Septuagesima Sunday (A Housekeeping Post)

"Ascend Mortals To This Mountain Top For Here Through Mary All Shall Obtain Salvation.

Our Lady Of Czestochowa, Pray For Us."

From St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Milwaukee.

Now that I have finally posted all of my "Advent" photos and caught up with the Doors Open Milwaukee posts, I now have a little bit of time to take stock in what is going on with Roamin' Catholic Churches.  First, websites like this don't matter much at all without interest from readers who take the time to read, share, and hopefully be entertained by these posts.  In the fast few weeks especially, a number of fine folks have taken a look at the site and shared some of the last few posts or a link to the blog homepage.  For these things, I thank you all!

To my understanding, the sites below have shared a link, photo, or article snippet.  They each post a lot of interesting content in their own right, depending on where your interests lie, and they are all worth least a look.  

The Badger Catholic - (Mostly) Wisconsin Catholicism, also has church photos.: http://badgercatholic.blogspot.com/

Imprisoned In My Bones - Various Catholic topics, focus on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.: http://annebender.blogspot.com/

Catholic Architecture and History of Toledo, Ohio - Church architecture and artwork blog focused on the Diocese of Toledo.: http://catholictoledo.blogspot.com/

Dumb Ox Writings - "Commentary and so forth from a Catholic in Milwaukee.": http://latinandabeer.blogspot.com/

St. Stanislaus Oratory's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ststanislausmilwaukee

I have to make some updates to the blog itself (not the content) soon, and I hope that I get the manuscript and photos ready for the next bigger blog post going soon.  Stay tuned!

Also, from the encouragement of a friend and blog reader, I am adding basic credits to the photos for now.  Then again, I still am not that thrilled with my own photography.  In the event that you do want to use any of these photos beyond blog posts, please email me at roamincatholicchurches@gmail.com and we will work something out.

St. Stanislaus Oratory

524 W. Historic Mitchell Street Milwaukee, WI 53204

http://www.institute-christ-king.org/milwaukee/

Event Report: Doors Open Milwaukee 2014, Part 2

Picking up from the first part of this series (which I posted about two months ago), here we have Milwaukee's answer to the uptake in Latin Mass communities.  St. Stanislaus Oratory is currently southeastern Wisconsin's sole home for the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.  The Institute, based in Chicago, is probably best known for bringing the old Latin Mass back to a number of cities across the country.  

In light of the Latin Mass being celebrated here, you see everything on the high altar oriented to where the Eucharist should be.  "Should be" because during the tours for Doors Open Milwaukee, the priests moved the Eucharist out of the tabernacle (top of this photo) to help avoid irreverent movement around the Host. 

   

Left: Reliquary containing a relic of St. Thomas, Apostle and Martyr.

Right: One of two angels flanking the high altar. 

An important trait about the Institute: They seem quite intent on restoring the oftentimes historic church structures that they occupy.  The major theme for the discussion about the church at Doors Open was the planned restoration project aimed at bringing the church near it's original look from the late 1800s.  I say this here as one of the priest's particular speaking notes was directed to the Polish White Eagle at the top of this photo.  The White Eagle has been a significant Polish icon for generations and the crest shown here is original to the church (Milwaukee's Polish "mother" church).  Just out of view of the picture is a big speaker that keeps the White Eagle practically hidden from most of the church.  Among many other changes, the speaker system is supposed to be altered to reveal this Polish iconography once again.

 

St. Mary, beneath the Cross.  

A beautiful dome mosaic above the Sanctuary.  

"...and that Musky was this big coming out of the water!"  Just kidding, but this is what comes to mind every time I see this picture.  The summary of the planned church restoration was well delivered, even without fish tales.

Doors Open Milwaukee attendees mill around in the Sanctuary asking questions after the presentation.

St. Stanislaus is another of the more fortunate churches in the inner-city Midwest.  Like many of the Chicago churches that I reviewed around the holidays, it came to life by way of a strong group of immigrants.  As the neighborhood changed and daughter parishes sprung from the original St. Stanislaus parish boundaries, attendance decreased drastically.  Similar to St. John Cantius in Chicago, St. Michael in Wausau, and St. Francis de Sales in St. Louis (the latter two I need to write articles for someday) an enthusiastic community giving the Latin Mass arrived and gave St. Stanislaus new life.  The restoration plans should only help bolster the local church community and the surrounding neighborhood.

St. Stanislaus stands next to its former school building, just off of Historic Mitchell Street, the "Polish Grand Avenue" of years past.  The street is now thriving as a center of commerce for Milwaukee's Hispanic community.

With over 150 different sites to visit, Doors Open Milwaukee has been an increasing success in each of its four years.  Catholic sites have been a mainstay in the event since its beginning, and I can only anticipate that this will continue.  It certainly is a great way to break out of one's shell for a weekend and see how other churches, businesses, landmarks, and the people that run them in Milwaukee go about their existence.

Also, a great article describing the upcoming restoration at St. Stanislaus can be see here from Bobby Tanzilo at OnMilwaukee.com: http://onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/ststans.html?viewall=1

St. Stanislaus Oratory

524 W. Historic Mitchell Street Milwaukee, WI 53204

http://www.institute-christ-king.org/milwaukee/

Doors Open Milwaukee

http://doorsopenmilwaukee.org/

Additional Sources and a Disclaimer

I have been volunteering and been enthusiastic about the effort that Doors Open Milwaukee and its mother organization, Historic Milwaukee, Inc. have made for over two years now.  Certainly I believe their annual event is worth attending, along with the numerous other programs that Historic Milwaukee, Inc. puts on.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Today is a holy day of obligation, as the Catholic Church terms it, to commemorate the St. Mary's conception that deemed her free of original sin.  I was in Milwaukee for a run yesterday, and didn't realize this church was named for the Immaculate Conception until walking by (I always thought it was St. Vincent de Paul for some reason).

From the outside, this church looks handsome.  The church was locked, so I couldn't go inside on this visit.  The rectory is visible to the left.

Unusual for Catholic churches that I am familiar with, this steeple is at the end opposite of the front doors of the church.  I am curious to know the history behind this design.  The form of the steeple itself reminds me of the steeple at St. John's Cathedral, just a few miles north of here.

Looking behind from where I took the previous photo, you see "Downtown" Bayview on Kinnickinnick (KK) Avenue.  Bayview is one of Milwaukee's many upstanding neighborhoods, with a wide selection of eateries, shops, and housing stock.  The church down the Avenue is St. Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Church, another nice edifice in this part of Milwaukee.

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

1023 E Russell Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53207
http://icbayview.wordpress.com/

Solomon Juneau, Founder of Milwaukee

From Calvary Cemetery during Doors Open Milwaukee 2014.  Juneau was a fur trader who settled a eventually subdivided the first modern lots in the City of Milwaukee in the 1830s.  The Juneautown part of Downtown made up these first lots, anchored by his cabin site near the Milwaukee River.  He also served as a Mayor for the City.

Solomon and his wife, Josette were known as Catholics, so it comes as little surprise that a memorial stands in Milwaukee's best-known Catholic cemetery.  November 14th marked the 158 years since his passing.  Today marks 159 years since Josette's passing.

Little known fact, in his later years, Solomon moved to and founded the much smaller community of Theresa, about 45 miles northwest of Milwaukee in Dodge County.

Calvary Cemetery

5503 W. Bluemound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53208

Friends of Calvary Cemetery: http://www.friendsofcalvarycemetery.org/

Event Report: Doors Open Milwaukee 2014, Part 1

Local author John Gurda lectures a full house of visitors on the history of the Basilica of St. Josaphat.

Doors Open Milwaukee (DOMKE) is an annual event where many institutions in the City literally open their doors for tours by the general public.  What is perhaps most wonderful about this event and others like it is that it gives folks of all persuasions the opportunity to go explore and become a greater part of the city that they live in (or in my case be interested in).  Apparently this concept is not lost on the Catholic Church in Milwaukee, as several parishes and other Catholic sites participated in the event in September.

I ventured to several religious and secular sites in my visit to DOMKE 2014.  The first of which was the chapel and crypt at Calvary Cemetery, in the Story Hill neighborhood.  Mounted on the highest hill in the cemetery near the end of the 19th Century, it has stood in a practically abandoned state for nearly fifty years.  However, the group Friends of Calvary Cemetery are in the process of restoring the chapel.

Left: Altar inside the chapel.

Right: Rose window above the chapel portal.

The only occupied resting place in the basement crypt, for Father Idziego Tarasiewicza.

Entry to Calvary Cemetery, with Holy Cross Church, part of St. Vincent Palotti Parish, across West Bluemound Road.

Chapel for the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi.

Left: A announcement for the Sisters Adoration Chapel.

Right: One of two impressive reliquaries in the main chapel.

Christ King Chapel at St. Francis de Sales Seminary, nearly adjacent to the Sisters' home near Milwaukee's southeastern-most city limits.

St. Francis de Sales Seminary is the oldest continually-run seminary in the United States.

A highlight of the day was certainly the lecture at the Basilica with local historian John Gurda.  Gurda has made the City of Milwaukee a personal study for over forty years, and his knowledge of the City and connection with the Basilica neighborhood helped fill the pews for a nearly hour-long talk.  I was five minutes late and was relegated to the narthex doors.  

It's possible that the most photogenic holy water fonts I've ever seen reside at the Basilica.

Part 2 forthcoming pending some Photoshop-ing.

Sites visited in this post:

The Basilica of St. Josaphat

2333 S. 6th St.  Milwaukee, WI 53215

http://thebasilica.org/

Calvary Cemetery

5503 W. Bluemound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53208

Friends of Calvary Cemetery: http://www.friendsofcalvarycemetery.org/

Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi

3221 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis, WI 53235

http://www.lakeosfs.org/

Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi

3257 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis, WI 53235

http://www.sfs.edu/SFSHome

Additional Sources and a Disclaimer

I have been volunteering and been enthusiastic about the effort that Doors Open Milwaukee and its mother organization, Historic Milwaukee, Inc. have made for over two years now.  Certainly I believe their annual event is worth attending, along with the numerous other programs that Historic Milwaukee, Inc. puts on.  The basic facts that I shared in this post come from Door Open Milwaukee's event guide, available at: http://doorsopenmilwaukee.org/buildings/

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day celebrations are seemingly everywhere today.  Milwaukee hosted its downtown St. Patrick's Day Parade this past Saturday.  Prior to that, the Wisconsin Shamrock Club partnered with Our Lady of Guadalupe/St. Patrick Parish to have a special St. Patrick's Mass at the namesake church.

This church dates back to 1893, although I believe it is not the first church of the St. Patrick congregation in Milwaukee. The old school building, to the left, dates from 1876.  Originally built for the Walker's Point and south side neighborhood Irish Catholics, St. Patrick's has merged with Our Lady of Guadalupe (formerly Holy Trinity) and serves part of Milwaukee's Mexican-American community.

With help from the Shamrock Club, the church has been well-restored in recent years.  Notable is the Celtic/Irish influence on many features. 

Displayed on a side altar, this statue of Mary was recovered from a fire which severely damaged St. Patrick's in the past as I was told.  I am not sure if this fire was to the current St. Patrick's building, or perhaps an earlier blaze, as the neighborhood around the church saw at least a couple devastating fires around the turn of the 20th Century.

 St. Patrick

Likely with help from the restoration effort, the windows looked pristine.  I didn't have enough time to take full stock in all of the windows, but they highlighted a number of saints and religious figures that I don't see in most churches.  Click on any of these photos to see them in greater detail.

I was fascinated by these dormer-like windows on the church roof.  These windows provide light into the higher row of stained glass windows that you see at the top of the second photo in this post.

How do three-foot Celtic door hinges not catch your eye?

The school building, now home for Notre Dame Primary School, has a richly detailed face.  Note especially the detail near the top of the portico.

St. Patrick Catholic Church, Our Lady of Guadalupe/St. Patrick Parish

723 W. Washington St.  Milwaukee, WI 53204

Additional Sources

http://shamrockclubwis.com/StPatMass.html

Two Basilicas in One Day, Part 2 - St. Josaphat

The second basilica visit on this day was nearly as hectic as the first.  By the time I arrived at St. Josaphat, it was already dark, after the vigil mass.  Fortunately, the Basilica was hosting a concert that evening, so I was able to catch some photos with the evening lighting.

Altar of the Annunciation, with the advent wreath, votive candles, and the umbrellino all nearby.

Detail of the altar, featuring the Black Madonna and Child.  The Black Madonna, often referred to as Our Lady of Czestochowa, is the patroness of Poland.  The neighborhood of the Basilica began as a large Polish immigrant stronghold, starting many parishes in south Milwaukee.  To this day, Polish-American traditions still hold sway around the south side of the Milwaukee metro area, including at the Basilica.

A side altar, originating from the previous St. Josaphat's parish church from the 19th century.  With the altar's center devoted to Our Lady of the Rosary, we also see Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Milwaukee's prominent south-siders are newer immigrants and their descendants from Mexico.  Their presence around the south side of Milwaukee makes for one of the most culturally vibrant parts of Wisconsin.  Their devotion to Catholicism is also vital to keeping many of Milwaukee's parishes open after the departure of other ethnic groups. 

Detail of St. Joseph and the Christ Child, from a matching side altar.

The Annual Helping Tree.

Many of these anecdotes come from The Basilica of St. Josaphat, a book produced by the Basilica in 2002.  It is a rich guide on the history of the community, architecture, and decor of the Basilica.

The Basilica of St. Josaphat

2333 S. 6th St.  Milwaukee, WI 53215
http://thebasilica.org/