What I want you to notice is the old high altar with the tabernacle and six candlesticks. That wasn't there in the 1970's. The tabernacle had been moved to a very lovely side chapel immediately to the left of the sanctuary. There is another side chapel to the right also, but completely separate. Both are wonderful chapels and have ad orientem altars for Mass, but completely hidden from the nave.
The tabernacle was replaced on the old high altar about 10 years ago along with the traditional candle arrangement. In the early 1970's in a unique liturgy, that altar was completely stripped and all the accoutrements were carted away in a wheel barrow signifying the new day for the liturgy and devotions. Oh well. Thank God that everything old is new again.
Now the following picture is absolutely stunning! This is the Paca Street Seminary Chapel of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is the original site of St. Mary's Seminary before it moved from downtown Baltimore to Roland Park. The seminary building was demolished in the early 1970's. But the chapel because it is historic and associated with Saint Elizabeth Anne Seton when she was in Baltimore was maintained.
However, in the 1970's it was completely stripped and the old high altar was completely removed as well as the stain glass windows as I recall. It was horrible and typical of what happened to these places of worship in the 1970's. It was made to look ultra-Calvinistic and was precisely that.
I don't have any before shots but this is their restoration of the chapel recently and I am stunned! It was restored to look like it did in 1808.
This altar was completely removed (I suspect this is new) as well as the statue of Mary above it in the 1970's now restored!
The building behind the chapel which you can see in the above right of the photo was the actual seminary which was torn down in the early 70's. This is the outside of the chapel:
4 comments:
See how absolutely atrocious it looks for pant legs to be sticking out from under an alb? It looks magnificently sloppy.
Those poor high altars are yearning, yearning to have the Sacrifice upon them, yearning to have the tacky temporary tables in front of them demolished.
It's the wilful lack of attention to detail that gets me. Margaret Thatcher's funeral yesterday was meticulous in that respect, and not just the military side of things (which you would expect, this being London) but also the service in St Paul's. The cathedral clergy and the Archbishop of Canterbury were in black copes, the elevated language of the Prayer Book and King James bible were used, the funeral sentences were those composed for Lord Nelson, and the rest of the music was by Purcell, Handel, Faure, Vaughan Williams and Stanford. Even the politicians (including the Labour leader) exchanged their lounge suits for formal dress, although, alas, no-one wears silk hats these days.
The final prayers by the Bishop of London were taken from the Roman, not the Anglican ritual - 'Profisiscere, anima christiana, de hoc mundo' and 'Requiem aeternam', both in dignified translations. A singular choice for a former Methodist.
Mrs. Thatcher's funeral service was excellent. It was sober, reserved, yet not oppressive.
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One thing I've noticed is that military chaplains tend to be some of the most consistent and meticulous celebrants.
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