Church of the Advocate Rewind

Project reader Wayne unearths the following gem, an early 1900s-vintage postcard showcasing the Church of the Advocate:

I was surprised by the church's lack of pews and surmised that it must have had them at some point. Given this postcard's probable age and Advocate's 1897 construction, it seems increasingly likely that it never had pews, and instead simply always used chairs.

Not that it's necessarily a problem. I just wish they'd kept it arranged like this. The haphazard thing they've got going on now really doesn't work for them.

Mailbag 18: South Philly Defense

The Project is making friends all over the place. From an unnamed fan:

I like and admire the work you've done. I am also a Catholic church buff. A little constructive criticism...

Thanks, but I don't much like where this is going. Sounds too much like "you're a great guy, BUT..."

You make too many references to being white in an African American environment.

What defines "too many?" I bring it up where it's appropriate and relevant to the visit. Especially since this is a travelogue of sorts, it's important to let other people know where services might be different from what they're used to, or where they might be treated differently because they're of a different race. See: just about every predominantly black parish we've visited.

And for what it's worth, I sometimes do the same for black people in a predominantly white environment. For example, Our Lady of Good Counsel, where I warned that you'll probably be profiled. Half-jokingly, of course.

You shouldn't question a culture's traditions. Italians aren't obsessed with statues. It's "weird" to you because you are not familiar with it? When you write "I'm not bashing the Italians but..," it leads a reader to believe you are implying something else.

I don't question traditions--see the aforementioned black churches. Again, the Project wouldn't be worth its weight in pixels if I didn't note things that seem strange or unusual. If I find it interesting, odds are a lot of readers will, too. The Project is snarky, but never willfully malicious or disrespectful.

As to the Italians, my own observations indicate that they value statuary far more than other ethnicities or races. Disagree? Fine. But respect the fact that having 100+ church visits under my belt gives me a pretty good idea of what I'm talking about.

From your perspective, South Philly may be hard to get to and difficult to navigate. It's a grid pattern - how hard can it be? Many people know the area very well since restaurants, cafes, markets, shops, sporting venues, etc have been welcoming people longer than any other non-center city neighborhood. When Philly was in the "Dark Ages" of culture not too long ago, South Philly was thriving.

I never said anything about South Philly being a terrible place to live or work. My own experiences indicate that a lot of things about it, especially the cuisine, are quite lovely. Navigating it by car is not one of them. I've encountered more problems in South Philly than I have in every other section combined; St. Gabriel alone took years off my life. For a veteran city driver, that leads to only one conclusion.

As you know, South Philly is a very old, working-class section of the city. Tight on space. Many churches were built to not draw attention due to Anti-Catholic sentiment. Ironically, the parts of West, North, and North East Philly that grew as people moved away from the older neighborhoods have since fallen apart. Some of the magnificent churches you listed had parishoners with money.

It's not as if South Philly doesn't have any nice churches. It does--it's just that a lot of the church stock is uninspired.

Tight space? Lame and lazy argument. Go pay a visit to St. Bonaventure and tell me how their severe lack of space hurt them. Anti-Catholic sentiment? Also doesn't fly. Most of the parishes in South Philly--or, at least the ones we've visited--were founded long after the Nativist riots, so their church constructions shouldn't have been affected.

Money? Well, sure, that's always a factor. But a lot of working class neighborhoods ponied up big-time. Hell, blue-collar, immigrant Port Richmond did it three times in a seven-block radius. So the Project doesn't have a bleeding heart for parishes that weren't able to get their acts together. We may take it into account, but at the end of the day, ugly or uninspired is just that.

Mailbag 17: Universal Church's Redesign

The mailbox has been overflowing with good stuff lately. The latest gem comes from Sara Da Silva and concerns the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, the former St. Stephen. I've applauded the parish's passion but not their architectural stewardship. So severe were the interior renovations (or desecrations, if you prefer) that I've criticized them at every opportunity and even named them #3 on my worst churches in Philadelphia list.

Finally, someone provides a little insight. From Ms. Da Silva:

Hello there, I came across your site today about the Universal Church building Broad and Butler . (very nice by the way)
I enjoyed reading your critics.
I have been a member in the Church all my life therefore, I know the reason behind why they did what they did with the building.

I live in NYC but I had a chance to visit the Philly church a few years back when it was in it original state it was beautiful I must agree with you. However, most of the member that visit the church are from Latin decent and they are mostly devoted Catholics. Therefore, they did not want whom ever visit the church to think that they are just another Catholic church the Universal Church is Pentecostal and their theory of preaching the gospel differs from the Catholics. They wanted to divert from the medieval spectrum the building brought. Since the inside was pretty dark before, and the light bill too keep that building well lighten was far too high. Since we have services 4 times a day, and we are open 7 days week.

Another reason, is that the building was in a very bad state when The Universal Church bought it, there were many broken pipes, and many parts of the church specially the ceiling was costing the church too much money to maintain, and since it was a high ceiling before the old boiler used to break down constantly during winter in order to keep that gigantic building warm. Therefore, they decided to go with a more efficient and new age structure and we came up with the low ceiling that are very easy and simple to maintain rather than the high ceilings.

We did all of that to the building for our members, because they are the ones that keep the doors of the church open to all who needs help.
I would like to thank you on your critique it was useful and you kept an open mind. I am not defending my church in no way, but since you asked the reason I thought it was a good way to keep informed.

Methinks Ms. Da Silva gives me too much credit for niceness, but she took the time to write a detailed note and compliment us, so it's much appreciated.

As to the substance of her letter:

The energy and heating excuses are just that: excuses. St. Stephen has a lower church (or at least had, at one time), so hold masses down there until the weather improves, then open the windows and move upstairs in warmer and lighter weather. A lot of churches have tried to use this same excuse (most notably Nativity BVM), but it never holds water.

The ecclesiastical reasons, however, do hold some water, and that strikes me as being the real reason for the redesign. A building should suit your pastoral needs, and if it doesn't, then you need to do something about it. We've spent a lot of time assuming that what worked for St. Stephen should work any and all future owners. It didn't occur to us that it might not be the case, and as far as excuses go, this is a pretty good one.

Of course, it's still painful that they had to take their hatchet to a building as timeless as St. Stephen, but I suppose we can't expect the Universal Church to do what the Archdiocese should have done in the first place. And in the end, I now get the church's reasoning. I don't fully accept it, mind you, and it won't change my opinion on the place, but at least I understand some of the method behind the madness.

Mailbag 16: St. Bridget Update

Great note from Project reader Michelle Kleschick on Grace Kelly's former Sunday hangout:

I stumbled across your site via a link on philly.brownstoner.com and I enjoyed an outsider's view of my home parish of St. Bridget. I am not native to the area, but moved here to attend school at Philadelphia University and loved the neighborhood and city so much that I stayed. The fact that I love our neighborhood church was an added bonus!

Brownstoner strikes again! I would think your neighborhood church should be more of a consideration than "just an added bonus," but whatever.

I wanted to give you an update on your comment about the plainness of the paint scheme. I can't remember exactly when it was (sometime shortly after your visit because I know that I wished they had done it sooner so it would have been done for my April 2007 wedding), but in the past few years the paint scheme has become a little more colorful. There had been problems with water leaking in through an unknown source which seeped into the plaster and ruined what I understand used to be a polychromatic paint scheme and wood paneling on the wall behind the altar. Until they were certain that all of the leaks has been found, a white coat of paint graced the wall. The repairs have been completed and now the wall is a soft pastel (is it horrible that I attend Mass there regularly and can't say for sure that it is yellow?) with a metallic gold design, including St. Bridget crosses, around the arched space. The color makes the white marble altar stand out, and show off, much better than the white. They also fixed the warped wooden floors, repainted the side altars to coordinate, and brightened up the side chapel of St. Joseph and completely renovated the other side so that it is now very colorfully dedicated to St. Peregrine.

Interesting to know. I always thought St. Bridget was a couple of pieces short of being a really, really great church. A revised sanctuary would go a long way toward fulfilling that promise, so we'll need to schedule a revisit at some point.

My husband is the organist at St. Paul Parish in South Philadelphia, and I have enjoyed those two beautiful churches (St. Paul and St. Mary Magdelene de Pazzi, and yes, the organ loft is as harrowing as it looks... he sits with his back about 6 inches from a low railing that then drops off two stories, not for the faint of heart! F.y.i., in the case that you need a new place to visit, they also have a lower church that they use in the summer), as well as all of the others that we have had a chance to visit when he fills in for an organist at other parishes. As for your comment on the organ at St. Thomas Aquinas in South Philly, I'm not sure if it is original, but it certainly puts out as much sound as your would expect an organ of that size to produce... my husband was playing a Christmas Mass and ended with a rather jubilant "Joy to the World" who's opening notes shook a few windows and made quite a bit of the congregation jump!

So, we have verification that St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi's dual balcony setup is as ridiculous as it looks. The designers of St. Thomas Aquinas live to fight another day--for now.

A reference you might enjoy is "Historic Sacred Places of Philadelphia." It is a beautifully photographed book with information regarding the architecture and history of churches, synagogues and other places of worship in Philadelphia. Also, I don't think the book is at all related to the group, but there is also the Partners for Sacred Places which helps struggling worship sites maintain their spaces.

Heard of the book, heard of the group. Haven't done much with either--yet.

I look forward to taking a peak at your site to get a little foresight on what to expect when visiting other parishes. I'm glad to know that there are other people out there who enjoy visiting these beautiful places in hopes that more can be saved for future generations to enjoy!

That's why we do what we do, aside from giving me a platform to feed my ego with shameless self-congratulatory prose. So put on your pajamas, grab a hot cocoa, and get comfy.

Incarnation Update

Still no real news on what Incarnation pastor Gerald Piniero did or didn't do to attract federal attention, but the Inquirer discovered that he was involved in operating a type of pyramid scheme. Not good news for him, since that alone spells big trouble--never mind what the immigration authorities might have cooking.

Federal probe, Philly priest's exit, and his business effort stun flock

Incarnation Pastor Steps Down

A little breaking news, courtesy the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Pastor steps down as feds search Olney church

Father Gerald Pinero, pastor of Incarnation of Our Lord in Olney, has resigned in light of a rectory search by federal immigration authorities.

It's not yet clear what triggered the search, but with a parish as diverse as Incarnation, perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that immigration is somehow involved.

Should Pinero not return, it would be a tremendous loss for Inky. He was a standout of the Project's early adventures, a young, personable, charismatic leader who delivered one of the best homilies we've ever heard and gave us a personal tour of the upper church, which was not even open at the time. Incarnation is one of the few true urban success stories, with its stunning diversity and strong support, and at least some of that is due to Pinero.

We'll keep you posted as things develop. For now, keep both Pinero and the parish in your thoughts.

Mailbag 15: Vatican II and More

You started your week with the Project, so why not end it with the Project?

From the mailbag and reader George Nelson:

Friends First - - -a very big "Well Done" for your work. Your photos are clear and well set. And most important - they provide a record of a rapidly disappearing architectural history. While I may not agree with all your opinions - I greatly value your documentation.

Why, thank you kindly.

One of your most common critiques is the apparent repainting/remodeling of church interiors. For example - at St Micholas Tolentine you decry the remodeling, repainting and simplification carried out by "zealous pastor" for "no apparent reason". Well - there was a very big reason. In 1962 the church issued greatly revised orders, now known informally as Vatican II, for Mass formats, architectural & worship formats, and wide reaching "modernizations" - the largest of which was dumping Latin as the required language of the Mass. This lead to what amounts to wholesale vandalism in hundreds of Roman Catholic parish churches - and cathedrals - around the world, but most seriously in the United States and Canada.

And with our usual enthusiasm, North Americans took all to extremes. Magnificent marble altar pieces and reredi were jack-hammered to dust, irreplacable domestic and imported hand-carved wood work was axed and sent to the dump. Significant frescos were painted over. Figurative stained glass was destroyed in favor of ugly modern chunky stained glass. Architectural details were painted over or just plain thrown out.

Some parishes have begun, since about 2000 to re-evaluate this devastation and some have been restored, but many can no longer afford to even consider this action, and as diocese face increasing deficits, and local parishes are closed, fewer and fewer opportunities will exist. If you have opportunities to research pre-1960 church photos you'll easily notice the dramatic changes that occured between then and 1970. If you find those older pictures, they would be an excellent addition to your pages.

I've mentioned Vatican II from time to time, and if you want to know why the Project despises it, look no further. Not for the ecclesiastical points, but what those points did to our grand old churches. We've tackled the issue from time to time in our reviews--I don't have time to list all of the churches affected by it, but George gives a nice little summary of the damages typically involved.

Although Vatican II is mainly a Roman Catholic issue, Protestant churches haven't been exempt from wholesale and ill-advised moves, either. Witness the Episcopal Cathedral or one of our least-favorite churches, St. Stephen.

I don't quite buy that excuse for St. Nicholas of Tolentine, however. One, because the parish history attributes the renovation mainly as an excuse to make the church more comfortable, and two, because, tacky ornamentation aside, the place still more or less maintains the traditional design and nave / sanctuary divisions.

Other than that, I encourage you to keep up your efforts. I might suggest boning up on historic architectural style. And perhaps using a little more "gentle" language in your critiques. Maybe it would encourage those parishes considering improvements, better than only faulting past errors which they may well now be regretting.

Believe it or not, the Project has actually mellowed somewhat with age. Our earlier forays are more forceful than recent escapes, as we've embraced a more nuanced take on these buildings.

That said, we still wear our hearts and our opinions on our sleeves, and we don't hesitate to let you, the readers, know what we think. So what if the language isn't always parsed in the nicest way possible? A parish isn't going to give up on renovations because the Project didn't say "please" or "thank you." And sometimes these parishes need the little kick in the backside that only some sharply worded remarks can provide.

Project Mondays

You made it through Monday? Congrats, you get a cookie. Or, more accurately, a picture of the sanctuary of Holy Trinity. You know, the parish that isn't a parish. Date of picture unknown, but the coloring and quality looks to be 1960s or 1970s vintage.

Visitation BVM Alumni Mass

A note (and media!) from resident Visitation BVM expert Tom Lochhead:

Hi Project,

Viso had an alumni mass last week and I took a few pics of the Our Lady of the Armed Forces Shrine in the lower church and a few of the lower church itself. Parish is still holding its own - aprox. 500 pupils in the school.

Tom Lochhead

I sincerely hope they didn't actually hold the alumni mass downstairs. If so, God, they must really hate you guys. I wouldn't wish a lower church on my worst enemy. Wait, actually, I probably would, but that's a topic for another time.

Pics:



And yes, Visitation remains an urban success story, and probably the most successful inner-city parishes we've seen. Considering the awful neighborhoods they draw from, it's amazing they manage to keep a roof over their head, let alone maintain a top-10 decor and a thriving parish school.

Yes, sure, their status as a magnet parish can't be overlooked. It's not like they have a lot of competition anymore. Still, they're doing something right.

Holy Cross Altar

Project reader Michael Mezalick passed along the following item, found in an old 1929 issue of "Quarries and Mills: Indiana Oolitic Limestone Industry." One of the more gripping monthly publications you're likely to read, certainly.

The text distorts at larger sizes, but we can gather that the altar is made of Indiana limestone and was carved by the Carl Furst Company of Bedford, Indiana. The architect of record is Henry Dagit, one of the city's more prolific church architects.

Alternate Church Uses

In case you missed it, a gem from last week's Philadelphia Inquirer, courtesy Mary Beth Kearney:

Performance groups look to churches, synagogues as venues

"The richest cache of standing and functional architecture in our region is sacred space," said Robert Jaeger, executive director of Partners for Sacred Places, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit group that for 21 years has worked to save endangered churches and other religious buildings.

Newsflash: churches can be used for purposes other than worship. God may be responsible for their construction, but he / she / it doesn't need to stick around for them to have long and useful lives.