Oh, the Pain

Did you enjoy our lighter-hearted last couple of posts? Nice change of pace, right? Good, because it's time to get weepy again.

The Project works off its post-Thanksgiving coma with a wonderful series of photo galleries by abandonedamerica.org, who recently traveled to West Philly to chronicle Transfiguration of Our Lord--coincidentally, right before the demolition started.

You might remember the Michigan photographer who did something similar. I bring this one up because the more photographic coverage of a church, the better. And, because, with all due respect, he makes Mr. Forgotten Michigan look like a finger-painting toddler.

These are pictures are good. Damn good, actually. They perfectly capture, better than anything I've seen before, the agony of a building that's outlived its usefulness. And they're buoyed by haunting text and titles that seem to add just the right perspective to the whole affair. It's even more drastic when compared to the historical images he (she?) includes. Some you've seen before, some you haven't, but all leave an impression.

The Project salutes you heartily. Well, well done. And if you're interested in doing more church photography, let us know. We have some abandoned specimens you simply must see.

Look for more Transy coverage in the coming days, including my final thoughts on the place.

Mailbag 12

More from the mailbag:

Yo...how you doing?

Thank you so much for the great site! I'm born and raised Philadelphian and catholic. I love old churches and I'm so glad that I found your site. I have always said that the city (or someone else?) should have tours that take you to the churches of North Philly, West Philly, etc. because they contain some of the most beautiful architecture in Philadelphia and the area. You have done the next best thing. Bravo!

I must tell you that some people might take umbrage (if you haven't heard it already) that you stated that St. Martin de Porres/St. Columba parish is located in Strawberry Mansion. According to my mother who attended St. Columba's and then Hallahan, she would tell you that she grew up in Swampoodle, not Mansion. The parish that was in Strawberry Mansion was Corpus Christi. By any chance, do you have St. Mary the Eternal on your list of churches? That was the Italian parish of the neighborhood and it was located somewhere around 22nd and Clearfield.

I thank you very much for the wonderful photos of St. Martin/St. Columba church. I have heard about that church and the neighborhood all my life. When my grandmother would cross Judson St, she would look down the street at the church, bless herself, then continue to cross the street. She did it for years- lol.

Keep up the good work and I look forward to your next installment. It is wonderful.

Take care, Melissa Nevin

Who else but a Philadelphian would greet the Project with a "Yo!"? Thank you for the kind words. You've summed up why the Project does what it does--church architecture is usually the best around, because nothing used to inspire artistic achievement like the great glory of God. That is, before costs rose, tastes changed and spiritual builders pretty much stuck their heads up their you-know-what.

Rest assured, Melissa, the Swampoodle debate is something that the Project hears over and over. I initially addressed it here, but let me be more concrete this time around.

Other people can take umbrage all they like, but the fact is that the name Swampoodle died out along with the neighborhood's reputation, and the area is now considered Strawberry Mansion. If anybody doesn't like it, take it out on the Planning Commission, not me. Of course, the people most likely to be offended by this are older folks, and let's face it, they're going to be crotchety about something, regardless of what I do.

(Corpus Christi, for its part, is now considered part of Allegheny West. But let's not go there--that's another geographical landmine that people love to argue about.)

As for St. Mary of the Eternal, the parish closed in 1976, making it one of the first victims of the North Philadelphia Swath of Destruction. If you die out 17 years before the Year of Hell, you know it's bad. A map survey of the area reveals nothing that looks remotely like a church, so it was probably demolished sometime over the past 30 years. Interestingly, though, the school building is still standing. And, judging from the last time I was over in the neighborhood, it's still in use.

Mailbag 11

Ugh, what a week. But enough about me. How about some reader mail?

From Project reader Colleen Amuso:

I just found your site tonight, and it is great! I placed a link on my facebook page, and recommended it to my friends. I really like how you look at the architecture, and place it in the context of the neighborhood, history, and current events. A few churches for you to see: Church of the Gesu (17th and girard, near St. joes Prep), and St Matthew in the northeast (Cottman Ave). The first is supposed to be beautiful, and St. Matt's is my home parish, and is supposed to be one of the largest in the city (it supposedly has the longest aisle, and certainly is one of the largest in population, close to 2000 families and over 1500 kids in the school!) Not sure how you would view them architecturally, but they could be interesting (and St. Matt's does use it's upper church!!)

I also wanted to comment on your review of Our Mother of Consolation, my current home parish. You were a bit harsh, IMHO ;) Do you know the history if the founding of the parish? In 1855, in Chestnut Hill, there was a strong anti-Catholic sentiment. Catholics in Chestnut Hill were the working class - those who built and worked in the mansions on the west side of Germantown Ave. The gentleman who built the church (I'll have to get you his name), was a convert, a former Quaker businessman who donated the land and materials for the church. He told near neighbors that he was building a house. When rumors started that he was building a church, there were attempts and near attempts to burn it down. In large part, the size and plainness of OMC are due to the fact that the builder was moving fast, and under false pretenses. Once the church was built, there wasn't much that could be done. Also bear in mind that at the time, Chestnut Hill was its own country town. The population was not the same as urban centers. It was not part of the city, and those that had homes there used them as country homes, getaways from the city. The majority of the population used churches like St Pauls across the street, and St Martins in the Field.

However, I really do like the church, and the wood beams were part of the charm (reminded me of churches in small towns in Europe, where I have also lived). But I understand, to each his own.

Thanks for the site, and good luck!

I found her note very amuso. See what I did there? See? Ah, never mind.

I give Colleen credit; most parishioners of a panned church can't insult me fast enough. But Colleen handles it like an adult--she respects our opinion, and we agree to disagree. I appreciate, too, the history she provides about Our Mother of Consolation, which is directly related to why the building isn't very impressive. Catholic subterfuge? How ridiculous!

But seriously, though, letters like these are valuable because while the Project includes as much history as possible, we can't cover everything. That's why it's great to hear from parishioners in the know--when they're not screaming at me, that is.

At the end of the day, though, it doesn't impact the rating. While it's nice to know why churches look the way they do, our goal is to simply evaluate them as they are. The fact that OMC's builders had to pull the wool over the eyes of the neighbors doesn't obscure the fact that it's just not great church. The Project may be more sympathetic, but we have to let the bricks do the talking.

Oh, and yes, the recommendations: Gesu (for what seems like the umpteenth time): yes, forthcoming. St. Matt's? No. Not from what I've seen and heard. The "longest aisle" quip is interesting, but I don't buy it. Parishioners of St. Bartholomew, also in the Northeast, make the same claim. Sorry, but my money's on Immaculate Conception, for obvious reasons.

Of course, if anyone wants to go around and measure the aisles of all the churches we've done, feel free to do so. I await your report.

Conshy Loves Us Back

And now for something a little lighter: some love from Conshohocken.

A mere couple of days after the Project posted its review of St. Mary, MoreThanTheCurve, a Web site devoted to all things Conshohocken, gave us a shout-out in their News & Gossip section for the week of 11/9/09:

"St. Mary’s visited by the Philly Church Project."

Eight little words, so much joy. Ok, so it's technically incorrect--we only posted the review that week; we visited nearly a month earlier--but who cares? We :heart: attention.

Thanks, guys!

The End Has Come...

...for Transfiguration of Our Lord, that is. If you've been following our updates, you know by now that the once grand church--long in the midst of a torturous Long Goodbye--is now in the midst of an equally tortuous demolition. Thus far the demolition had been slow, and if you turned your head just so, you could still see the grand old dame through the decay, minus the bulldozers and smashed stone.

Now? Well, it's just about gone. But first, a word on it from one of the Project's staunchest allies, Bill:

I went to the site of the Church of Transfiguration today (11/8/09), with my camera, to see what progress has been made. Needless to say, it is a most depressive site. Demolition has commenced and is moving "full speed ahead." The front of the Church is almost completely destroyed. The middle section of the Church looks almost like it is completely gone. You are able to peer inside the building from street level (on Cedar Street). It looks like most of the mosaic tile is still in the building, as well as other adornments. You can see the complete mosaic Crucifixion scene above the main altar; it appears it will come down in rubble. This is the scene you posted on your blogspot. I have been talking to people close to the project & they inform me that the mosaic is too difficult and time consuming to save (although very few fragments have been saved). What an utter disgrace to allow priceless materials in this Church to be reduced to rubble. I just wanted to give you an update. I STRONGLY suggest that if you wish to capture any pictures, NOW is the time or this building will be gone within weeks. Also, you can see more mosaic work and columns from the back of the Church on Hazel? Street. Since I mentioned that the middle part of the Church is almost gone, you can peer inside to see. A sad day for Church lovers; for I can imagine the thousands of families attending this Church throughout the years receiving their sacraments...

"Disgrace" is too soft a word. But ironically, his words came into the Project's box only hours before another e-mail from Joe Kearney, whose invaluable photography has been instrumental in helping the Project to chronicle Transy's End.

If Bill's words didn't paint the picture, than Joe's pictures surely will. Get your tissues ready.











The Project is built on words and wit, but even those fail me as I look at these photographs. I only imagine the visceral reaction would be stronger if I were there in person; as it stands, these images are a swift punch to the gut.

Are you happy now, Archdiocese? Did you get everything you wanted? You cowards.

St. Mary, Conshohocken

Ok, so it's a month late. Sue me.

St. Mary, Conshohocken

Enjoy!

P.S. Big update tomorrow....

Tick, Tock

Roman Catholic high schools aren't the only ones feeling the icy spectre of death on their necks--parish grade schools are, too. That's nothing new, of course, since parishes have been struggling (and usually failing) at keeping their schools afloat since the suburban exodus started.

The only question is which one will be the next to go. And according to an article in the Fishtown Star (thanks to Project reader Bill for passing it along), it'll be Kensington's St. Anne.

The same old patterns emerge--the sudden and quick nature of the danger (or at least the announcement of it), the alumni ignorance, etc.

The really interesting tidbit is that St. Anne sought a school merger with the two Fishtown parishes, St. Laurentius and Holy Name of Jesus, similar to how the Church Alley parishes merged their three schools together.

For reasons unclear, Fishtown was more content with a twosome than a threesome, and thus St. Anne has been left to flounder. Dead? Almost certainly. Alumni can talk and fundraise all they like, but the old parochial education model doesn't make much sense anymore, especially in the city.

That said, St. Anne is a reasonably healthy parish, and will probably be better off without the added strain of a school. Most parishes are, really, which just goes to show how far some things have fallen.

Oh, and please cut the histrionics of "we have nowhere else to send these children." Come on. You have the aforementioned Fishtown and Church Alley schools right around the corner. Don't forget about your Lehigh Avenue neighbor, Visitation BVM, either, which is still maintaining a school all on its own. (And maintaining a beautiful decor to boot, all while serving some of Philly's poorest. God, they amaze me.)

The Old Old St. Mary's

A Sunday treat--a rare image of the sanctuary at Old St. Mary's before the unfortunate 1970s Tabula Rasa renovation.

Witness this:

Image courtesy PAHRC

versus this:


No real comparison, right? I mean, honestly, outside of it being damaged beyond repair, I have no idea why anyone thought it would be a good idea to do away with the classic, classy and beautiful sanctuary.

It's not just the furniture, though--it's the additional mural, statue and molding work, and a more detailed ceiling that blows away the starry night motif they have now. Witness too the intact altar rail and what looks to be additional pews.

I said before that Old St. Mary's "questionable" sanctuary keeps it from really excelling. That's still the case--although, sadly, once upon a time it wasn't.