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“Pic of the Week”, April 5, 2019: Union Point Church, Manitoba.
Sometimes it’s good to stop at places you’ve driven by hundreds of times and actually explore them. Such was the case with my visit to the Union Point Church south of St. Agathe in southern Manitoba.
The church is situated between the north and south-bound lanes of highway 75, the road that connects Winnipeg to southern Manitoba and North Dakota. It’s a fairly important road, so thousands of people drive by the church every day but I suspect hardly anyone ever stops for a visit.
Union Point church was originally built in 1887, destroyed by fire in 1939, and rebuilt in 1940. There’s a small cemetery beside the church with tombstones dating to the late 19th century. There was once also a …
Apr 4, 2019
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.All Trips / North America / South Carolina / Southeastern USA
A Visit to St. Michael’s Church, Charleston
Sitting prominently on the corner of Broad and Meeting, across from the old Post Office building, St. Michael’s is the oldest church in Charleston. Today’s church stands on the site of the first Anglican Church built south of Virginia. It’s a National Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the 1680’s a small wooden church was built on this spot and named St. Philip’s. By 1727 the church had become too small for the growing congregation and a new larger church was built on Church Street, but it was destroyed by fire in 1835 and had to be replaced.
St. Michael’s Church, Charleston
By 1751, St. Philip’s was again too small for its flock so a larger structure — named St. …
Tagged Charleston, church, St Michael's
.All Trips / Nevada / North America / Southwestern USA
St. Mary’s in the Mountain, Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is an interesting destination, being one of the best preserved “Wild West” towns I’ve ever visited. Once a prosperous mining city, it was one of the largest communities in northwestern Nevada during the late 19th century. Thousands of people flocked here when silver and gold were discovered in the Comstock, including many Irish Catholic immigrants. Those of you who remember the popular television series, Bonanza, will remember that the Cartwrights frequently visited Virginia City to conduct their business. They were not alone, as Virginia City provided services to local miners, ranchers and timber men. There’s lots to see in this old town, still a center of commerce but now catering mostly to tourists rather than locals.
I thought the …
Tagged catholic, church, Virginia City
.All Trips / Europe / Malta
A Visit to Beautiful St. John’s Co-Cathedral, Valetta
St. John’s Co-Cathedral occupies a square block in the historic walled city of Valletta and has an unassuming plain exterior, but a beautiful ornate interior and a fascinating history (e.g. Knights of Malta) that certainly makes it well worth exploring.
St. Johns Co-Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to St. John the Baptist. It was built by the Order of St. John in 1572, completed in 1604 originally with a relatively plain interior, with the fancy baroque interior you see today completed in the late 17th century. The church is considered one of the finest examples of high Baroque architecture in Europe.
St. John’s remained the church of the Order of St. John until the Order was expelled from Malta during the French …
Tagged church, Co-Cathedral, Knights of Malta, St. John's, Valetta
“Pic of the Week”, February 19, 2016: Wawel Cathedral, Krakow
The Royal Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus, also known as Wawel Cathedral, is situated in Kraków, Poland. The church is part of the Royal Palace complex atop Wawel Hill, where a church has been for more than 900 years. Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II, was ordained to the priesthood at Wawel Cathedral and performed his first mass here. Wawel Cathedral is where Polish kings were coronated and where many lie buried.
The current Gothic cathedral is the third church on the site and dates to the 14th century. It is a small cathedral with elaborate and ornate side chapels. Most of the church is open to the public and admission to the common areas is free. Photos …
Feb 18, 2016
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.All Trips / Argentina / South America
The Church of our Lady of Pilar, Recoleta, Argentina
The historic and beautiful cathedral, Iglesia Nuestra Senora del Pilar (The Church of Our Lady of Pilar), is situated in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Recoleta. The church adjoins the famous Recoleta cemetery, which we’ve previously visited on this website.
Iglesia Nuestra Senora del Pilar is considered one of the most beautiful examples of Buenos Aires’ Colonial architecture. It’s the city’s second oldest church and has retained its original altarpiece and icons. The church is named in honor of the patron saint of the city of Zaragoza in Spain, and was completed in 1732. Its original architect was a Jesuit, Andres Bianchi, and was built in conjunction with a convent of Franciscans.
Altarpiece, The Church of Our Lady of Pilar, Recoleta
The monks of Recoletos were expelled from …
.All Trips / Europe / France
Saint Chapelle: A Kaleidoscope of Colors
Not nearly as large, well-known or frequently visited as its big sister only a few blocks away (Notre-Dame Basilica), Sainte-Chapelle was hands down my favorite church in Paris.
Sainte-Chapelle (sant-shah-pel) is a truly magnificent site, in my opinion one of the best attractions in Paris. Situated in Palace of Justice complex (under high security because it adjoins the French Supreme Court) on historic Ile de la Cite’, the island that birthed Paris, the Gothic Church was built by pious King Louis IX in the 13th century. The king had purchased priceless relics of the Passion (including the crown of thorns and a fragment of the cross) from the Byzantine emperor, and wanted an appropriate place to display these …
Tagged church, Sainte-Chapelle, stained glass
.All Trips / California / North America / Southwestern USA
“Pic of the Week”, August 1, 2014″: Serra’s Church, Mission San Juan Capistrano
While exploring the grounds of Mission San Juan Capistrano — known as the “Jewel” of the California Missions — you’ll come upon a small chapel. It’s Serra Church, the oldest church in California, named after Father Junipero Serra who founded this mission (and eight other California missions). Our highlighted photo includes the “Golden Altar”, an early Baroque-style retablo, which is a relatively recent addition to the church. The altar is from Barcelona, handcrafted almost 400 years ago of cherry wood and overlaid in gold leaf. It was installed in the Serra Church sometime between 1922-1924.
Serra Church was built in 1782, six years after Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded (on All Saint’s day, November 1, 1776). It was one of the first …
Tagged chapel, church, Father Serra, mission, Mission San Juan Capistrano
