Springfield Cathedral Restoration Update

Aside from a few obvious botches, Conrad Schmitt has done their usual outstanding work.

The font in the middle looks silly (and silly is not good for a Cathedral). Chopping up the pews is a complete waste of money (and provides less seating). Is the communion rail still there? Anyone from Springfield?

The project isn't as bad as I had assumed, of course, given that there was approximately zero public input on anything but writing checks for the project, I think it is quite safe to assume that the lack of information was intentional.

Here's Immaculate Conception in all its glory from Mark Scot Abeln.

Ralph Ellison Campus

This design site claims to be showing a rehabbed Archdiocese Building (funded by Bill and Melinda Gates, no less). Beautiful building, reasonable addendum. Can anyone tell us what Parish campus this was?

Site Here

Union Square

High Gothic First Baptist looks quite majestic in this photo essay on Chicago's Union Square Neighborhood.

Read more here

Also enjoy the William Gilman house from the same essay

Buy This Book: Celebrate St. Louis

Long term friend of the Society of St. Barbara, Mark Scott Abeln has done it. His fantastic photos of Churches and liturgical elements have made it into print, and I cannot wait to get a copy.

Click here to see some samples

Click here to purchase

Here is the Press Release

BREATHTAKING PHOTOGRAPHY OF

LOCAL CHURCHES AND MONUMENTS FILL

CATHOLIC ST. LOUIS: A PICTORIAL HISTORY

William B. Faherty SJ Teams with Photographer

Mark Abeln to Capture Regional Catholic Heritage

ST. LOUIS, MO—The history of the Catholic Church in St. Louis is dominated by strong personalities and architectural grandeur. In Catholic St. Louis: A Pictorial History, rich text and photography capture the people and places that have defined Catholicism in a historic, and historically Catholic, city. Renowned historian William Barnaby Faherty, S.J., delivers concise historical sketches of the integral people and the landmark houses of worship; and photographer Mark Scott Abeln captures nearly forty different area churches in majestic fashion. From the eighteenth-century Holy Family Church in Cahokia to the overwhelming Cathedral Basilica to the modern St. Anselm’s in Creve Coeur, St. Louis’s churches are significant, not to mention spectacular. This coffee-table book truly presents Catholic St. Louis in all its splendor.

Look for Catholic St. Louis in bookstores and online. Information is available upon request at jstevens@reedypress.com or (314) 644-3400.

About the Authors

William Barnaby Faherty S.J. has written more than forty books, including dozens on St. Louis history and the novels Call of Pope Octavian and A Wall for San Sebastian. Mark Scott Abeln is a St. Louis photographer whose collection appears on www.romeofthewest.com

Prairie Avenue Bookstore on the Ropes

One of the worlds great bookstores is having some financial flow issues. Here is Blair Kamin on the finances of Prairie Avenue Bookshop.

It really is a great bookstore, and I am not just saying that because they sell the heck out of Heavenly City (and are currently sold out, so I link to Amazon). It is more like a library inside, with collectors editions and print items all over the place. Wilbert and Marilyn Hasbrouck are the proprietors, and are also the most knowledgeable people in Chicago on a variety of subjects, including architecture. Beth Elfrig is a store manager, and also is up to the minute on architectural publishing.

I stopped in today and spoke to both Bill and Beth, who were both busily selling large volumes of architecture books. Prices are slashed 50%. Stock up and save.

The array of titles is bewildering an a little picked over. I conjured up some possible titles that are not selling for my own amusement (and also for the amusement of the store employees).

1) Mediocre Carpentry in Mt. Prospect of the Late 1970's. The Aspinite Edition
2) Home Sewage Diversion: An Introduction to Treating Your Own Wastewater
3) Spanish Colonial Piemaker: The Buildings of Baker's Square
4) Structural Paper Maiche for Northern Climates
5) Ed Dart and the Boredom of Unitarian Worship

More from Holy Name

Some Good Shots at the Tribune. (After 100+ years of campaigning against the Catholic Church, shouldn't the Tribune be banned from the Cathedral?)

Holy Name Coming Back Strong

First look given to the Tribune, rather than St. Barabara's. The Trib has been so sympathetic to the Church over the years, of course they get first digs.

Now about that altar and the modernism that does not belong in a Gothic Church.....

Link Here
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/07/holy-name-cathedral-reopens-friday.html

Papal Blessing in Melrose Park

The Tribune does a reasonable job (please ignore the blasphemy) covering the Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Melrose Park, Illinois, and a Papal Blessing bestowed upon Crowns made for Our Lady.

High Masses, Coronations, Processions and the continuation of a 800 year devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

From the Chicago Tribune

**

When parishioners of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Roman Catholic Shrine in Melrose Park decided to create gold crowns for statues of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, they donated to the cause by reaching deep into their hearts and memories.

Joe Rosa gave his grandfather's wedding band. Corinne Principe wept as she slipped her own wedding ring off her finger. Antonio Godinez removed the big Jesus medallion he wore close to his heart and plopped it into a collection basket.

In all, 15 pounds of gold was given, including a dozen gold watches, several rings, bangle bracelets, earrings, chains and medals. Carrying out a religious tradition from Southern Italy, the donated gold was then melted down and molded into two new 14-karat gold crowns appraised at $75,000.

The call for jewelry went out last July during the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and brought donations not only from the parish but from Italian Catholics across the nation. Struck by the devotion, the pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Rev. Claudio Holzer, e-mailed the Vatican to request a papal blessing for the crowns.

Few expected a response. But within a week, a Vatican aide approved and asked that the crowns be brought to Rome. Last month, Holzer and 35 parishioners traveled to Italy for an audience with Pope Benedict XVI where he blessed the crowns."This is very emotional for all of us," said Principe, who has been married for 41 years. "I didn't think twice about giving my wedding ring. I wanted a piece of me to be with her always, so she could pray for me and my family."

On Sunday, the Melrose Park church will hold a historic mass as it crowns the 5-foot statue of "La Madonna del Carmine" and the baby Jesus that she holds in her left palm. After a procession that takes the Madonna statue through the streets, three Chicago archdiocesan bishops will celebrate a pontifical high mass, which will be broadcast live on EWTN, the global Catholic network.

Only three other images of the Virgin Mary have been crowned with Pontifical Authority: Our of Lady of Mt. Carmel in New York City's East Harlem; Our Lady of Perpetual Help in New Orleans; and the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City.