two pics from a wedding "mess" that I and the Better Half attended,in Cincinnati. This is a "Catholic" church?, Honestly I was offended, looked more like one of several protestant churches-halls I have been in over the years. Looks like a civic building on the outside and when you enter you see rows of class rooms and offices, even a health clinic, finally a set of crappy modern art brass doors and then you see--? I mean really, the Priest cracked a joke when the Bride stumbled on the steps, his sermon was a Broadway tune accompanied by the pianist, he explained to us folks from the northern part of the diocese that he didn't use "servers" because he felt it demeaning to make anyone wait on him, the tabernacle was in the sacristy, and there was a small Madonna statue, with some kind of sculpture of glass filled with colored water in front of her off in a corner on a ledge, St Joesph, off on a mission I guess. Saddest part to me was the reaction of the older parishioners from back home, "How delightful and original, modern, refreshing", I personally thought it blasphemous, it seems that the over 60 crowd will like anything that is not orthodox.
Next morning The Better Half and I attended a Latin Low Mass in a old downtown church, my first since my childhood, and my wife, (a convert) has never been to one, I fell in love with it, quiet, reverent, no happy-clappy, hand holding crap, good singing by the choir, the Priest gave one of the best sermons I have heard in years on the third commandment, an installment of his series on the 10 commandments, no mention of obscure modern authors, just plain clear theology and to the point, said more in four minuets than most get out in ten. Communion at the rail, what a wonderful thing, My other half didn't quite know what to make of it, Oh well
herds. our n
ew priest in the 1970's announced that the display was a distraction from the altar (and Him) so in the spirit of V II he burned the display except for the wood manger and some of the figures, and set it in front of the altar, Egypt also has a beautiful window portraying the annunciation, fitting for the Christmas season, The windows at St Joesph, seem so rich in color and shading, so many church windows seem so washed out, I don't know why maybe I'm just biased
give this a read, good grief I'm glad none of our priests have fallen this badly
those were the days, Communion Rail, High Altar, Cassock, Biretta, No " Table", Ties, Dresses, Veils, Lots of Candles, I still love that little country church, St Joesph in Egypt, I still think that it looked better then than now with the all white paint job, used to be shades of rose and gray and tan and painted to give the illusion of depth,
Here are some pictures from my parish, St John the Baptist in Maria Stein, Ohio.
