stretch 330 feet into the ceiling. These majestic features have long contributed to the legacy of the church.
This is one of the many reasons why St. Patrick's Cathedral receives many tourists every day. The organizers of the church know this so they have a established a system for worshipers and for tourists alike. When you enter the building during the time of mass, one of the many security guards available at the time may ask you if you ...
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...He explained that it was allowing Jesus Christ into your body and incorporating God into your mind. I finally asked the man about his place in the religion. He replied that when he worships God, he feels a sense of righteousness. He told me that it was all about being at peace within yourself and being at peace with the world.
At the end of the service I reflected on what I had seen and heard. I was pleased with my decision to come to St. Patrick's Cathedral. I had learned much during my time there about the religion of Christianity. I also had many things explained to me which I had previously been ignorant of. While I shall remain a devout Muslim, it was an enlightening experience to be able to learn more about a religion which has existed in the world for thousands of years, and to understand why many of the people in the world today call themselves Christians.
When I got to the altar, it was then I was truly amazed at the beauty of this cathedral, and I wondered to myself, if the people outside only saw what was inside, it would make them think twice about throwing their garbage on the sidewalk in front of it. When I walked near the steps of the altar, it looked like the area was made for a king with the carpet, lighting, and all the artwork around it. It really did look like the throne of a king. I could literally feel the holiness of the cathedral once I stepped foot onto the altar. I felt like that the Trinity was in the cathedral at that point, and I also felt like the cathedral was the border for humanity and the divine.
The Basilica of St. Denis was originally built in 500-599 AD, but was later reconstructed by Abbot Suger in c.1135-1144. Although its original architect is unknown, it is most famous for its reconstruction that was overseen by Abbot Suger (Panofsky). This basilica is also well known for its representation of Europe’s architectural shift from the Romanesque style to Gothic. The Gothic style brought new designs and was dubbed the “transformat...
Saturday, November 30, 2013 marked the fourth night of Chanukah. It was also the day that my friend Brandon and I visited the Center for Jewish Life in Marlboro, N.J. According to the information I gathered from different online news articles, it is a fairly new reform Synagogue that opened its doors in another smaller location in 2004. The current site of the temple was the former Monmouth Worship Center. Rabbi Yossi Kanelsky, with the help of the members of the congregation, relocated to this 18,000 square foot building in 2011. The temple is currently located within a scenic community off of Route 79 surrounded by private homes. The Synagogue can accommodate more than 500 people and has 17 classrooms for various activities for both adults and children.
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
After walking inside and trying to first experience, the church, and all its beauty and ornateness, I began examining the floor plan and elevations of the cathedral. Grace Cathedral was build in a gothic style, which it represents in its architecture inside and out. There were three huge rose windows. One at the very top of the main entrance and one on either end of the transept. There wer...
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.
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.
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...
... curated community called, ArtSetters, that is focused on encouraging and promoting the artwork of local emerging artists to a global audience. For me, this lecture was in many ways very interesting. This type of lecture would for one never happen in a Catholic mass, but as well was very nice to see a congregation welcome back a member. Allowing Wyner to speak about her passion for art was inspiring as well an informative. It was refreshing to see a community supporting each other as the congregation welcomed Wyner and applauded her accomplishments. The service was let out after the finish of Wyner’s lecture. While some of the lay lefts shortly after, I noticed a good majority of the congregation stayed behind and talked with each other. The service at Temple Israel was an unlikely comforting and fascinating service that gave me a greater appreciation for Judaism.
The architecture of cathedrals, basilicas and abbey churches is more than a structure at a particular address but actually serves as one transmitter of the Roman Catholic faith. The buildings are characterized by their large scale and follow several traditions, functions and styles that were all established in the Constantinian period. Within the Roman Catholic church, the concepts of place and time have significant roles in the construction and architecture of any catholic church. The buildings, the space, decoration and everything inside and outside a building has meaning; everything is intentionally set up. How and when things get done is determined by time which is composed by a set of calendars and specific hours.
Welcome to St Paul’s Cathedral, London (2014) Explore the Cathedral. [Online] Available from: http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Cathedral-History/Explore-the-Cathedral [Accessed: 25th January 2014]
I also thought that I would instantly start doubting my practices and beliefs after attending this church. To my surprise, after this experience was over I still felt the exact same way about beliefs. The most enjoyable part of my experience would have to be the scenery of the church, from the marvelous baptismal font to the paintings in the windows. My least favorite part of my experience would have to be the sermon, and maybe it is because I am not use to listening to a short rushed through summary. It actually felt weird being outside of my comfort zone and being a “foreigner” at a different church. I cannot really say that this visit to this Catholic Church really affected me in any way, but I will say that this was a pleasurable experience to have in my
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.
For my observation trip, I decided to visit St. Ignatius Church in Oregon, Ohio. I visited a mass at 11:30 on Sunday November 19. I decided to visit a catholic church because my family has no religious background whatsoever, and I decided that I could go with one of my good friends that way if I need to ask questions, she was there to answer them for me.
I attended Mass at my local parish, the Parish of St. Francis de Sales, on Sunday, October 9th, in order to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist. This also happens to be the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time because the priest of the parish, Father Phan, wore green in order to symbolize life, anticipation for the coming of Christ, and hope. The liturgical season of Ordinary Time is also significant because it focuses on the fruits of Jesus’s three-year public ministry, his educational parables, and his extraordinary miracles. The season of Ordinary Time also serves as a reminder that the Church’s mission, our mission, is to not only share the life and hope of Jesus