Architectural Lectures at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary

MATTHEW ALDERMAN, architect, gave a series of lectures on sacred architecture at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

Listen to them by clicking here.

Alderman is a classically-trained architect who blogs at the Shrine of the Holy Whapping and the New Liturgical Movement.

Das Katholische Deutschthum von St. Louis: in seinen 20 Gemeinden

A CORRESPONDENT sent me a link to a scanned book, Das Katholische Deutschthum von St. Louis: in seinen 20 Gemeinden (The Catholic Germans of Saint Louis in its 20 Communities), from 1896.  The text is in German and includes many illustrations, including this one of Saint Boniface Church, which closed in 2005:



Saint Francis de Sales Church is one of the most glorious edifices in the city, but its original plan was even more ambitious:



Click here to view the entire book.

Our Lady of the Pillar Speaker Series

FROM THE Our Lady of the Pillar Church bulletin:

2010 OLP Speakers Series: Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010. "Catholic St. Louis: A Pictorial History" presented by photographer and co-author Mark Abeln. In his talk, Abeln will present a concise history of the Catholic church in St. Louis, as well as the architectural grandeur of local churches in rich photography. This Speakers Series is from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Parish Life Center. Mark your calendars early and bring a friend.

Address:
401 South Lindbergh Boulevard
Saint Louis, Missouri 63131

Click here for my photos of this church.

That evening, I will sell copies of the book at a price of $32.95 plus tax; 10% discount for clergy, religious, and seminarians.

Or if you want me to mail you a copy, click below:

"Russian Orthodox Patriarch Agrees with Pope"

SEE THE ARTICLE, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Agrees with Pope:

“We [together with the Roman Catholic Church] have similar positions on many problems facing Christians in the modern world. They include aggressive secularization, globalization, and the erosion of the traditional moral principles.

“It should be noted that on these issues Pope Benedict XVI has taken a stance close to the Orthodox one.”

Obviously many things still divide the Churches, but it is also obvious that disunity causes great harm. But the Patriarch holds out little hope for the various Protestant sects:

“the Russian Church has seen less Protestant communities cooperating in the cause of preserving the Christian legacy” due to “the relentless liberalization of the Protestant world.”

However, all is not lost here, as Catholic experience with the pro-life movement in the United States has shown.

The article also notes the tremendous recent growth in the Russian Orthodox Church, which had suffered great persecution under Communism.

Saint Agatha's Church

Saint Agatha's Church, taken today, while it was snowing.  Long the site of the Archdiocese's Latin Mass, this now has the Polish language apostolate.

This is located next to the Anheuser-Busch brewery; for a number of years, I had an office window with a view of this church.