Most Beautiful Church

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We’ve had an ugly church thread, how about a beautiful church thread? I’ll start:
  1. Canterbury Cathedral (used to be ours).
  2. Westminster Abbey (used to be ours).
  3. Westminster Cathedral (actually ours).
I saw them all on my trip to London 13 years ago. I haven’t seen a pretty church since.😦
 
St Matthew the Apostle- Washington, DC

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception- Washington, DC

Old St. Mary’s- Washington, DC

Maria Maggiore- Rome

Church of San Clemente- Rome

Maria Sopra Minerva- Rome

St Peter in Chains- Rome

St. Andrew’s- Roanoke, Va

My church, Sacred Heart, in Charleston, WV isn’t so bad either
 
Some day, I hope to see St. Sophia (Hagia Sophia – “Divine Wisdom”). It is temporarily in Muslim hands. 😦
 
Our lady Queen of the Universe Shrine in Orlando

Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh

St. Peter in Chains, Cincinnati

Cathedral in Baton Rouge (can’t remember name, we stop there on the drive down to TX)
 
[Poland] Go down the page to click on the pictures to enlarge. Just renovated!

Czestochowa

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska The Pope’s favorite boyhood shrine, which is about 5 kilometers from his boyhood home, Wadowice.

There are many more but I can’t post all of them here.
 
Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna.

Haiga Sophia in Constantinople

Brompton Oratory in London

New Cathedral in St. Louis, MO

Corpus Christi Parish in Manhattan

Chapel of the Monastery of Mt. Saviour, near Elmira, NY

Hofskirche in Dresden

Chartes Cathedral
 
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katherine2:
Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna.

Haiga Sophia in Constantinople

Brompton Oratory in London

New Cathedral in St. Louis, MO

Corpus Christi Parish in Manhattan

Chapel of the Monastery of Mt. Saviour, near Elmira, NY

Hofskirche in Dresden

Chartes Cathedral
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I was hoping someone would mention Hagia Sophia! What was it like, Katherine?
 
Notre Dame de Paris.
Church of Our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk), Brugges, Belgium.
Wincester Cathedral.
York Minster.
Westerkerk (West Church) , Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
St. Paul’s, Mechanicville, NY.
 
JKirkLVNV said:
3) Westminster Cathedral (actually ours).

I saw them all on my trip to London 13 years ago. I haven’t seen a pretty church since.😦
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Westminster Cathedral? The inside has some nice points but the exterior looks like licorice allsorts. westminstercathedral.org.uk/art/art_tour.html

Maybe I just don’t relate to adaptations of Byzantine architecture; I am not fond of the U.S. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception either. nationalshrine.com/site/pp.asp?c=etITK6OTG&b=106948
 
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JKirkLVNV:
I was hoping someone would mention Hagia Sophia! What was it like, Katherine?
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Well, since you ask!!!

First, I was on a group tour. But you know me, I tend to be a little independent.😉 So I did some research before my trip and found out the Istanbul Music Festival was taking place at the time of our visit. Its too complicated to explain, but I managed to get tickets to one of the performances for my traveling companion and I. The concert was in Haiga Sophia. When our group arrived in Istanbul, our guide met us at the airport and, well, again you know me, she and I start jabbering about various things. She went over our intinery and mentioned we had tomorrow evening free. I told her I was going to the concert at Haiga Sophia. She absolutely refused to believe it. I told her we had tickets. She insisted we must be mistaken. They never do private events at Haiga Sophia and the Music Festival tickets are almost impossible to get she said.

Well, she was wrong. We went to the concert and it was like the Academy Awards – red carpet, limos, tv cameras and lights, ladies in long dresses, men in black tie and two old dames from America!!!

Seeing the church at night and without the tourists milling around was a thrill. I went back later during the day time, but it was nothing like this experience. The flickering of lights off the walls was fantasic. The size of the place is unbeleivable. And in this atmosphere you could almost think you were hearing the priests singing the liturgy. The performance was on the upper level and during intermission we had free run of the place.
 
Defensor Fidei:
Cathedral at Pisa.

The Basillica at Assisi

You can see my pilgrimage on my website:

signumcrucis.net/pilgrimage.htm

I have lots of pictures. It is in a multiple linked web page format with commentary.

-Ted
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Impressive photos and an impressive website! We share a favorite prayer (I’m having a portion of it carved on my headstone) and a favorite hero in Fray Junipero Serra, may God hasten the day when he is raised fully to the honors of the altar. You are also blessed to live in one of the most beautiful parts of God’s world, IMHO. I’ve spent every vacation in CA for the last 4 years and I’ve never seen anyplace more beautiful than Santa Barbara and Ventura, with Fray Junipero’s missions. I’m going to San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Carmel this June, so I’ll get the chance to pray at his grave.
 
Hagia Sophia was built by Justinian, but he did not see it until it was finished. When he stepped inside, he said:

“Solomon, I have outdone thee!”
 
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mercygate:
Westminster Cathedral? The inside has some nice points but the exterior looks like licorice allsorts. westminstercathedral.org.uk/art/art_tour.html

Maybe I just don’t relate to adaptations of Byzantine architecture; I am not fond of the U.S. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception either. nationalshrine.com/site/pp.asp?c=etITK6OTG&b=106948
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LOL! I love Byzantine! It’s dark and gloomy, but the light that comes in hits the art and the guilding and it’s beautiful, like God cutting through the darkness of our souls. I bet you’re more taken with the Gothic? Also beautiful.
 
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katherine2:
Well, since you ask!!!

First, I was on a group tour. But you know me, I tend to be a little independent.😉 So I did some research before my trip and found out the Istanbul Music Festival was taking place at the time of our visit. Its too complicated to explain, but I managed to get tickets to one of the performances for my traveling companion and I. The concert was in Haiga Sophia. When our group arrived in Istanbul, our guide met us at the airport and, well, again you know me, she and I start jabbering about various things. She went over our intinery and mentioned we had tomorrow evening free. I told her I was going to the concert at Haiga Sophia. She absolutely refused to believe it. I told her we had tickets. She insisted we must be mistaken. They never do private events at Haiga Sophia and the Music Festival tickets are almost impossible to get she said.

Well, she was wrong. We went to the concert and it was like the Academy Awards – red carpet, limos, tv cameras and lights, ladies in long dresses, men in black tie and two old dames from America!!!

Seeing the church at night and without the tourists milling around was a thrill. I went back later during the day time, but it was nothing like this experience. The flickering of lights off the walls was fantasic. The size of the place is unbeleivable. And in this atmosphere you could almost think you were hearing the priests singing the liturgy. The performance was on the upper level and during intermission we had free run of the place.
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Okay, thanks a lot for the sudden flash of envy!!! Something to tell my confessor. How fortunate you were!
 
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