Rome of the West

St. Louis, Missouri is home to many beautiful Catholic churches and has sometimes been called the "Rome of the West." Among the most beautiful is the new cathedral. Work began in 1907 and the first Mass was offered in the building in 1914. It was consecrated as a church and became the new cathedral for the archdiocese in 1926. Pope John Paul II designated it as a basilica in 1997.

A magnificent structure, the cathedral is Romanesque in style on the exterior and Byzantine on the interior.

In 1999, this sculpture was installed on the side lawn of the cathedral. It features a winged angel with African-American features, standing behind three children with Hispanic, Asian and European features, playing a song of peace on their instruments. The wings contain dozens of chimes that sound in the breeze. The sculpture emphasizes a theme of harmony, peace, and racial justice.

The cathedral is the largest collection of mosaics in the world--41.5 million pieces of mosaic glass covering 83,000 square feet. The work was begun in 1917 and completed in 1988.

Above, one of the confessionals in the North transept.

The coat of arms of one of the archbishops of St. Louis.

Above, a sculpture of King Louis IX of France, for whom the church and the city are named.

A requiem side chapel in the basilica decorated in black and gold mosaic tile. The bier lights stand perpetually before an altar with a statue of Christ with the Sacred Heart. The red hats of the cardinals of St. Louis hang from the ceiling. According to legend, when a particular cardinals hat deteriorates to the point that it falls from the ceiling, that cardinal has left purgatory and now enjoys the beatific vision. From the looks of it, they're all still burning.

Above, the cathedra of the archbishop of St. Louis.

The high altar of the cathedral is covered with a beautiful baldichino.

Above, the side chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.

A bronze pieta.

Views of the sanctuary taken from the side ambulatories.

My daughter Madeline in the prayer garden on the North side of the church.

The exhibit Vatican Splendors: a Journey through Faith and Art is currently showing at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis.

My sister's graduation

My sister, Mary Elizabeth Krogmeier, graduated on Saturday from Rockhurst University in Kansas City. She earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Congratulations, Dr. Mary! Check out the videos below.

St. Anselm, Doctor of the Church

"I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this too I believe, that unless I first believe, I shall not understand" St. Anselm of Canterbury (d. 21 April 1109).

Diocesan Anglican-Orthodox dialogue

The dialogue committee for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth and the Diocese of the South of the Orthodox Church in America met today in the library of St. Vincent's Cathedral school. From left to right: Fr Timothy Matkin, Fr Ron Drummond, Metropolitan Jonah (OCA), Fr Christopher Cantrell, Bishop Jack Iker, Fr Chuck Hough, Fr Joseph Fester (OCA), and Fr John Jordan. Several representatives from the Orthodox diocese were not able to be present because of distance/travel.

Christos Anesti!

Christ is risen from the dead,
Trampling down death by death,
And upon those in the tombs
Bestowing life!

Holy Week and Easter

Happy Feast

Today we give thanks that the blessed Virgin Mary said "Yes" to the invitation to become the Mother of God. (I also give thanks that I can watch TV and eat chocolate today.)

The doctor will see you now

With the saturation of media coverage on health insurance legislation, one of my pet peeves is frequently catching my attention--the use of the word "doctor." The word, of course, means "teacher" so I find it somewhat annoying when it is so often used exclusively as a term for physician or surgeon or other medical specialist.

You might say that the first doctors were lawyers or philosophers, so they would most naturally deserve the term doctor in everyday use. The first academic degrees were all law degrees, either canon (church) law or Roman common law. The doctorate was originally applied to those who were revered for their learning or research and thus their ability to share their knowledge with others. The church has recognized some saints on the calendar whose special charism was to be a teacher of the faith or who made a significant contribution to the development of Christian theology. They are honored with the title of "Doctor of the Church." One of them, St. Anselm of Canterbury, was an Anglican. Perhaps some day John Henry Cardinal Newman will be recognized as such as well.

Doctors of the Western Church
St. Albert 11/15
St. Alphonsus Liguori 8/1
St. Ambrose 12/7
St. Anselm 4/21
St. Anthony of Padua 6/13
St. Athanasius 5/2
St. Augustine 8/28
St. Basil 1/2
St. Bede, the Venerable 5/25
St. Bernard of Clairvaux 8/20
St. Bonaventure 7/15
St. Catherine of Siena 4/29
St. Cyril of Alexandria 6/27
St. Cyril of Jerusalem 3/18
St. Ephraem of Syria 6/9
St. Francis de Sales 1/24
St. Gregory Nazianzus 1/2
St. Gregory the Great 9/3
St. Hilary of Poitiers 1/13
St. Isidore 4/4
St. Jerome 9/30
St. John Chrysostom 9/13
St. John Damascene 12/4
St. John of the Cross 12/14
St. Lawrence of Brindisi 7/21
St. Leo the Great 11/10
St. Peter Canisius 12/21
St. Peter Chrysologus 7/30
St. Peter Damian 2/21
St. Robert Bellarmine 9/17
St. Teresa of Avila 10/15
St. Therese of Lisieux 10/1
St. Thomas Aquinas 1/28

A word of wisdom from a Methodist

In honor of the feast (yesterday) of Anglican priests John and Charles Wesley, here is a timely quote from the Rev'd David Gamble, president of the Methodist Conference in England. He recently addressed the General Synod of the Church of England on proposals for an Anglican-Methodist unity scheme, saying:

"Methodists approach the Covenant with the Church of England in the spirituality of that Covenant prayer. So when we say to God, 'let me have all things let me have nothing,' we say it by extension to our partners in the Church of England as well. We are prepared to go out of existence not because we are declining or failing in mission, but for the sake of mission. In other words we are prepared to be changed and even to cease having a separate existence as a Church if that will serve the needs of the Kingdom."



Ruth Glendhill has the rest of the story here.

“For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his Saints.” Psalm 37:28