4:30 Saturday afternoon mass, St. John the Evangelist. It's funny - the places I've found over the past seventy-nine weeks, places so close to home, places I never knew even existed, places of beauty, sometimes even places on the National Register of Historic Places. Such is the case with St. John the Evangelist Church.
Located just a very, very short distance off I-75's Pike Street Exit in Covington (as evidenced by the sign in the church's parking lot: "Additional Parking under I-75"), I have to wonder - how many times did I drive that stretch of southbound highway and absentmindedly glance at the towering steeple to my right? I do know that, from now on, it will register. From now on, I will say, "There's St. John's."
St. John's is the third oldest parish in Covington. The original church was built in 1854, but when major renovations were required because of its hillside location, the only alternative was to find a new location. Hence, the Pike Street property was purchased and the current church completed in 1924. The style of the church is "German Gothic." I don't know what the means, but it makes me think of werewolves and vampires . . . which makes no sense at all.
ATTENDANCE: One-fourthLocated just a very, very short distance off I-75's Pike Street Exit in Covington (as evidenced by the sign in the church's parking lot: "Additional Parking under I-75"), I have to wonder - how many times did I drive that stretch of southbound highway and absentmindedly glance at the towering steeple to my right? I do know that, from now on, it will register. From now on, I will say, "There's St. John's."
St. John's is the third oldest parish in Covington. The original church was built in 1854, but when major renovations were required because of its hillside location, the only alternative was to find a new location. Hence, the Pike Street property was purchased and the current church completed in 1924. The style of the church is "German Gothic." I don't know what the means, but it makes me think of werewolves and vampires . . . which makes no sense at all.
I like the exterior of St. John's more than the interior, mainly because of the statues of the four Gospel writers overlooking the main entrance of the church, something I found particularly charming. The soaring steeple is certainly impressive. According to the church's website, the proportions of the church are that of the "old masters of Medieval Architecture." To be more specific, the height of the steeple corresponds to the length of the church, both 163 feet. The things you learn.
While the interior has all the requisite bells and whistles of the churches I've become most fond of, I regret to say that St. John's didn't make my "favorites" list. Oh, there is quite a bit to see here - an altar of Italian marble, German stained glass windows, a beautiful arched wooden ceiling, but it doesn't . . . flow. It's just not one of the prettier church I've seen. I think the biggest problem for me was the overall color scheme, something that wouldn't have been my first choice at the paint store - pink and blue, and not just one, but two shades of pink. I've seen quite a few churches painted in pink, and each time, I'm baffled by it. There's also definitely something Bavarian going on here. I don't know how to explain it, and it's not a bad thing, but I've seen the painted details somewhere before . . . maybe in a bakery.
As I waited for mass to start, I pointed out to my husband a framed niche off on the right side of the church. I could see a statue within, but it was dark there, and quite a bit of "stuff" in front of it made it difficult to get a closer look. I found out later that the small alcove housed a copy of Michelangelo's Pieta. Interesting, but I'm not sure why it's that big of a deal to have a "copy" of the masterpiece. I'm holding out for the real thing.
The one thing that really caught my attention was behind the altar. There were several beautiful paintings on the dome and walls of the sanctuary, including a series of seven "birds." I say "birds" in quotes because although they clearly included bird bodies, the heads on these bodies varied. I kept looking at these bird-bodies, thinking, "The head on that one sure looks like a cat . . . and the head on that one really looks like . . . the Borden cow." A closer look as I approached the altar to receive communion confirmed my suspicions. Although I never did get a chance to see all seven, one bird-body had the head of a lion, one had the head of a cow, and one may have actually had the head of a hawk. Clearly, this is something I'm not familiar with. What gives?
St. John's is a fairly big church, especially in height. Echoes reverberated with every word spoken by the priest, making comprehension somewhat difficult. In addition, as the wooden kneelers were primarily just that - wooden, each time someone lowered a kneeler a little too fast or a little too hard, a virtual shot rang out as it hit the tile floor. Although I would estimate that no more than one-fourth of the church was filled, given the size of the church, there was still a considerable number in attendance.
When my husband and I arrived at St. John's with ample time to spare, we took a quick drive around the neighborhood. We happened to turn around in the parking lot of a condominium complex and were rewarded with the most spectacular view of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky I have ever seen. It was a clear day, and the view stretched 180 degrees in front of me. The photo below really doesn't do it justice as it is only a portion of what lay in front of me. I'm still regretting not taking a series of photos to later assemble into a panoramic shot.
While the interior has all the requisite bells and whistles of the churches I've become most fond of, I regret to say that St. John's didn't make my "favorites" list. Oh, there is quite a bit to see here - an altar of Italian marble, German stained glass windows, a beautiful arched wooden ceiling, but it doesn't . . . flow. It's just not one of the prettier church I've seen. I think the biggest problem for me was the overall color scheme, something that wouldn't have been my first choice at the paint store - pink and blue, and not just one, but two shades of pink. I've seen quite a few churches painted in pink, and each time, I'm baffled by it. There's also definitely something Bavarian going on here. I don't know how to explain it, and it's not a bad thing, but I've seen the painted details somewhere before . . . maybe in a bakery.
As I waited for mass to start, I pointed out to my husband a framed niche off on the right side of the church. I could see a statue within, but it was dark there, and quite a bit of "stuff" in front of it made it difficult to get a closer look. I found out later that the small alcove housed a copy of Michelangelo's Pieta. Interesting, but I'm not sure why it's that big of a deal to have a "copy" of the masterpiece. I'm holding out for the real thing.
The one thing that really caught my attention was behind the altar. There were several beautiful paintings on the dome and walls of the sanctuary, including a series of seven "birds." I say "birds" in quotes because although they clearly included bird bodies, the heads on these bodies varied. I kept looking at these bird-bodies, thinking, "The head on that one sure looks like a cat . . . and the head on that one really looks like . . . the Borden cow." A closer look as I approached the altar to receive communion confirmed my suspicions. Although I never did get a chance to see all seven, one bird-body had the head of a lion, one had the head of a cow, and one may have actually had the head of a hawk. Clearly, this is something I'm not familiar with. What gives?
St. John's is a fairly big church, especially in height. Echoes reverberated with every word spoken by the priest, making comprehension somewhat difficult. In addition, as the wooden kneelers were primarily just that - wooden, each time someone lowered a kneeler a little too fast or a little too hard, a virtual shot rang out as it hit the tile floor. Although I would estimate that no more than one-fourth of the church was filled, given the size of the church, there was still a considerable number in attendance.
When my husband and I arrived at St. John's with ample time to spare, we took a quick drive around the neighborhood. We happened to turn around in the parking lot of a condominium complex and were rewarded with the most spectacular view of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky I have ever seen. It was a clear day, and the view stretched 180 degrees in front of me. The photo below really doesn't do it justice as it is only a portion of what lay in front of me. I'm still regretting not taking a series of photos to later assemble into a panoramic shot.
See the steeple towards the left in the photo? "There's St. John's."
DURATION: 50 minutes
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