Week Sixty-Four - Saint Clement
4:00 Saturday afternoon mass, St. Clement. I was hesitant to visit St. Clement. The church sits right on Vine Street in Saint Bernard, and if memory served me correctly, there was no off-street parking. However, with an errand to run in the neighborhood and my husband in the driver's seat, this was the week - time to throw caution to the wind! Well, as it turned out, parking wasn't even remotely an issue, mainly because we arrived with time to spare. We easily found a spot on "Church Street," the side street next to the church, in case you couldn't tell. Had we arrived even a few minutes later, however, it might have been a different story, albeit a story that would have simply required more footwork.
With a history over 150 years old, you would expect St. Clement's to really be something; after all, the history itself is something. When St. Clement's original church was rebuilt in the 1870's, 1,800 church societies took a special train to attend the laying of the cornerstone. They were met by booming cannons and streets spanned by arches of flowers. How cool is that? An online parish history goes into incredible detail recounting the next 100+ years for the parish, including - and, sadly, this is where tragedy derails my expectations - a terrible fire in 1963. The ornate altar, paintings, and stained glass windows were all lost. The cost of restoring the church to its original splendor was prohibitive, but rebuilding began nonetheless. The result was "functional" and "striking in its simplicity." Yes, those words would be accurate, very accurate . . . just as "barren" and "plain" would also be accurate.
There are no stained glass windows at St. Clement's church. There are no paintings. In fact, there is little, if any, decor at all. Pews resembled pine wood bleachers. I thought there was no crucifix until, when receiving communion, I spied a large crucifix off to the side. Why it was off to the side is beyond me because it was beautiful, and what was above the altar was a big, shiny . . . plus sign. The most striking feature - and possibly the one that "garnered praise from architects and design groups" - was the inclusion of exposed rafters. These soaring wooden rafters, the original I presume, are really beautiful, a unique hallmark connecting the present to the past. Kudos on that point.
There were no kneelers at St. Clement. Of course, the absence of kneelers may have been intentional. My husband and I were by far among the youngest people there. Everything moved at a senior pace, including the "helicopter" greeters who hovered to an extreme. Sensible shoes were in abundance - as were a few pairs of sandals! Ah, the Franciscans! It was a delightful surprise to see them running the show, although, in retrospect, not altogether unexpected given the proximity of the church to Roger Bacon High School.
As my husband and I drove away from the church, I pointed out the home of an old college friend who I hadn't seen in almost twenty years . . . and who happened to be standing outside talking with neighbors! After double-takes on both our parts, she jumped in the back seat so we could pull over and catch up for a while. It was an amazing example of perfect timing and a hilarious - and completely random - way to reconnect our own past and present.
Another "extra credit" opportunity presented itself on Sunday afternoon when my husband and I attended the annual "Empty Bowls" event, a fundraiser benefitting the Freestore Foodbank's Kids Cafe program. The event itself was wonderful (I already have my calendar marked for next year), but the location, the Verdin Bell Event Centre, was a bonus. This building in Over-the-Rhine is actually the former Saint Paul Catholic Church, dedicated in 1850. Wikipedia tells me that St. Paul's was a German-speaking parish organized to accomodate members of Old St. Mary's Church who lived east of Clay Street. In 1899, a fire destroyed all but the church walls and stained glass windows (what is it with churches and fire?), but amazingly, the church was rebuilt and rededicated just one year later. In 1974, the church was deconsecrated and the building named to the National Register of Historic Places.
A few years later, the Verdin Company invested a hefty sum to restore the building to its grandeur, and after two and a half years of work, to say the result is grand would be an understatement. Decorated archways, vaulted, ornamented ceilings, marble walls, polished brass, mosaics, hand-painted murals - it's all here. The stained glass windows are breath-taking, not only for their beauty and craftsmanship, but simply for their immense size. Oh my goodness. Now, this is something.
With a history over 150 years old, you would expect St. Clement's to really be something; after all, the history itself is something. When St. Clement's original church was rebuilt in the 1870's, 1,800 church societies took a special train to attend the laying of the cornerstone. They were met by booming cannons and streets spanned by arches of flowers. How cool is that? An online parish history goes into incredible detail recounting the next 100+ years for the parish, including - and, sadly, this is where tragedy derails my expectations - a terrible fire in 1963. The ornate altar, paintings, and stained glass windows were all lost. The cost of restoring the church to its original splendor was prohibitive, but rebuilding began nonetheless. The result was "functional" and "striking in its simplicity." Yes, those words would be accurate, very accurate . . . just as "barren" and "plain" would also be accurate.
There are no stained glass windows at St. Clement's church. There are no paintings. In fact, there is little, if any, decor at all. Pews resembled pine wood bleachers. I thought there was no crucifix until, when receiving communion, I spied a large crucifix off to the side. Why it was off to the side is beyond me because it was beautiful, and what was above the altar was a big, shiny . . . plus sign. The most striking feature - and possibly the one that "garnered praise from architects and design groups" - was the inclusion of exposed rafters. These soaring wooden rafters, the original I presume, are really beautiful, a unique hallmark connecting the present to the past. Kudos on that point.
There were no kneelers at St. Clement. Of course, the absence of kneelers may have been intentional. My husband and I were by far among the youngest people there. Everything moved at a senior pace, including the "helicopter" greeters who hovered to an extreme. Sensible shoes were in abundance - as were a few pairs of sandals! Ah, the Franciscans! It was a delightful surprise to see them running the show, although, in retrospect, not altogether unexpected given the proximity of the church to Roger Bacon High School.
As my husband and I drove away from the church, I pointed out the home of an old college friend who I hadn't seen in almost twenty years . . . and who happened to be standing outside talking with neighbors! After double-takes on both our parts, she jumped in the back seat so we could pull over and catch up for a while. It was an amazing example of perfect timing and a hilarious - and completely random - way to reconnect our own past and present.
Another "extra credit" opportunity presented itself on Sunday afternoon when my husband and I attended the annual "Empty Bowls" event, a fundraiser benefitting the Freestore Foodbank's Kids Cafe program. The event itself was wonderful (I already have my calendar marked for next year), but the location, the Verdin Bell Event Centre, was a bonus. This building in Over-the-Rhine is actually the former Saint Paul Catholic Church, dedicated in 1850. Wikipedia tells me that St. Paul's was a German-speaking parish organized to accomodate members of Old St. Mary's Church who lived east of Clay Street. In 1899, a fire destroyed all but the church walls and stained glass windows (what is it with churches and fire?), but amazingly, the church was rebuilt and rededicated just one year later. In 1974, the church was deconsecrated and the building named to the National Register of Historic Places.
ATTENDANCE: Comfortably full
DURATION: 50 minutes
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