Repetition carries the day in this boxy building, as concrete piers with exposed aggregate march along, rounded at the bottom to emphasize the lightness of the wall, and infilled with faceted glass windows.
The most inviting entry is on the side, surmounted by a stained glass Christ and finished with tiny golden-bronze polished tile. Its massive round shape calls to mind "portal" more than "door". Within, a massive statue greets arriving worshipers.
Of course, the view back toward the door is impressive as well.
Within, the sanctuary is utterly plain, the only ornament being the stained glass itself, its sunset hues and marching rhythm. I did not get long to explore; the service started just moments after I arrived (though people kept coming. I never saw so many people show up late for church. Seriously, five minutes after the service had begun, they were still streaming in the doors.)
I'm sad I couldn't spend more time in the sanctuary, but it was still well worth the trip!
3 comments:
This is the ugliest church - Catholic or otherwise - I've ever seen. Completely out of place in that neighborhood or anywhere else. Thanks for posting photos of the interior, as I often wondered what horrors were hid inside. Doesn't appear too bad.
I guess I'm one of the few eccentrics to enjoy the architecture of this church, although I spent my childhood here. West of here but still in the neighborhood is a home on a side street by the same architect. Very distinctive.
I grew up in this parish, went to it's Catholic school (which is now a public school last I heard), and made my communion & confirmation there. I was married in the church in 1982. Not much has changed there except the flooring. It was originally a royal blue carpet with spots of green dispersed throughout. None of that ceramic tile in the foyer vestibule was there. I always thought it was a beautiful church. Back in the day it was definitely the newest most renouned in the area. The Belli brothers built several homes in the neighborhood to the north of the church. One of the brother's personal residences is at the south east corner of Meade and Schubert. It too was definitely ahead of its time in the 60's. The original St. John Bosco church is across the street from the new one, and attached to the school.For years the school used the old church as a make shift gym and multi-purpose facility. The choir which was made up up students from the school practiced in the loft of the original church.
Post a Comment