| |
| The Narthex |
| We begin in the Narthex (or vestibule) |
|
 |
| Lynda explained to us that this is the
third church building for Saint Michael's Parish, and the
second building on this site. The third, and current, St.
Michael's church celebrated its first mass on January 13, 1950.
(Click
here to read a detailed description of our parish's history)
Here is where we first enter the Church. At each
entrance is a Holy Water font, where we bless ourselves with the
Sign of the Cross as a reminder of our baptism. It is here
that we also will find the
Reconciliation Rooms, artwork, important communications and
candle-lit shrines.
Upon
entering the center doors, to our right we the first two of the
72 stained glass windows of the church:
-
Saint Clement I (the third
pope- the present building is the third Saint
Michael Church
-
Pope Pius XII (pope while this
church was under construction, from 1948 to 1951)
The
use of stained glass windows in early church art and
architecture was significant as a way to teach to visitors about
their faith, as many were poor and illiterate. For may,
the depictions in these windows were their only form of
catechesis!
The Shrines
Adjacent to those two windows is a shrine to Our Lady Of
Guadeloupe. Across the Narthex, is another shrine to
Saint Ann, Mother of the Virgin Mary (the child in front
of Saint Ann).
 |
To the right of this
shrine, we see the stairs to the Choir Loft, and beyond on that one
of the Reconciliation Rooms (formerly the Baptistry).
The Reconciliation
Room on the left-side (Formerly the Baptistry)
When the present church
was built, the Sacrament of Baptism was celebrated privately.
Today, the Baptistry Font is located in the center of the church,
symbolically on the journey up the center aisle to the altar.
The room is octagon-shaped,
as the number eight symbolized perfection on Judaism and was adopted by
the early church. In fact, the octagon and the number eight can be
found throughout the church.
The stained-glass windows
facing the entrance depict the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (or "Holy
Ghost" as the Spirit was referred to prior to the Second Vatican
Council, when the church was constructed).
There are also two windows on
either side, depicting Saint Patrick converting and baptizing the Irish
king of Tara.
The
Baptism of the King of Tara, by Saint Patrick
Historically, the
majority of the parish consisted of Irish immigrants, who
contributed to the building of all four churches. Hence, Saint
Patrick is depicted in the former Baptistry.
Just outside of this room,
and to the left of the Shrine of Saint Ann, is a book in which the names
of those who are serving our country as members of the Armed Forces may
be entered, to be remembered in our prayers.
Click on the
photo of the stairs to continue the tour in the Choir Loft
| |
RCIA Podcast