Another Three In One

This wooden altar relief was taken at the Saints Paul and Peter church in Newport. We have the Four Evangelist, Alpha and Omega and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I had to use my flash and even though I bounced it off the wall it still made for some unsightly highlights.

Jesus Meets His Blessed Mother

Exhausted, spent, see Jesus onward go,
With feeble step, in anguish faint and slow,
At last His grief-worn Mother He can see
Exclaiming: My Son, my heart is rent for Thee.

Picture taken at St.'s Paul and Peter church in Newport.

St. Nicholas Stained Glass Windows

I've been in and out of so many churches that I sometimes forget where I've been and what I have yet to post. While looking for something else on my hard-drive I came across these pictures of stained glass windows I took while visiting the St. Nicholas Church.



I am not sure who this lovely lady is.



Or this stately gentleman.



There were two large windows this one of the Holy Family and one of the Annunciation. Unfortunately the Annunciation came out blurry.

Baptismal Font (St.'s Paul and Peter Church)

A basin or vase, serving as a receptacle for baptismal water in which the candidate for baptism is immersed, or over which he is washed, in the ceremony of Christian initiation. In the Church's present practice it is ordinarily a decorative stone basin, though metal or wood are used; supported on a pedestal or columns at a convenient height for receiving the water which is poured over the head of the person baptized, a form which marks the term of a development graphically illustrating the history of the mode of conferring baptism.

Text taken from the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia.

Picture taken at Saint's Paul and Peter church in Newport.

Holy Chalice

Picture taken at St.'s Paul and Peter church in Newport.

Three In One

(Click on Image for a larger view)

This large three frame stained glass window depicting the Annunciation, Nativity and Presentation, can be found in the St. Bernard Church in Burkettesville.

I was not able to shoot this straight on as I wanted to place the light hanging in front of the Nativity in the most unobtrusive location. This really caused for the picture to be skewed. I was able to fairly correct it in PhotoShop.

Saint Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier, pictured here flanked by two stations of the cross was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X. F. D.

Picture taken at St. Bernard Church in Burkettsville.

Sorrowful Virgin Mary (Saint Bernard)

Pietà is one of the three common artistic representations of a sorrowful Virgin Mary, the other two being Mater Dolorosa (Mother of Sorrows) and Stabat Mater (here stands the mother). The other two representations are most commonly found in paintings, rather than sculpture, although combined forms exist.



The Pietà developed in Germany (where it is called the "Vesperbild") about 1300, reached Italy about 1400, and was especially popular in Central European Andachtsbilder. Many German and Polish 15th century examples in wood greatly emphasise Christ's wounds. The Deposition of Christ and the Lamentation or Pietà form the 13th of the Stations of the Cross, as well as one of Seven Sorrows of the Virgin.

Text from Wikipedia Pieta.

Picture taken at St. Bernard Chruch in Burkettsville.

The Four Evangelists

The four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are often depicted as a winged man, an eagle, a winged lion and a winged ox (or calf). They are derived from the priest Ezekiel's prophecy after seeing a vision of four living creatures.



These four winged creatures have been associated with the four Evangelists and depicted in Christian art since the 2nd century. They have also been likened to Jesus' journey on Earth where he was born as a man, was sacrificed as a calf, was reborn as a lion in his resurrection, and soared like an eagle in his Ascension.

• Matthew is represented by the man since his gospel starts with the human ancestry of Jesus.
• Mark begins his gospel with John the Baptist, "the voice of one crying in the wilderness," as would a roaring lion.
• Luke, opening with the vision of the priest, Zachary, is assigned the ox, the beast of sacrifice.
• John is associated with the eagle due to the sublimity of his soaring theological insights regarding the union of God and man in Jesus, the Word made flesh.

Text taken from the Evangelist Cross web site.

Pictures of wooden altar relief carvings taken at St. Remy Church in Russia, Ohio.

Sacred Heart of Jesus (Prayer)

Merciful Jesus,

I consecrate myself today and always,
To your Most Sacred Heart.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
I implore that I may ever love You
More and more,

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
I trust in You!

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Have mercy on us!
Sacred Heart of Jesus
I believe in Your love for me,
Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Make my heart like Your Heart. Amen.

Picture taken at the Immaculate Conception Church in Botkins.

Coat of Many Colors

The book of Genesis is full of many biblical stories that we learn in our youth. Joseph's Dream and Coat of Many Colors is one such story. While not a coat of many colors it was that story that came to mind when I found light reflecting from the stained glass windows onto the pews in the Immaculate Conception Church in Botkins.



King James Bible Genesis 37:3
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.

Processional Cross (St. Bernard)

A processional cross is simply a crucifix which is carried at the head of a procession, and which, that it may be more easily seen, is usually mounted upon a long staff or handle. (www.newadvent.org -- Catholic Encyclopedia)

The crucifix pictured here is actually bronze. I made everything black and white with the exception of the figure of Christ. I wanted him to be the focus of the composition. As you can see pictured below the figure of Christ tends to blend in even with a stained glass window for a background.



Pictures taken at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Burkettsville. Look for more pictures in upcoming post.

Something Missing

I know Christmas was so last year but I still have some pictures that I hadn't got a chance to post yet. This was taken on Christmas Eve just before the 4 PM Children's Mass at St. Augustine in Minster. This picture is actually a crop of a much larger composition. I hadn't got around to taking a close-up yet when someone asked if I would like to have Baby Jesus in my pictures. I forgot that Baby Jesus would not be in the manger until Christmas Eve Mass. I was a little embarrassed to think that I hadn't even noticed. Photographers are suppose to pay attention to the details. So not only did my next set of pictures have Baby Jesus but the lights as well. The picture made my Christmas post.

Saint Augustine (Stained Glass Window)

There are a lot of beautiful stained glass windows in the the Saint Augustine Church in Minster but it was this one that caught my eye. If you look you can see the reinforced diamond pattern of the protective glass on the other side. The sun light shining between the two layers added a new dimension to what the artist had originally intended. It was simply breathtaking.

ST. GASPAR: Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood

St. Gaspar founded the Society of the Precious Blood in Giano, Italy, on August 15, 1815. Here, in the 10th century abbey of San Felice, our founder opened the gates of an ardent devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ. ...

... St. Gaspar brought devotion to the Blood of Christ out of the sanctuary and into the streets. His preaching was rooted in the saving act of Christ on the cross and so he carried the crucifix close to his heart. Indeed, the mission cross became the symbol of the newly formed community.

Text courtesy of Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). Click this link Saint Gaspar to read the complete article.

Picture taken at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Minster, Ohio.

Happy New Year 2010

First I would like to thank all the good people who have taken the time out of their day to visit my blog. A special thank you goes out to all those who have left comments and sent me E-Mails. They really make my day.



As I look back on this past year I am amazed at where my journey chasing the steeples has taken me. Along the way I have met and talked with some of the most wonderful people. I hold dear these chance meetings and value them as much as the photographs I take. The Cross Tipped Churches blog as far as I know is the largest online body of work dedicated to these wonderful old churches. The largest body of work that I know of can be found at the Shrine of the Holy Relics.



I am looking forward to the New Year and further exploration and photographing these iconic and history laden old churches.
Russ Martin (AKA Steeple Chaser)



Pictures taken at Saint Augustine Church, Minster Ohio.