Devastation of churches -- and of the Church
I can hardly bring myself to write this post. If you want to see a heartbreaking news article, go to today's New York Times (click on this post's title) and read about the devastation and loss of the Church's patrimony that parish closings and wreckovations are wreaking nationwide.
The article, from the AP, details the often irreparable loss and destruction of tabernacles (God forbid!), altars (God forbid!), confessionals (God forbid!), altarpieces, altar rails, stained glass windows, statues, candlesticks and other holy objects from closed and wreckovated Catholic churches, most of them architectural treasures, around our country.
The news story attributes all this to parish closings caused by "population shift." The reporter does not seem to know about the hideous ideological animus that many "spirit of Vatican II" bishops and pastors have toward traditional Catholic churches and holy Catholic objects.
True, this phenomenon is not exactly new news. But it always hurts to read about it.
The article does contain some good news. A few priests and lay people are trying to save and reclaim holy objects for use in other churches. Father Pat Butler from the Diocese of Albany wishes there was a national clearinghouse for the holy items; now, there is a great and holy cause for an enterprising or wealthy Catholic (why not from L.A.?) to begin!
One heartbreaking photo and caption pretty much sum up the whole article. The photo is of a wreckage-strewn sanctuary of a magnificent Catholic church of the 19th century, with beautiful frescoes above and behind it, literally appearing as if it has been sacked or been hit in a war or by earthquake. The caption reads, "The altar area of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Albany, built 150 years ago by immigrants and recently sold for $1, sits abandoned."
"Sold for $1." St. Joseph's is by no means the only beautiful Catholic church around our country that has been sold for such a price. I am speaking generally here, about America as a whole, and I acknowledge that I do not know the circumstances of the selling of St. Joseph's Church in Albany, nor do I impute bad motives to anyone in the Diocese of Albany.
Let us hope that this $1 sale was a deal with preservationists or the city to save the church.
But it cannot be denied that $1 is about all the value that "progressives" around the USA place on holy Catholic churches. They profess to be strapped for cash to pay sex abuse claims, yet they are so anxious to get rid of traditional churches that they give them away.
Of course, the physical devastation of churches is but a mirror of the spiritual devastation that "progressives" wreak by causing people to lose their Faith. Let us keep praying that God will restore everyone's Faith and that He will restore our churches -- and our Church. Amen.
The article, from the AP, details the often irreparable loss and destruction of tabernacles (God forbid!), altars (God forbid!), confessionals (God forbid!), altarpieces, altar rails, stained glass windows, statues, candlesticks and other holy objects from closed and wreckovated Catholic churches, most of them architectural treasures, around our country.
The news story attributes all this to parish closings caused by "population shift." The reporter does not seem to know about the hideous ideological animus that many "spirit of Vatican II" bishops and pastors have toward traditional Catholic churches and holy Catholic objects.
True, this phenomenon is not exactly new news. But it always hurts to read about it.
The article does contain some good news. A few priests and lay people are trying to save and reclaim holy objects for use in other churches. Father Pat Butler from the Diocese of Albany wishes there was a national clearinghouse for the holy items; now, there is a great and holy cause for an enterprising or wealthy Catholic (why not from L.A.?) to begin!
One heartbreaking photo and caption pretty much sum up the whole article. The photo is of a wreckage-strewn sanctuary of a magnificent Catholic church of the 19th century, with beautiful frescoes above and behind it, literally appearing as if it has been sacked or been hit in a war or by earthquake. The caption reads, "The altar area of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Albany, built 150 years ago by immigrants and recently sold for $1, sits abandoned."
"Sold for $1." St. Joseph's is by no means the only beautiful Catholic church around our country that has been sold for such a price. I am speaking generally here, about America as a whole, and I acknowledge that I do not know the circumstances of the selling of St. Joseph's Church in Albany, nor do I impute bad motives to anyone in the Diocese of Albany.
Let us hope that this $1 sale was a deal with preservationists or the city to save the church.
But it cannot be denied that $1 is about all the value that "progressives" around the USA place on holy Catholic churches. They profess to be strapped for cash to pay sex abuse claims, yet they are so anxious to get rid of traditional churches that they give them away.
Of course, the physical devastation of churches is but a mirror of the spiritual devastation that "progressives" wreak by causing people to lose their Faith. Let us keep praying that God will restore everyone's Faith and that He will restore our churches -- and our Church. Amen.
posted by Quintero at 8:24 PM
8 Comments:
Well yeah... and l@@k at THIS:
http://closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/2006/06/spaceship-or-cathedral.html
Quintero, I know you live in the LA area. In Pasadena there are antique stores on South Fair Oaks near Huntington Hospital that have these types of articles. Just last week I saw a baptismal font sitting in front of one of the stores. I've seen beautiful chasubles, chalices, even relics! There's an interior decorating store on Green St. in Pasadena near my home that was selling throw pillows made from vestments. One was a beautiful red with gold embroidery of a cross with "IHS" in the middle. He was selling it for $700. It really breaks your heart. If I had the means, I would buy these things and donate them to traditional apostolates.
Psalm 73(74).
Dear Suzie,
Thank you very much for the information. Sure would like to know who in the Church threw those holy objects to the winds. Have to wonder if they are believers.
Thank you Ken Fisher and others.
I have rescued some items from e-bay but you can get almost anything there. I have some relics and a few other holy items.
Sacred items mean nothing to some of the 'progressives'. The evil one s them too--coincidence?
How a restoration of the sacred is needed in every facet of the church. I say lets start with liturgy and go from there.
Great blog and our prayers are with you out west as the bishops meet in L.A. May Our Lady, Queen of the Angels, pray for us and them meeting there.
We linked to your post on the sad fate of the disused religious items. Thanks for bringing it up.
Q:
Priests and Bishops and the wimmin / men-wimmin and all manner of sodomites and their fellow-travellers running the parishes are responsible for the desecration, and it IS desecration: it is they who are responsible for throwing "those holy objects to the winds" by
1. By counsel.
2. By command.
3. By consent.
4. By provocation.
5. By praise or flattery.
6. By concealment.
7. By partaking.
8. By silence.
9. By defense of the ill done.
They do believe, but in whom?
Notice #8...that's us.
Just like buying donuts:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1950s-Catholic-Brass-Tabernacle-Convent-Chapel_W0QQitemZ6287880770QQihZ010QQcategoryZ1447QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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