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Since it is nearby, I’ve been dropping into St. Mary of the Mills from time to time. In my opinion, the nicest feature is the wonderfully gaudy large golden corpus in the center of the sanctuary which contrasts with a church quite heavy on marble. The advantage to the picture on the right, with such wretched lighting, is that you can’t see the picnic table immediately beneath the gorgeous high altar. A fairly extensive history of the parish explains it like this:
Since Vatican Council 11 (1962-1968) major changes have taken place in the Roman Catholic Liturgy. The lovely 1886 marble communion rail was later removed to invite worshippers into the sanctuary. A large wooden altar in front of the old marble altar is now used for the Holy Sacrifice as the priest faces the congregation.
Cute. On my first visit to this pretty church, my eyes glanced upwards to the stained glass window shown below, and still my favorite of the lot.
My eyes, not surprisingly, given the composition, were drawn to the holy female in the center of the image. She is in the midst of several men, being taught by the holy Bishop St. Patrick. The men look the Saint in the eyes. This pious feminine soul looks modestly to the floor.
Another stained glass window which cheered my heart depicts that Missioner of Missioners, St. Francis Xavier, baptizing a heathen, and presumably a Brahmin, that most impious of peoples to which David refers in the Psalms.
Yesterday, in a fit of curiosity, I heard the monthly Latin Novus Ordo offered by the youngest priest assigned to this incredibly large parish. Unfortunately, besides a plethora of altar girls, and several habited nuns who pranced into the sanctuary to assist in feeding the flock, the Latin switched on and off in the responses without notice. I was impressed that this young priest, who reminded me of some zealous Cornellians I’ve known with a touch for the charismatic, was inclined to offer this Mass in the language of the Church. He even gave a pretty strong homily on confession, and its decline in recent years. Of course, with all the aforementioned abominations and so many indults about, I shant be returning.
St. Louis-Marie de Montfort,
Pope St. Pius X,
St. Joseph,
St. Ambrose of Milan,
St. Thomas Aquinas,
St. Francis (and St. Clare),
St. Catherine of Siena,
St. Alphonsus Ligouri,
St. John Chrysostom,
That’s an interesting point about the Brahmins. I’ve read that when the Jesuits, always rather prone to “inculturation,” first preached in China, they dressed like the native Buddhist clergy called “bonzes.” They thought that this “humble” look would be more in tune with the locals. Well, they found out that the vast majority of the Chinese regarded the bonzes as disreputable charlatans and frauds, just as St. Francis Xavier would have. So they took off the cruddy Buddhist-style robes and put on more dandy Mandarin robes. Finally, some people noticed them!
Also, apparently some time in the first century a Brahmin or Buddhist came from India and burned himself alive in Greece. It was quite the sensation at the time. Why do I mention this? Because 1900 years later fanatical Buddhist monks put themselves on fire in Vietnam in order to protest the ardently anti-Communist and Catholic Diem regime.
For whatever that’s worth.
I like this Vatican Council “11″ business they have going.
I also like your observation about the stained glass of St. Patrick.
Yes, with incorrect dates and all.
Lovely stained glasses and altar…