Week One Hundred and Thirty-One - Saint Louis (Batesville)
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5:00 Saturday afternoon mass, St. Louis. The schedule was empty, the weather was clear, and the tank was full. Time for a road trip. Batesville isn't exactly around the corner, so I think this may be the westernmost edge of The Tour. It was a pleasant drive though, and the church was easy to locate - another small town landmark.
St. Louis Parish dates back to 1868. Today, it is one of the largest and most influential parishes in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. There's a lot of history in-between there, and it would appear that most, if not all, of it is documented on the church's website. I'm sure it's fascinating if you want to take the time going through it. I didn't, but I couldn't resist skimming for highlights - and there were a lot of them. German was the spoken language in the church and school until 1887, when a gradual - and what was surely considered radical - conversion was made to English. Pot-bellied stoves were replaced with a furnace in 1894. I particularly liked this bit of information about the "sitz versteigerung" or "pew auction":
"A quaint custom that was retained during these years was the so-called "Sitz Versteigerung" or "Pew Auction." On the appointed day, usually right after Christmas, the church bells would be rung and the parishioners would gather to claim a seat or seats at a price. Certain places in church were more desirable, especially the middle aisle from the center on back Side aisle pews were lower on the scale. It was a matter of prestige to advance, if possible, from the side aisle to the middle aisle. One's standing in the community was measured by how much was bid to obtain .a certain seat. Rivalry could develop about holding on to your place or bettering it if possible. Spirited bidding often resulted, or someone with a bit of impishness in them could "run the price up" on a seat they did not want but which they knew someone else desired very much." (www.stlouis-batesville.org)
St. Louis Parish dates back to 1868. Today, it is one of the largest and most influential parishes in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. There's a lot of history in-between there, and it would appear that most, if not all, of it is documented on the church's website. I'm sure it's fascinating if you want to take the time going through it. I didn't, but I couldn't resist skimming for highlights - and there were a lot of them. German was the spoken language in the church and school until 1887, when a gradual - and what was surely considered radical - conversion was made to English. Pot-bellied stoves were replaced with a furnace in 1894. I particularly liked this bit of information about the "sitz versteigerung" or "pew auction":
"A quaint custom that was retained during these years was the so-called "Sitz Versteigerung" or "Pew Auction." On the appointed day, usually right after Christmas, the church bells would be rung and the parishioners would gather to claim a seat or seats at a price. Certain places in church were more desirable, especially the middle aisle from the center on back Side aisle pews were lower on the scale. It was a matter of prestige to advance, if possible, from the side aisle to the middle aisle. One's standing in the community was measured by how much was bid to obtain .a certain seat. Rivalry could develop about holding on to your place or bettering it if possible. Spirited bidding often resulted, or someone with a bit of impishness in them could "run the price up" on a seat they did not want but which they knew someone else desired very much." (www.stlouis-batesville.org)
How can you not love that? I had never heard of such a custom, but it explains a lot about the brass numbers I've seen on pews so often, including this weekend, at St. Louis. What I didn't love was reading about the church renovation in 1962. You know this church had to be a looker in her day, so I found it sad to see the results of that "renovation" - a ceiling covered with acoustical tiles, walnut paneling lining the entire nave, concealed lighting. I like a church that looks like a church, not a family room.
Truth is, there really isn't a whole lot to look at at St. Louis. Things are pretty . . . beige . . . and boring. Thankfully, someone had the sense not to mess with the altar, however, because this one is a beauty. A soaring white and occasionally-gilded monster, it includes a number of statues fitted into small alcoves worked in among the spires. Among all the goings-on of the altar is also the tabernacle, a small white nondescript door. It's like a secret compartment. Interesting.
The house was full for this mass, but apparently singing doesn't run in the Hoosier blood. Granted, the two or three individuals leading the congregation didn't exactly whip the crowd into a frenzy - who knew "How Great Thou Art?" could be sung as a dirge - but it was deafeningly silent during the hymns, one might even say borderline embarrassing. The "choir" had such promise too in their nice blue robes. They were trying, so I'll give them credit for that. It just would have been nice if everyone else in this "large and influential" parish tried just as hard.
ATTENDANCE: Comfortably full
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