Annunciation Redux

Scarcely had the ink (errr, font?) dried on my recap of Passyunk Square's Annunication BVM when I received the following e-mail, courtesy Project reader Tom M.:

Everything you said about Annunciation BVM in South Philly is right on the money.

Its best asset is definitely the stained glass windows. They were purchased in 1900 (almost 40 years after the church was built) from a company in Munich, Germany called, "Franz Mayer of Munich Inc."

The sanctuary had a beautiful tall marble altar which was cut down to just a table top around 1968. See attached photo circa 1937.The sanctuary had many other ornaments which unfortunately are no longer there.

There was a centrally-located spire which was damaged and later condemned by the city. The spire was removed around 1933. See attached photo from May 1871.

The facade was painted a solid red because the bricks were deteriorating and they thought the paint would preserve them from further deterioration. (Annunciation BVM will be 150 years old next year).

I too would have liked to see Annunciation in its prime!

I'm going to upload said pictures to the Annunciation page, but in the meantime, here they are:

Not bad, eh? It confirms that Annunciation is very much a Tabula Rasa church, and was originally much more ornate: mural work in and around the sanctuary, and far nicer main and side altars. Some lost ornamentation, such as the ceiling, was no doubt the work of damage. But the sanctuary? If Tom is correct about the year (1968), then it's no doubt a misguided attempt to embrace the principles of Vatican II.

(Don't worry, I'll spare you my ranting on THAT topic for another time.)

St. Francis Fundraiser

I know it's a little too early in the week to be thinking about Sunday's masses, but if I don't post this little tidbit now, I'll forget it.

Project friend St. Francis of Assisi is hosting their annual gospel choir concert this Sunday, March 29, at 3 p.m. In addition to displaying what will undoubtedly be some jiving musical prowess, the event is also apparently a fundraiser of sorts.

So go, get your groove on, and, if you can, give them a little something. Lord knows they, and their 800-year-old pastor, need your help.

(Ok, I kid, I kid. But not about the needing help thing. That's still true.)

More information here.

Annunciation BVM

It's been a busy week, friends. Too busy for the Project's tastes.

But I was still able to pull together something new for your viewing pleasure.

Rock it out!

A Church In Need....

I realize that this is a little outside my sphere of influence, but it's an important story nonetheless.

The St. Francis de Sales Oratory in St. Louis is in the midst of an extensive capital campaign for renovation and restoration work of their 100+ year old church.

Pretty, right? Well, not so much if they don't correct the foundation problems that are causing their impressive spire to shift and rip away from the building. If they can't, the building will sustain more damage and the spire will probably either collapse or have to be forcibly taken down. The Project, naturally, finds both options odious.

Tradition for Tomorrow, however, is doing its best to make sure that doesn't happen. Far be it from me to tell you how to spend your money, but anyone with an interest in classic church architecture--and really, why else would you be here right now?--is encouraged to check it out and, if possible, make a donation.

The Project certainly will. Godspeed, St. Francis de Sales.

Updates!

New church, y'all.

Find it here.

Enjoy~

St. Nicholas Strikes Back!

You remember our trip to the appallingly modern St. Nicholas of Tolentine? No? Well, I don't blame you. It wasn't that memorable. In case you need a refresher, though, here it is.

Someone who needs no refresher is peeved parishioner Marie A:

I certainly hope you're not getting paid for your super silliness! A church is like one's family and you certainly hurt my family. We love our church even if you think it has physical flaws. We love our priests who are the heads of our family and we do, as good Catholic Christians, invite you back again.

Whew, it's good to know they won't tar and feather me if I decide to go back. Now I just need a reason to actually do so. Ba-zing!

Ok, let me be serious for a moment. Marie, you're not the first person to be mad because I gave your beloved church a low score, and you won't be the last. It's easy to take this thing personally, but remember that the Project is generally only concerned with a parish's physical structure--i.e., the church.

A low mark doesn't mean your parish is terrible, your priests are incompetent, or your and your fellow parishioners are bad Roman Catholics. It simply means that your church building is ugly. No more, no less. (And lest you think me a blind idiot, bear in mind that the Project's posse, all of whom are of a different mind, felt the exact same way.)

If you all truly love it, then Godspeed. Have fun. I'm just pointing out that, in the pantheon of Philadelphia church architecture, the less we say about St. Nicholas, the better.

Mailbag 2

From Project reader Kevin O:

I came across your entry on St.Anne’s while surfing for places I remember from my childhood. My mother’s family lived in that parish (moving at least 3 times) for 4 generations from the time they arrived from Ireland (early to mid 1800s) until we left for Camden, NJ (of all places) in 1962. Despite that pedigree, Mom (God Rest Her Soul) was never sure if she lived in Richmond or Kensington, so your own geographic imprecision can surely be forgiven...

A-ha! Good to know I'm not the only one who doesn't know where it is. If a longtime resident struggled with the issue, what chance did I have?

... I remember an old family legend about a grandfather who lost a thumb due to a musket backfire while on the barricades defending the old St.Anne’s from the...protestants who were trying to burn her down, so that part of your history rings true as well. Decades later, I told that tale to a friend from Dublin, Ireland, his response was "Oh, so he lost a thumb shootin' a Protestant? Sounds like a f*ckin good day's work to me!"

That's a great story, and one that you should be proud to have in your family. It's a shame that they weren't able to save the original St. Anne, however. I suspect it was structurally far nicer than the current incarnation.