Mary Means when she started Main Street America had three concerns which guided her – caring for historic downtowns, but also courthouses and churches which were threatened with being lost forever. This morning while at mass at the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit, I was reflecting on our Main Street network and particularly how the conference is coming to Detroit
Basilica of Saint Louis, KingOn this location the first church in St. Louis A small wood structure, was blessed on June 24, 1770. Six years later it was replaced by a larger church of white oak timbers blessed and used for divine service for the first time in early summer of 1776. It also served as the cathedral for the
1) NARTHEX. This gathering place is a fine example of Byzantine style art and architecture The lower wall is buff marble to symbolize earth. The mosaic panels above are paved with a series of scenes about the life of Saint Louis IX, King of France (1214-1270), patron saint of the city. The barrel vaulted ceiling is covered by a swirling
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Praetorian Barracks (Sacro Cuore di Gesù a Castro Pretorio) is topped by a prominent statue of “Christ The Redeemer” on the bell tower is made of gilded bronze and was added in 1931. The basilica is situated on the Esquiline hill, on Via Marsala, opposite the main Termini railway station. It
The Basilica of San Vitale (Basilica dei Santi Vitale e Compagni Martiri in Fovea) is a very ancient church located on the Via Nazionale. The ceiling is a modern, flat, coffered ceiling made of varnished wood. It was installed relatively recently in 1938 as part of a significant restoration of the basilica. The ceiling features painted and gilded decoration within
St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square are located in Vatican City, a microstate enclaved within Rome, Italy. The monumental square was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and constructed between 1656 and 1667. It features a large elliptical space framed by colossal Tuscan colonnades, which consist of 284 columns and 88 pilasters arranged in four rows. These colonnades are often
The building in the image is the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (Arcibasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano), located in Rome, Italy. It holds the title of the cathedral of Rome and is considered the “mother and head of all the Churches of the Urbe and Orbe” (the city of Rome and the world). It is the highest-ranking and oldest
Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the four major papal basilicas and the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is a masterpiece of Christian art and architecture with origins dating back to the 5th century. As one of the four major papal basilicas in Rome, it has a special status and is a significant pilgrimage destination.
Guardian Angel Roman Catholic Church has a steeply pitched gable with intersecting gable to form the transept. An angular spire rises near the front with a crucifix on top. Inside the steeply pitched roof frames the architectural space. Side aisles have extensive stained glass sections along the length of the nave. A grotto with the blessed Virgin Mary is across
Hillsdale has a number of multi-story historic brick buildings, some with elaborate brickwork. This building has been adapted on the ground floor. The upper floor is largely intact. There are three bays divided by pilasters running the length of the second floor. The central bay has a round arched window with the central of three windows slightly larger and the