Knowing that my Grandfather was at death's door, my friend Fr. Meyer and I canceled our flights to go hiking in California, and instead decided to take an overnight trip to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama. The Shrine was built by Mother Angelica of EWTN fame (well she didn't build it but she organized it and did the fund raising), and her sisters who live there in cloister (no access to the outside world).
Walking into the Church I had one word - WOW!!! It quickly rose to the top of my "favorite Catholic churches in the U.S." list, along with St. John's in Indy and the Basilica in D.C.
What you see in the photo above is the altar and the dividing wall of the Church. Behind the dividing wall is where the sisters pray throughout the day and night, since they have perpetual adoration. The back wall, to give you an idea of how nice the Church is, is plated completely in gold!!! The floors and columns are beautiful marble, the wood working is beautifully done, the chalices are gold, the vestments are nice, the craftsmanship is fantastic - it really is quite amazing to behold.
Certainly not every Church can look like that, but when a lot of our Churches today look more like convention halls, it does provide a nice reminder of what Churches can look like with some effort.
If you ever are looking for a great overnighter for the fam, swing down to Hanceville (6.5 hours from Indy) - It will be worth your time!
Father Hollowell,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your grandfather - hopefully the newborn & he were able to meet in passing on the other side. I'm glad you were able to go to the shrine in Hanceville. I've not been able to go there, but I really enjoy EWTN. The picture was beautiful. In Illinois (Kankakee) there are really nice, old fashioned churches there. St. Rose is an old church but has these huge statues of saints that circle above the Altar.
Patty