Want-to-be minor basilica, Saint Joesph Church in Macon, Georgia:
When I was stationed at Saint Joseph Church in Macon, then Bishop Gregory Hartmayer, now the Archbishop of Atlanta, gave me permission to peruse having Saint Joseph Church named a minor basilica. We sought advice from those involved at having the Basilica of the Sacred Heart named a basilica which must have happened about ten years ago, more or less.
Unfortunately, since my departure, and even before, we made little to no progress in moving the needle forward to have Saint Joseph Church named a minor basilica. Congratulations to those at Sacred Heart who knew what they were doing and took the initiative to do it and quickly!
Preparing the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Atlanta for its 150th anniversary has been nothing short of amazing. The church stands as a beautiful example of Romanesque architecture, characterized by its round arches, barrel-vaulted ceiling, and pillared triforium. The sanctuary dome depicts a golden glow of heaven, while the star-studded blue ceiling is inspired by the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy.
Below are before and after photos of the renovation/restoration of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in downtown Atlanta:
Before, which isn’t bad and more than likely just one of many reworkings of the interior in 150 years:
After (my most humble critiques below photos):
I am conflicted with the before “reredos” being removed, although I am sure that was a product of a previous renovation, but I like it, but perhaps without the curtains. The removal of it, exposes the three arches behind the reredos. The tabernacle perch is nice, but I prefer the six candles of the removed reredos. It appears too, that the three steps up that the before altar is on, were reduced to two steps up, meaning the new altar is only two steps higher than the pews. That is too, too, low! I am glad, though, that the priest chairs are no longer behind the new altar.
The painting of the new Sacred Heart image above the altar is far superior than the before!
Overall, the restoration is stunning.
Before:
After:
Again, I think it was a mistake to remove the older reredos. I think it is stunning and fits the sanctuary and a nicer look for the tabernacle. And the decorative candelabra on either side of the reredos are stunning and a tragedy to see those go. The new altar and pedestal for the tabernacle are beautiful and approximate the new altar at St. Joseph in Macon, which it appears to me they tried to copy with the red marble columns. I know they used Conrad Schmitt for the redecorating, but I wonder if they used Ralph Rahn for the altar and altar pedestal, who we used at St. Jospeh’s for our new altar, ambo and priest chairs. (Sadly, a former pastor after me, ditched the priests’ chairs, very expensive, works of art, and donated by a donor, for something cheaper and insignificant! UGH!!!!
The before altar is nice, but out of place there. I think the new one is better, but I think a longer rectangular would have been better with six candlesticks placed on the altar itself would have been nicer.
Before:
After:
I like the restoration very much. It appears that they placed Saint Joseph at the side altar to the right of the main altar, where the Blessed Mother had been. I don’t have the photo of it, but I think Mary is placed to the left of the main altar now, which is the traditional configuration. However, I am not sure if there is a Sacred Heart Statue in this church named after the Sacred Heart. Traditionally, in this style of church configuration, if there is a Sacred Heart Statue, it is placed to the left of the main altar and then Mary to the right, poor old St. Joseph would have to go somewhere else.
Although not clear in the very top photo of St. Joseph Church in Macon, the Blessed Mother’s chapel there is to the right of the main altar because the Sacred Heart chapel is to the left of the main altar, which is the traditional set-up. This is true also at Savannah’s Cathedral.
10 comments:
The "Before" could have been reworked and to stunning effect; it's really a shame that the wrong people were in charge. They got rid of the wall to wall carpeting, however, and that deserves praise.
I prefer the "before" reredos - the scale is more suitable for the sanctuary. I understand what they were trying to do with the "after" reredos, but it is under scaled for the space.
I don't like the after--its constituent elements don't really fit together all that well. The before could've been re-worked with just a few adjustments to really make it all come together in a fitting way.
Nick
Sticking with one off-topic comment, this is worth noting:
https://www.permariam.com/p/breaking-more-erotic-books-by-cdl
Worth additional note is the Vatican's attempt to hide these facts.
But I'm sure this is just part of the last papacy's tremendous success.
Nick
Someone didn't care for the older reredos to waste money on its removal and the diminutive replacement.
Sad, I thought we were beyond destruction in favor of preservation.
The rest is nice. No one ever says in the first instance, "OH my, such beautiful walls!"
To me, and regardless of the beautiful walls, this is a fail.
The new reredo kind of looks like a throne. I wonder if that is what they were going for?
I think so.
Also, the crucifix is misplaced in the renovation.
Hi Father,
This is my church. As you can imagine this is a very sensitive issue in our parish. Just to clarify, the Blessed Mother’s statue has always been to the left of the main altar, and St Joseph has always been to the right. The photo in the post is weird….its like a mirror image. Somehow it is reversed. I can’t figure that photo out. Little has changed with these two side altars, except the remaining altar rail in front has been cut in the middle. They were going to take it out completely but so many people objected since many come to kneel and pray after Mass.
I, too, would have loved to see the existing sanctuary reworked rather than radically changed. I don’t miss the old baldachine that much and like the middle arch visible, but really miss the old high altar with the six candlesticks, not to mention the old crucifix, the new crucifix is another “compromise “.
All in all I like the 1920’s form even though it was before my time.
Hi Mallen! Good to hear from you again after a long hiatus! Thanks for you comment. I know that any tinkering with an historic church building is going to cause some controversy. I’m wondering, is there a door to a sacristy behind the new tabernacle throne? I spearheaded the renovation/restoration of St. Joseph Church in Macon. The old high altar there is magnificent and a work of art. If we had removed that, the three arches there would have stood out, but there is a door to the sacristy directly behind that altar, so something would need to be done to hide it. Originally, I wanted to slice the altar table away from the reredos and bring it forward, which we did at Augusta’s Most Holy Trinity, which is older than your Sacred Heart. However, we were told to do that, would destabilize the reredos and cause it to fall forward, so we settled for a new altar in front of the old, but we elevated the entire sanctuary to do so as, the old sanctuary was two steps up from the nave, then the old altar was four steps up. The new altar, from the congregation’s vantage, highs the older atlar’s table part, making it look like a unity or that there is only one main altar from the congregation’s viewpoint. I think with your situation, something approaching the 1920 look main altar, but not an altar, but a place for the tabernacle, would have been better than what was selected. That would have maintained the six candlesticks and made it more of a restoration. I hope that makes sense. God bless you and a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year!
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