Post intelligent and civil comments. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the NLM
These are nice side altars, but they do look a bit small in the space (especially when compared to the other side altars which are generally much taller and wider). Similarly, the recently added reredos with tabernacle (behind the high altar and baldacchino) looks a bit diminutive next to its surroundings. Neither these altars nor the tabernacle are bad works in themselves (nay, on the contrary, they are lovely). It is just that they are not "up for the task" in this large of a church.
Does anyone know anything of the "medallions" above St. Joseph and Our Lady? I know what the medallions are but I have never seen these above altars and am curious.
Thank you.
They look like overexposed stained glass to me (you can either expose your photo to show the glass or to show the interior - if you expose for the interior, the glass gets washed out).
But that's a guess.
Sorry - that's only true for the one above Our Lady. The one above Joseph definitely is a medallion, and it looks bizarrely masonic!
Isn't the t-square a traditional symbol of St. Joseph? Carpenters use t-squares, too.
In case my previous comment is ambiguous, add the sentence "T-squares are not just for masons" in between the two sentences.
Romanesque?
The Stations of the Cross are from the old German parish of S. Boniface in Kensington. the parish closed two years ago and the church was demolished.
http://www.saintbonifaceparish.c....com/?
sec=about
I don't think St. Boniface has been demolished - but I'll look for it next time I go by on the El.
AFAIK the tacky tribute to the 1976 Eucharistic Congress is still there - it is in the back of the nave over the cartoonish statue of St. Katharine Drexel. The side altar of St. Joseph replaced a rather barren-looking commemoration of the Passover.
The medallion over the statue of Our Lady is clearly the reverse side of a Miraculous Medal. That over St. Joseph appears to be a lily, which is a traditional symbol of chastity.
I was under the impression that the side altars were wholly new, and not taken from a suppressed parish.
I don't think the side altars look small in their niches - at least no smaller than the other side altars - but the new reredos behind the high altar does indeed look small.
The Stations and the side altars are both from St. Boniface. This parish was condemned because the brownstone structure was failing.
The medallions are those symbolizing the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, respectively.
The commemoration of the Passover was indeed a memorial of the 1976 Eucharistic Congress. There are, in the rear side aisles, two large mosaics. One commemorates the Eucharistic Congress and the other the history of the Archdiocese (I believe...)
the only disappointment is that neither of the side altars appears to be "dressed" for mass. no altar cloths, candle sticks, mass cards, relics, etc.
While the revival of the use of side altars in general would be great, altars not usually used for Mass shouldn't be set up for Mass, but ideally, have a cover (which can be decorated) over the altar cloths.
It's good to see re-purposed art from closed churches. I always thought that old church art should be re-used to make other parishes more beautiful. Indeed, you'd think with the old inner-city parishes closing that all the new suburban ones would be cluttered with marble altars and statuary.
I recall when the modern looking fiberglass things went in. They were and likely still are ugly. They appeared ot of place. In terms of some of the more modern constructions where the old sacred art could be sent at least where I live now ( Diocese of Bridgeport, CT ) they could start with a wrecking ball then place the art in a new more suitable Church.
JPG
I'm sorry, but I've been to the Cathedral Basilica, and those altars must certainly look worse than what was there... these are neo-gothic altars! Plus, they are greatly undersized for the space. Yes, they are old, but that doesn't mean that they fit architecturally! I wish this would have been a better thought out project.
"The Stations and the side altars are both from St. Boniface. This parish was condemned because the brownstone structure was failing."
The stations are from St. Boniface, but the side altars are new. Here are some interior shots from St. Boniface taken on one of its last Sundays in operation:
http://flickr.com/photos/jdtreat...57600572334848/
I'll be interested to see what sort of plasterwork and stenciling accompany the new side altars.
the other the history of the Archdiocese
I thought it was St. John Neumann but you might be right.
I think a nice mural would do a lot to help fill in the space behind the side-altars. Kudos, though, for such an improvement.
As to style, I'd describe it as classical with some neo-Baroque details thrown in, though I haven't been there in a while.
if one sits to the side of the altar to s. joseph and looks at the medallion it is quite frightening what one sees when the light hits it.
the use of the color beige in such large areas takes away from both of these altars. they would have been better off left with a white background as that at least gave them some sense of depth when viewed from a distance and made them look like chapels as opposed to just marble stuck on a wall.
the tabernacle behind the altar is a monstrosity. the original design of the altar had the cross and candles sitting directly on it as the rubrics specify. all the marble in the world does not make up for the clericalism occurring within this structure and for the fact that the old mass is not being allowed there even though it was requested in writing.
CMB,
I'm at the cathedral on a regular basis, and the new altars look far better than the hippie stuff that was there before.
the tabernacle behind the altar is a monstrosity. the original design of the altar had the cross and candles sitting directly on it as the rubrics specify.
Agreed. But that old baldachin/civory was not original. There was an original reredos, but it was felt that this did not fit with the building so a freestanding altar with civory, in the Roman Basilica style, was added in the early 20th century. The sacrament was then moved to the Lady Altar (i.e. the altar at the Gospel-side of the main sancturay and with the Assumption mosaic). The cheap looking tabernacle and reredos that they have now is tacky beyond words.
I'm at the cathedral on a regular basis, and the new altars look far better than the hippie stuff that was there before.
Agreed. Those side altars were prety horrible. What they have now is a BIG step up. Cathedrals in Europe were always built in stages and sometimes in different architectural styles. Take the Lateran Archbasilica as a prime example of this.
The only things left to be done is to get rid of that statue of S. Elizabeth Seton from the Chantry Altar, move her to a proper place, and put a crucifix up instead. As well, they need to get a better image of S. Katherine Drexel and remove the one that's hanging over the back altar on the Gospel-side. It's another crime against beauty (and charity for that matter).
Apparently it's obvious to everybody, but perhaps you could help out a clueless and mystified German: why do you call the Cathedral "Domkirche"?
Apparently it's obvious to everybody, but perhaps you could help out a clueless and mystified German: why do you call the Cathedral "Domkirche"?
The blog post is the first time I've ever heard it called that. I know my son is fond of calling it "the dome," but I don't know how one would say that in German.
Agreed. But that old baldachin/civory was not original. There was an original reredos, but it was felt that this did not fit with the building so a freestanding altar with civory, in the Roman Basilica style, was added in the early 20th century.
The semi-circular apse itself is not original but was added in the 1950s during the renovations.
Wasn't a new tabernacle installed recently? I don't remember it being too bad under the circumstances.
Matthew - yes, the new tabernacle was part of the new reredos. It is pictured in the ad for "St Jude Liturgical Arts Studio" on this page (see the bottom right corner). It isn't bad but as other commentators have pointed out, the new reredos is dwarfed by the baldachino. I'm not sure that I agree with Mr. Ernst-Sandoval that it is "tacky beyond words," but even leaving aside its size, it doesn't really fit in with the decor of the church.
Gregor,
It's just a little inside joke.
it is also sad that the crucifix is now hung on the wall above the tabernacle and that it can't be removed on good friday as it was easily before. i can't think of a basilica of this size anywhere in the world where the altar cross is stuck to the wall behind the altar like it was a chapel in a rectory. it is also unbelievable that they specially built this costly marble wall just for the purpose. for the last two years they did not even bother to cover the now hanging crucifix before the good friday liturgy, so there were two crosses being shown to the people simultaneously. but the archdiocese is a place where two things are going on at once, and the symbol of this manifests itself in the medallion over the altar of s. joseph quite shockingly (it ACTUALLY glows when seen from a certain spot) and could literally be in the guide books. but to whoever thought up this heart attack causing phenomenon i would simply say "we already know" who is in charge of the archdiocese.
Apparently it's obvious to everybody, but perhaps you could help out a clueless and mystified German: why do you call the Cathedral "Domkirche"?
I've heard more than a few Philadelphians refer to the Cathedral as the Domkirche. It must be the German influence here. Sadly, almost all the ethnic German parishes here have closed: St. Ludwig, Old Holy Trinity, St. Alois, St. Boniface. As well, St. Peter the Apostle has been declassified as a German ethnic parish since it became the St. John Neumann Shrine. That leaves just: St. Mary of the Assumption, and Our Lady Help of Christians. The latter church is closing its school, which was the last Catholic parochial school in the city to have a German language program.
The latter church is closing its school, which was the last Catholic parochial school in the city to have a German language program.
I don't imagine the German language program will transfer to Our Lady of Port Richmond (the "new" regional school to which Our Lady Help of Christians will send its children), though I could be wrong.
I remember that after Pope John Paul II died the news organizations were soliciting comments from people coming out of St. Adalbert. After Benedict XVI was elected, I saw a news van parked outside of Our Lady Help of Christians! Of course no one was there. The last time I went to Our Lady Help was Easter Sunday 2007 and the congregation was really small. Sad - it is probably the most beautiful parish church in Port Richmond.
Just to let people know: the addition of the raredos to the main altar was paid through a private donation. It did not cost the faithful of the archdiocese a cent. And no, I am not even a resident of the (great) archdiocese.
Some people got to lighten up.
you mean if i gave a donation to the cathedral that i could ruin some other part of it?
Sure. Whatever floats your boat.
But I'm sure there's an equal amount of folks who would disagree with you about "ruining" or whatnot.
As you are as anonymous as I, you probably have as many architectural/artistic expert credentials as I have. I don't have any. Thus, your layman opinion is about as valid as mine. But seeing as I don't pontificate as much as you do about this glorious cathedral, then I'm a step ahead of you.
i don't think brown is that glorious
There goes your opinion again!!!
I think it's rather lovely... and it speaks much of what this Cathedral and its people had to go through to get it built. Absolutely glorious!
I just can't believe those gothic arches! What were they thinking!!!
Can any readers in the Philadelphia area provide information about the traditional Latin Mass? Aside from the regularly scheduled Sunday Masses (Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Lourdes), are there ever any Masses on weekdays? Have any priests in the area started to say the old Mass since the motu proprio?
The moment you enter the Cathedral your eyes are directed to the altar, tabernacle and what seems to be an exposition throne.
I came into that cathedral arond 15 years ago, it was dark and on a small "table" in the center of the sanctuary was a monstrance and two lighted candels.
When the Cardinal comes out and mounts his throne, all the lights are on and a large spotlight is on his throne.
Many thanks to the present Cardinal for the new white marble exposition throne.
Edward P. Walton
8 Visitors Online
Commenting by HaloScan
