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Monday, November 5, 2007

Every Cloud has a Silver Lining


This picture of our St. Joseph window is a little fuzzy - I didn't have a tripod after Mass tonight. I really like our church's windows - but the drawback to winter (and I'm sorry, in my mind it's now WINTER when the clocks go back to standard time) is that I don't get to enjoy the stained glass windows during Mass - it being freakin' DARK by about the time we start the Sunday evening Mass. The silver lining is that all the heathens outside get to see them. Maybe they'll be "drawn in." Especially if I remember not to call them heathens.

Most of our main eight windows are in this Tiffany glass style. The one major exception is of the one of Our Lady of Lourdes, which you can see here. But even she is framed the same way as the others. The Tiffany glass looks very old fashioned now, but it was the height of fashion when it went in. I've grown very fond of them.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous!!!!!!!

Autumn said...

Oh, Tiffany style is wonderful, timeless!

There is a wonderful window in my home town of Mary and St. Cecilia...a pre-Raphaelite, very beautiful. Unfortunately, it is in the Anglican Church which was stolen from us during the reformation, as all old Churches were :¬( The window, of course is post-reformation, as much of the old Catholic decoration was de-faced and vandalised by the protestants, but intrinsically Catholic, and very beautiful!

AR xx

Autumn said...

Here is a link:

http://www.timetravel-britain.com/05/fall/1pics/nant5.jpg

gemoftheocean said...

Autumnrose: What a gorgeous window. To think: back in those times people often barely scratched a living. And yet the churches had the most beautiful items. now "they" put up a modern church and it's like there is a competition to see who can make the most ugly utilitarian creation!

The Digital Hairshirt said...

Karen:

When our parish was first established in 1887, it was called Our Lady of the Rosary - aka "the Church by the Depot" (we are within spittin' distance to the Santa Fe station in Santa Ana). It was not until after the first structure burned down a relatively short time after the parish was establihed that we were renamed after St. Joseph.

When the third (and current) structure was built in 1947, in honor of our roots, the church is surrounded on both sides with beautiful stained glass winodws, depicting the mysteries of the Rosary. Funny how habits form - if I attend the 9:00 Friday school Mass for our school kids, I always measure how far back in the church to sit (children go up front) by lining myself up with "The Presentation in the Temple".

I will see if I can post pictures.

gemoftheocean said...

Digi - I'd love to see them - - Unless I am hallucinating - is your church visible from the Freeway? If so, it seems to me drive time you are maybe just a few minutes south of "the Mouse" or at least about where I start paying attention to the exit signs for same!

I'm very glad I belong to a parish that was built pre mid 60s. AFter that, as a rule of thumb "le deluge."

Karen
Karen

The Digital Hairshirt said...

Karen:

The only church that I can think of that is "visible from the freeway" just "south of the Mouse" is the Crystal Cathedral.

No, little St. Joseph's is in downtown Santa Ana, about a minute or two as the crow flies to the east of the water tower that says, "Santa Ana: Dowtown Orange County" - THAT you can see from the freeway.

My pastor and I have a tradition of having breakfast or lunch once a month - next one is coming up on the 12th - I should suggest he expand the "Pictures" section of the church's website to include our lovely interior.

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