From Project reader Cerena C.:
Do you have any photo of St Teresa of Avila that was located at Broad and Catherine Sts. (1853-1972) ?An interesting question! As Cerena points out, St. Theresa closed waaay back in 1972 and is obviously no longer standing. That means, however, that photographs of the place are hard to come by. The only thing I was able to find was this shot, circa 1931, from our friends at Philly History:
Reminds me a lot of St. Philip Neri. Not a jaw-dropping church from the outside, but probably very pretty inside.
That, however, is all I have. If anyone else has pictures of this sadly defunct church, send them in and I'll post them here.
Oh, and in case you're curious, the spot where St. Theresa stood, the northeast corner of Broad & Catharine, is now a vacant lot. Gotta love progress!
Hey friends,
New update for your eager eyes: St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Chestnut Hill.
Some pretty good stuff. Check it out here.
Looking for something interesting to do Sunday? Yeah, aren't we all. But seriously, if you're in the Overbrook area, an interesting opportunity awaits you at my favorite midget parish, Our Lady of Lourdes.
From Harold Perrong, Project reader and Archdiocesan Boy Choir Parent Board Member:
"I invite you and your staff to Mass attend this Sunday, February 22nd to hear the Archdiocesan Boy Choir. They will be singing for the Noon Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes 63rd and Lancaster Ave Phila. Please be sure to invite your friends and family.
The choir is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year .The choir will be going to Avila Spain in 2010 to sing during Holy Week and are in the process of fund raising to allow all the boys to attend, even those are who financially in need.
They will be offering their professionally recorded CDs for sale after Sundays Mass.
Please also see our web site www.archboychoir.org for additional details.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I look forward to seeing you at the Mass."
The Project had the honor of hearing the choir once, at the St. John Neumann feast day celebration at St. Peter the Apostle, and it was an aural feast. (Pun intended.) I may not be able to attend this Sunday, but anyone who has a chance should check it out.
Interesting tidbit from the news department of Project-fave St. John the Evangelist:
(And props to Daniel McQuade, of the entertaining Philadelphia Will Do, for passing it along.)
"The Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Office for Special Projects willsponsor a Stained Glass Event. In this event, stained glass remnantswill be available from the following churches: St. Clement St. Elizabeth Transfiguration St. Ladislaus St. Vincent de Pauland other churches. Also a very limited umber of marble remnantpieces will be available. Stop by and buy something: 320 WalnutStreet on Saturday, February 21, from 10-1 pm."
That's right! As McQuade accurately notes (well, technically his mother), "it's like a yard sale for churches!" We certainly know that artifacts from closed churches can be bought and installed in new ones, but the Project had no idea the Archdiocese actually held open sales for the public.
Oh, that crazy Archdiocese. Will their wacky antics never cease?
Seriously, though, I find their exhortation to "come by and buy something" weirdly direct. Are Basilica renovations that far over budget?
Also, what's with the inclusion of St. Vincent de Paul? Unlike the others on that list, it's actually still an active parish. What pieces of that church would they possibly be selling?
The whole thing is so curious, the Project will almost certainly stop by to scope it out. Hey, I spend so much time investigating churches, I never thought I could actually turn my house into one!
Our friends over at most-excellent Philly Skyline have given the Project a shout-out in a recent post, dated February 2. You can still read it over on their main page, www.phillyskyline.com.
It seems that the February section of their 2009 calendar featured one of our old favorites, Church Alley. Or, individually, St. Adalbert, Nativity BVM, and Our Lady Help of Christians. When posting on the topic last week, they were effusive in praising our own coverage, even to the point of adopting the Project-coined Church Alley moniker.
Philly Skyline provides exceptional coverage of our beloved urban landscape, so the Project is humbled by their recognition. That's why I encourage you to not only check out our piece, but all of the other features, as well.
I am a word and picture person by nature, not a Web designer, so it is with some trepidation that I make the following announcement:
Please bear with us as we make adjustments and upgrades to www.phillychurchproject.com.
Whew. Don't worry, I'm not planning on throwing the whole thing out. Heaven knows I don't have time for that. But as the Project's year gets underway in earnest, this is as good a time as any to crack open the hood, so to speak, and work on some much-needed technical and design flaws.
The anticipated changes should be subtle, but will go a long way toward creating a better presentation. Along the way there may be some sudden or random design shifts, but fear not: your ability to get all of the latest Project hilarity will not be jeopardized.
Now, where did I put that technical manual?
From today's New York Times:
Remarkable old architecture goes out of vogue, falls into disrepair, and is later shuttered or razed outright to make way for something else.
Sound familiar?
The piece doesn't mention churches specifically, but the shameful behaviors it describes apply to religious architecture as well. It's a stark reminder that history's art is far more precious and fragile than most of us realize. It takes a sustained union of public voices to protect and nurture our shared heritage.
The Project is one such voice. But if we're to make any impact, far more will be needed...
Welcome to the Project's new "News and Notes" feature, which gives me a greater platform to share news, features, and reader feedback. This may also include miscellaneous thoughts, feelings, and admissions of guilt. You know, if you're lucky.
Keep in mind, this is not going to replace our main HQ, www.phillychurchproject.com. It's simply an added treat, like getting ice cream with your pie. Not actually on the pie, mind you, since the Project likes its ice cream unadulterated. But definitely on the side.
Stay tuned!
