Week Sixty-Nine - Saint Xavier
4:00 Saturday afternoon mass, St. Xavier. What's not to love about the Jesuits? With a Jesuit education in my own background and now that of my children as well, I have a certain fondness for the boys. I have always found the Jesuits to be bright, dedicated, and likable - the "rock stars" of the priesthood, and so it was with great anticipation that I headed back downtown this weekend to St. Xavier Church. I wasn't disappointed.
Founded in 1845, St. Xavier has the distinction of being Cincinnati's first Catholic church. St. Xavier is also one of relatively few Jesuit parishes in the United States - it is technically part of the Chicago Jesuit province and not a part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. What the ramifications of that are, I have no idea. In reading over the history of the church on St. Xavier's website, my favorite part was this: "A large mid-century influx of Irish immigrants challenged the sensibilities of Cincinnati's original German settlers. In response, St. Louis Church . . . became the "German church" and St. Xavier the "Irish church."" That's the Christian spirit. Can you even imagine the things that were said?
Although it was several years ago, I had already been to St. Xavier. Back in my working days, my coworkers and I would go to mass at St. X during our lunch hour on holydays. I remember the interior being strikingly beautiful. I also remember it being . . . blue, turquoise blue. Well, it's still blue, and there's a lot of it. Historically, the original church was all beige with a few hints of cherry red, but in 1987, the architect working on renovations to the church very purposefully chose bold colors to reflect the "medieval custom of enlivening great churches with strong colors." I guess I can respect that, but I'm still not a fan of the color scheme.
Even with its questionable color scheme, St. Xavier is an amazing space, what some consider the finest example of Gothic revival in Cincinnati. Pointed arches, countless spires, gargoyles, several marble altars. The checkered floor tiles will definitely catch your eye, and there's simply no ignoring the Jesuit presence here. Two large stained glass windows behind the altar depict St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier, and a large painted mural features several of the most influential Jesuits. There's definitely a lot to see here. Even the lighting fixtures are cool art-deco - quite frankly, looking better suited to the Netherland Plaza than a church. In 1882, fire (again with the fires!) gutted the interior of the church, destroying the roof and spire, but amazingly - and fortunately - all was repaired within the same year.
There was a good number of people at this mass. I ran into a friend there and asked her if it was always that way. After we agreed that the forecast for snow was definitely a factor in this week's attendance, she also pointed out the popularity of St. Xavier's pastor, Father Eric Knapp, the presiding priest at this mass. "He really pulls 'em in," she said. A video on St. X's website gave me the lowdown on Father Knapp. Sent by the Chicago province just a few years ago to revive the parish, Father Knapp's efforts have already been incredibly successful. Knapp has brought new life to St. X, with over 600 households registering in recent years. 126 different zip codes are now represented in the parish, and the number of younger parishioners continues to grow. So influential is Father Knapp, not only in Catholic circles but in the revitalization of downtown, that he has received several awards for his work. I too took an immediate liking to Father Knapp and can definitely see the draw. He was, well . . . peppy . . . and sharp. He kept the mass going at a brisk pace. He spoke loudly and clearly, and although his homily was a bit wordy, his words were intelligent and defined.
In addition to the friend that I ran into at this mass, other friends have begun making the drive from West Chester just to go to church at St. Xavier. A beautiful church, a charismatic pastor, and, of course, the Jesuits. I'd say it's worth the trip.
ATTENDANCE: Two-thirds fullFounded in 1845, St. Xavier has the distinction of being Cincinnati's first Catholic church. St. Xavier is also one of relatively few Jesuit parishes in the United States - it is technically part of the Chicago Jesuit province and not a part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. What the ramifications of that are, I have no idea. In reading over the history of the church on St. Xavier's website, my favorite part was this: "A large mid-century influx of Irish immigrants challenged the sensibilities of Cincinnati's original German settlers. In response, St. Louis Church . . . became the "German church" and St. Xavier the "Irish church."" That's the Christian spirit. Can you even imagine the things that were said?
Although it was several years ago, I had already been to St. Xavier. Back in my working days, my coworkers and I would go to mass at St. X during our lunch hour on holydays. I remember the interior being strikingly beautiful. I also remember it being . . . blue, turquoise blue. Well, it's still blue, and there's a lot of it. Historically, the original church was all beige with a few hints of cherry red, but in 1987, the architect working on renovations to the church very purposefully chose bold colors to reflect the "medieval custom of enlivening great churches with strong colors." I guess I can respect that, but I'm still not a fan of the color scheme.
Even with its questionable color scheme, St. Xavier is an amazing space, what some consider the finest example of Gothic revival in Cincinnati. Pointed arches, countless spires, gargoyles, several marble altars. The checkered floor tiles will definitely catch your eye, and there's simply no ignoring the Jesuit presence here. Two large stained glass windows behind the altar depict St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier, and a large painted mural features several of the most influential Jesuits. There's definitely a lot to see here. Even the lighting fixtures are cool art-deco - quite frankly, looking better suited to the Netherland Plaza than a church. In 1882, fire (again with the fires!) gutted the interior of the church, destroying the roof and spire, but amazingly - and fortunately - all was repaired within the same year.
There was a good number of people at this mass. I ran into a friend there and asked her if it was always that way. After we agreed that the forecast for snow was definitely a factor in this week's attendance, she also pointed out the popularity of St. Xavier's pastor, Father Eric Knapp, the presiding priest at this mass. "He really pulls 'em in," she said. A video on St. X's website gave me the lowdown on Father Knapp. Sent by the Chicago province just a few years ago to revive the parish, Father Knapp's efforts have already been incredibly successful. Knapp has brought new life to St. X, with over 600 households registering in recent years. 126 different zip codes are now represented in the parish, and the number of younger parishioners continues to grow. So influential is Father Knapp, not only in Catholic circles but in the revitalization of downtown, that he has received several awards for his work. I too took an immediate liking to Father Knapp and can definitely see the draw. He was, well . . . peppy . . . and sharp. He kept the mass going at a brisk pace. He spoke loudly and clearly, and although his homily was a bit wordy, his words were intelligent and defined.
In addition to the friend that I ran into at this mass, other friends have begun making the drive from West Chester just to go to church at St. Xavier. A beautiful church, a charismatic pastor, and, of course, the Jesuits. I'd say it's worth the trip.
DURATION: 45 minutes
No comments:
Post a Comment