Sunday, January 22, 2006

Kieckhefer at St Francis Xavier, Wilmette, IL

Mark your Calendars!

7:30 PM Thursday, January 26

Northwestern Professor, and architectural historian Richard Kieckhefer will be speaking at the Providence Room at St. Francis Xavier in Wilmette on the subject, Meister Eickhart. Eikchart was a Mystic in the 13th and 14th centuries who took his teaching out of the monastery to the laymen.

Two good resons to attend.

1) See a world renowned historian revving up a fully obscure subject in an entertaining manner. The price is right (free) and beer and pretzels are served.

2) The venue is the Chapel in the old convent at SFX, a well preserved structure no longer used for mass. The stained glass windows are outstanding, there is extensive wood carving, but the
altar (if I recall) is not longer in place. I think this is designed by Joseph McCarthy, the architect at SFX.

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Interestingly (more or less) enough, I toured SFX, its campus (Barry Byrne School) and adjoining neighborhood with Joe McHale,-Joseph McCarthy's grandson-last week. We noted that the Convent looked very similar to the SFX Church. However we also noted that the neighboring Wilmette Women's Club and the First Presbyterian Church also look very much like SFX, though neither is attributed to McCarthy and Eppig.

I have been to a Lutheran Cchurch that was actually designed by Henry Schlacks, but not attributed to him, as he generally worked exclusively for Roman Catholic customers. He did fine work for the Lutherans as well. Schlacks is attributed to some buildings at (Lutheran) Concordia University in River Forest, though I have not seen them (nor the documentation).

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