Do you have a favorite church?

  • Thread starter Thread starter JohnPaul64
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JohnPaul64

Guest
I was wondering if any of you were like me on this. I belong to a church that is close to my home but I have a favorite church that I drive 15 miles out of my way to attend some masses there and lately I go to stations there. I am absolutely in love with this church. First off it was built around 1900. It was built at a time when this town was booming and was built along the lines of the old style cathedrals in Europe. It has the most beautiful stain glass windows I’ve ever seen. The front doors are all big wooden style doors. The wood work is fabulous especially the confessional doors and the alter is to awesome to describe. In the rear of the alter is a huge stain glass window with Jesus at the very top of the window and below the window is a row of statues across the back of Jesus and I assume the apostles surrounded by the most beautiful wood work. The ceiling is set up like the high ceilings in the cathedrals with stone arch pillars every so often. The lighting chandeliers hang off of chains at least 15’ down from the high ceiling. These high ceilings make the acoustics sound great. The stand where the readings are done is old style set off the the side with a set of steps going up to them so they are above the pews. The best part is the old pipe organ they have. It is old school and is set up on a balcony in the rear of the church and sounds awesome with the acoustics this church has.

I have gone to this church ever on and off ever since I was a child. This church is special to me also because it is the church of my deceased mother and grandfather. Its also a little different than my church now because when people go there it is silent before mass and more spiritual. Another thing is the way this church smells, I can’t describe it.

This church affects me so greatly that I tear up when I’m in there. I get chills up and down my back. Sometimes I think about joining this church and driving the extra distance.

Do any of you have a church like this that you go to other than your own church???
 
Well…my church has this amazing marble crucifix in the sanctuary, where the tabernacle sits at the foot of it. It’s a wonderful sight to see when meditating…this huge reminder of what Christ did for us.

Anyways, probably my favorite chapel I’ve ever been in is the one at the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration monastery in Clyde, Missouri. My aunt is a nun there, and you can see it at the link in my signature.

Here’s a link to their gallery (various pics of the chapel and the grounds):

Clyde, Missouri

I don’t know how good those pics are of the actual inside of the chapel…they don’t really show that. But it’s beautiful nonetheless.

😃
 
I checked the churches website but they really didn’t have any inside pictures of the church and the outside ones while spectacular don’t do it justice. If you are ever in Butler, Pa. Go to St. Pauls. That is the church.
 
I will have a particular favorite once it’s fully renovated. St. Ann’s a small parish in Charlotte, NC, is doing a top to bottom renovation - a GOOD renovation. Included will be gorgeous stained glass windows purchased from an old church in Pennsylvania.

Also, I would like to be able to attend Mass regularly at the beautiful Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, GA.

savannahcathedral.org/
 
FCEGM said:
I will have a particular favorite once it’s fully renovated. St. Ann’s a small parish in Charlotte, NC, is doing a top to bottom renovation - a GOOD renovation. Included will be gorgeous stained glass windows purchased from an old church in Pennsylvania.

Also, I would like to be able to attend Mass regularly at the beautiful Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, GA.

savannahcathedral.org/
Click to expand...
i used to live down the street from saint ann’s and my wife went there and to the school.
 
In St. Bernard LA I go to www.stbernard-stbla.com It has been redone and reopened following Hurricane Katrina. It is the third church on the grounds since the King of Spain gave the land to the parishioners in the 1700s. This has been my family church since the 1700s.

I also go to St. Patrick’s in New Orleans for Daily Mass - beautiful church. New Orleans has many beautiful old churches. In Conway AR I got to St. Joseph’s - like the Chapel which is the old part of the church. St. Boniface about 8 miles away is a small country chapel type of church which reminds me a bit of St. Bernard and Scared Heart in Morrillton AR is a nice community - church is of the newer design built in the 80s which I don’t like but the priest is very nice and I like his Mass. St. Joseph’s in Macon GA is also another beautiful old church - youngest son married there in 2002.
 
maize said:
i used to live down the street from saint ann’s and my wife went there and to the school.
Click to expand...
!! 🙂 Then you remember what an odd church it was. But it’s going to be lovely in about a year.
 
Holy Redeemer Parish…downtown Madison, WI

Unfortunetly, I don’t have any pictures to share. The altar is traditional with wonderful statues of saits, the blessed mother, and st. joseph and the Lord. The windows are very beautiful, especially when the sun rises in the morning. The floor is wood as are the pews. The communion rail is made of granite stone (i think). It’s my favorite church to visit when I’m in the area, especially the Tridentine Mass on Sundays.
 
FCEGM said:
!! 🙂 Then you remember what an odd church it was. But it’s going to be lovely in about a year.
Click to expand...
i never went in to it but ive heard. i was more enthralled with the church of the holy comforter down the street, always made me think of ragged bed coverings.
 
My favourite church is Sacred Heart in Wahgunyah, on the border of Victoria, Australia: I visited it once, and fell in love with it.

It’s a small weatherboard building, long enough for six or seven pews, and just wide enough to fit a couple more on the sides. Around one side, you can see beams propped against it to keep it from leaning over: the building has been there heaven knows how long. (I asked how old it was, and the man said he didn’t know, as they’d inherited it from the Anglicans when he was a child, and it had been around a long time even then.)

Because of its size, there are a couple of little eccentricities. For instance, when I arrived for Mass, a couple of people were debating whether to light the candles or turn the fans on this week, as the church is so small that the priest would be spattered with hot wax if they tried to use both. There’s a music stand instead of a lectern, so that it doesn’t block the aisle for people coming up to Communion. Also, if you want to come up to Communion, you have to raise your hand so that they can co-ordinate rows of people in the limited space.

It’s very pretty inside, and the locals are extremely proud of it. (After my name, the first thing I was asked when I entered was, “How do you like our church?”) There’s a larger, more elegant church a few kilometres across the border, but I smile every time I remember this old and eccentric little building, and that’s why it sprang into my mind when I thought about the different churches I’ve visited. It’s definitely my favourite.
 
Wow these are some great posts and beautiful churches. I just wanted to see if others had a special church that you go out of your way to attend. I went to mine yesterday morning for morning mass and confession and did the group rosary. It was a great way to kick off the weekend. I keep looking for pics of the inside of St. Paul’s but can’t find any online…maybe I’ll snap a few myself sometime.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top