Voting

Going to vote!  Getting out early before the crowds.

Too many to detail... but Mont St. Michel France Today

Although we do have internet, the signal is very low.  So... a few comments about where I have been and I'll post pictures and details when I get home.

This is part of the Abbey at Mont St. Michel.  It is on an island where the tide comes and goes quickly, surrounding the island.  This picture is one of my favorites taken within the interior of a set of columns.

Yesterday started out church at Notre Dame in Paris.  Yesterday afternoon and today we visited many more churches.  Great bunch of pictures, lots of time to pray and reflect, and it feels good to put my feet up for a while.

Pat Deere

Churches while in Paris

It's already midnight and we are getting up to go to 8:30am mass at Notre-Dame de Paris.  Super exctited about that. If we are late, we will make it to the 10:00am mass.

Churches we saw today that I will blog about when more time and better technology permits...
Notre-Dame de Paris (batteries ran out of my camera... will take more pictures tomorrow).
St. Eustache ... wonderful old church we caught the end of their service on this evening.
St. Merri ... another beautiful church I would like to spend more time in.

Today I was able to spend some quite time at Notre-Dame, light a candle and pray for the people I love and all that I am thankful for, reflect on all of the many artists whose labor of love has gone into the church buildings we visited today.

Much more to come,

Pat Deere

St. Mary le Bow Church, Cheapside, London

And the European church and chapel hunt begins. Today we were lucky enough to stumble upon St. Mary le Bow Church. Tomorrow I am going to buy a tripod for my camera, but for today I have posted a couple of photos from within the church.

Working on this internet system is not like working on my own system so for now, this is all I will post about this church.  But, their link is below and when I am able to work on a keyboard I am familiar with and not on a timed internet card, I plan to add more information about this beautiful church.

Links:  St. Mary le Bow Web Site

Pat Deere

Tomorrow... off to Westminster Abbey.

August Window of the Month from the Michigan Stained Glass Census

The Michigan Stained Glass Census is one of the coolest things in Michigan in my opinion.  If you ever get a chance to browse through the years of work they have been collecting, you would be amazed.  Their goal is to document all stained glass in the state of Michigan using volunteers to help in that effort.  If you have a passion for stained glass and have some time to help, let them know.

The first paragraph from the Michigan Stained Glasss Census web site for August reads as follows.  Click on the link to get information about the rest of the church, more photos of the stained glass, and information about the organization that does all of this documentation.

Founded in 1914, the First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak is in its second church home, a modern Gothic grey limestone building designed by Philadelphia architect Harold E. Wagoner and built by Walter L. Couse of Detroit. Following completion of the sanctuary in 1955, a chapel and buildings for education and fellowship were added during the 1960s. The windows of First Presbyterian Church were designed by Marguerite Gaudin (1909-1991) and Eric Sundean (1924-2003) and fabricated from 1954 to 1980 by the Willet Stained Glass Studios of Philadelphia. They include 88 stained glass figural windows in the sanctuary, chapel, and Christian Education wing, and five faceted glass symbolic windows in the Fellowship Hall. Inspired by French thirteen -century stained glass, the neo-Gothic figural windows are twentieth -century versions of biblical and historical events, encompassing a uniformity of design and color as a collective whole. The pictorial narrative of the windows unfolds thematically around the west and east walls of the sanctuary, depicting Old Testament prophets, the life of Christ, Reformation leaders such as Francis Makemie, the founder of the Presbyterian Church, medieval church figures, apostolic scenes, and the parables and miracles of Jesus.

When I got onto the website for the church, I found a lot of spirit around giving back to the community.  For more information about this volunteer opportunities, click onto the web link for the church below.  Some of what they are involved in includes:

Hands On Missions
These ministries are accomplished by the grace of God and your efforts.
~Gleaners Community Food Bank
~Volunteers spend three hours at the Detroit warehouse.
~World Medical Relief
~Greening of Detroit
~Detroit Habitat for Humanity
~South Oakland Shelter (S0S)
~South Oakland Citizens for the Homeless (S.O.C.H.)
~South Oakland Community Lunch Program
~Joy of Jesus Camp Clean Up
~Yucatan Peninsula Mission
I noticed many of these opportunities are available for families including smaller children.  What a great way to get involved.

Pat Deere

Links: 
Pictures In Glass information on Stained Glass for Churches and Commercial Settings
First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak
Michigan Stained Glass Census, August Window Of The Month

St. George Church photographed by Dave Lamarand Photography

Wow.  I have never been to a Greek Orthodox church but have always wanted to go.  Seeing this photo is pushing me to make it happen.

My niece, Shelby Downing, got married this summer.  Dave Lamarand was her photographer and is credited with this photo.  As I was browsing through his photos on Facebook, I came across this.

When I began searching for a website for the church, I couldn't find much.  I did find a link on the Greek Orthodox web site that gives information about the church including their hours, etc.  And, I also posted the link to an article about Art and Architecture in the Greek Orthodox Church that is very interesting.  Even if I go I know I won't get a photograph to turn out this good.  Thanks for sharing it Dave!

Pat Deere

Links:
Dava Lamarand Photography
Orthodox Art and Architecture Article
St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Southgate, MI

Washington National Cathedral

When friends of mine, Arnold and Jennifer, went to the Washington National Cathedral, they were nice enough to take lots of stained glass photos.  I like to think they did this for me...

I have not been but will surely put this Cathedral on my list of places to go.  I really loved this window because it was so different.  Jennifer thought the center of the top circle was a piece of rock from the moon and that the window was made to acknowledge the advances in the science of space exploration.

Looking up on the web site, I found a lot of tours of the cathedral that highlight the architecture, the stained glass windows, and more.

Pat Deere

LINKS:  Washington National Cathedral Tour Schedule

St. Paul's Cathedral, London

Although the beauty of a church building is what might initially attract me to walk into the building, what the people stand for who attend that church is what will keep me coming back. 

This is a church I feel I have to visit while in London.  I found this article on their web site.  It is worth checking out and pondering:

In the first project of its kind, St Paul’s Cathedral launches St Paul’s Institute, a think tank that aims to explore the moral themes surrounding business, finance and global economics.


Located within the heart of the City of London, St Paul’s Institute seeks to foster an informed Christian response to the most urgent ethical and spiritual issues of our times: financial integrity, economic theory, and the meaning of the common good.

Visitors to http://www.stpaulsinstitute.org.uk/  can find theological commentary, video interviews, original research and analysis, as well as daily news aggregation. St Paul’s Institute will also host a series of lectures, debates and study days.


Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury said;


"An ethical approach to economics requires us to move away from the illusion that economics can be considered separately from questions of the health and well-being of the society we inhabit. It also involves recognising that we exist in a world of materially limited resource – so that environmental degradation has to be taken into account in any assessment of the cost of projects or transactions. I suspect that getting this right would in itself introduce into the language of economics a sense that it couldn’t be only about the mechanics of generating money and might help keep issues of ethics, justice and trust in perspective. So I welcome the continuing focus the St Paul’s Institute brings to these issues by providing a challenging and well-resourced space for conversation and I wish the Institute every success in this new phase of its work”

This post is obviously before I have visited, and the words posted here come from their web site.  Once I experience it in person, I will give my my personal thoughts and photos.  Can't wait!  London, here I come.

Pat Deere

LINKS:  St. Paul's History Page

What better way to start out Mothers Day!

St. John The Baptist Church,  Ypsilanti, MI

What a great way to start Mothers Day.  I met my son, Travis,  for church this morning and he lives in Ypsilanti.  When I looked up churches that started about 9am, I found this one.  I thought it looked familiar, and sure enough... it is the same one I went to for an uncles funeral.  After church, we went to breakfast in Depot Town.  Breakfast was delicious and the link for them is listed below.

St. John the Baptist is a beautiful brick church filled with stained glass windows.  The roof has clay tiles.  The ceiling is very high and intricately painted.  The mass was very traditional and music was beautiful.  They had quite a large band with guitars, keyboard, horns, a harmonica, and more. Of course there was a prayer for mothers and they offered us carnations as we left the church.  If you live in the area and are looking for a church to attend... you may want to consider this one.

Getting onto their web site when I got home I saw the kind of community service you would hope for in a church.  They reach out to their local people by offering help to people who need their grass cut, painting, cleaning, etc.  They call it the Catholic Urban Project Fix-Up.

They also have their, Slice of Summer Kids Program, that is offered free of charge to children aged 6-12.  You can find more about it on the link below.

Whenever I visit a church or business with stained glass, I like to see if it is listed  with the Michigan Stained Glass Census.  Unfortunately, this one is not.  I'd love to help this church through that process and will offer my time to them if they have a volunteer to help me.  Let me know if this interests anybody.  Basically, we take pictures of the stained glass, measure the windows, answer questions on the provided forms, and give the information to the Census where it is stored in the library at Michigan State University in Lansing.  I found pictures of their stained glass on the web earlier, but can't locate them now.  If I help them with their survey, I can post pictures later.

Enjoy your day!

Pat Deere

LINKS:
St. John The Baptist Church, Ypsilanti
Cafe Luwak, Ypsilanti

Congregation Sherry Zadek, Southfield MI

This is a really interesting synagogue.  I haven't visited it yet, but I will in the future.  I have passed by, and been intrigued by it but have not taken the time to stop.  I found this congregation when searching the Window of the Month on the Michigan Stained Glass Census web site.  One of the most interesting facts I found on that page has to do with the artist of the stained glass, who is French born.  Since I am planning a fall trip to France, I will be researching more about this artist, Robert Pinart, before I go and trying to capture some good photos while there.

You can see this synagogue by going to: 27375 Bell Road, Southfield, MI 48034.  If you have already been there, have pictures, or stories about it... please let me know.  A good history of the building, the stained glass, the congregation, and the artist can be found at the links below.

Pat Deere

LINKS:

Congregation Sherry Zadek
Michigan Stained Glass Census, March/April 2010
Robert Pinart, Wilmark Studios

Canterbury Cathedral, United Kingdom

Another out of the country suggestion from my brother.  The link I added below goes to a page where you can click on "From Dawn To Dusk" and see time lapse photography of the cathedral at different times of the day.  Also, just searching "Canterbury Cathedral" then clicking on "Images" gives you a wonderful selection of photos.  Makes you want to visit doesn't it?

The oldest window:  The oldest window at Canterbury shows Adam delving. It dates to about 1176 AD and is the first in a series of ancestors of Christ that used to fill the clerestory of the quire. In the 18th century these early windows were moved to the West Window and to the South-West Window. Adam delving now lives in the centre of the bottom tier of the West Window. The panels that can be seen in the quire clerestory today are 19th century copies of the originals.  (This paragraph and photo were taken directly from the cathedrals web site where more information about the stained glass and restoration can be found.)


Canterbury Cathedral, Cathedral House, 11 The Precincts, Canterbury, CT1 2EH United Kingdom

Pat Deere

LINKS:  Canterbury Cathedral History Page

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Paris

Unfortunately, this is not a place I have visited... yet.  Maybe I will get the chance when my son is in France for his senior year in college.  This suggestion came from my brother Jeff who has been here.  He has travelled outside of the country more than I and was nice enough to make some suggestions we might want to include.    I have included the link to the Wikipedia page that gives a lot of information about it.  The first paragraph from Wikipedia reads: The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica (French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, pronounced [sakʁe kœʁ]), is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city.  Way too much infomation for me to include here, so go to the link and check it out.  Feel free to add anything, send pictures you have taken etc.  I'd like to see more about it. 

The second link is one that goes to the website for this Basilica.  You can chose to read it in English or in French.

Pat Deere

LINKS:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_the_Sacr%C3%A9-Coeur
 http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/

Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Chicago Illinois

What a wonderful surprise!  While visiting my glass supplier in Chicago with a friend/customer, she suggested we don't just go home but take a sidetrip into the downtown area.  My supplier is actually in Warrenville, about an hour away.

So many times churches are closed due to fear of vandalism and you can't get in.  We saw people going in and out, scaffolding all around the church, and it was very intriguing.  So we walked in.  This church has beautifully painted murals on the ceilings.  Intricate iron grids over some of the window openings.  Very traditional stained glass throughout the church that is beautifully painted as well.

This is a very active church and while there a prayer vigil was going on.  Pam and I stopped for a while, kneeled down and prayed the rosary in English and Spanish - although the Spanish was not something either one of us could join in on.  The whole time we were taking in the beauty of the building and the vibrancy of the church.  I was impressed that during this depressed economic time, the church was able to fund a huge renovation effort including work to their bricks, roof, paint, etc.

A bit of info from the History page of their website includes:  W E L C O M E - B I E N V E N I D O

...to Our Lady of Lourdes - a wonderfully, diversified parish!  We are considered the "Mother Church" of this region, because of our original boundaries which included English speaking Catholics in the area bounded by Devon Avenue to the north, Belmont Avenue to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, and the Chicago River to the west - an area which now encompasses ten parishes.  In 1916, the Spanish Renaissance-style church with its distinctive red-tiled domes replaced the original frame church.

It is well worth a visit to their church, their website, and I would love to get pictures of the interior that can be shared if anybody has them.

Pat Deere

LINKS:  Our Lady Of Lourdes Church website.

National Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak, MI

National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, MI is kind of one of those hidden treasures.  I heard about it many times, passed by it on several occasions, and finally go the opportunity to stop by last year. 

The story of St. Theres can be read by clicking on the link below.  In part, it reads:  Thérèse was a spiritual prodigy. At age three, she began to "refuse nothing of what God asks of me." Recalling an ocean sunset observed at age five, Thérèse wrote in her autobiography, "In the evening, at that moment when the sun seems to bathe itself in the immensity of the waves, leaving a luminous trail behind, I went and sat on a huge rock with Pauline. I contemplated this luminous trail for a long time. It was, to me, the image of God's grace shedding its light across the path the little white-sailed vessel [Thérèse herself] had to travel ... I made the resolution never to wander far away from the path of Jesus in order to travel peacefully toward the eternal shore."

The history of the church can be read in full on the link below, but it starts out as:  In early May 1925, Michael J. Gallagher, the Bishop of the Diocese of Detroit, traveled to Rome to witness the canonization of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Determined to establish the first parish in her honor in the United States, he telephoned from Rome with instructions to name the new church after her. The Bishop chose Royal Oak for the new parish, although only 28 Catholic families resided there at the time because he foresaw that the booming auto industry would attract many Catholics to the area. The new pastor was to be a young priest who already had earned a reputation for stimulating Mass attendance: Father Charles E. Coughlin.

We would love to hear your feedback about this church, post photos you have taken, etc.

Pat Deere

LINKS: 
The Story of  St. Therese
National Shrine of the Little Flower Home Page