Columbus, OH, is an interesting city. (Who knew?) It has a thriving downtown with many interesting cafes, restaurants, shops, bars, and nightclubs. The downtown district is laid out in a grid, so it’s easy to navigate. It’s a good place to walk around; much of its attractions and businesses are within walking distance of each other, especially its nightlife. There are many beautiful buildings with interesting architecture, such as the modern convention center, the over 100 year-old Lazarus building, The LeVeque Tower, the state capital and other state and federal buildings, the quaint, old houses, especially in German town, and St. Patrick’s Church.
Built by poor Irish immigrants 162 years ago, St. Patrick’s Church sits in a small lot on 280 N. Grant St., surrounded by old warehouses and a local community college. Though there is no longer a local neighborhood – no houses, no communities – it is a growing, thriving parish because of its history and the dedication of its parishioners. My brother, Fr. Michael Dosch, O.P., is the pastor at St. Patrick’s. On my first night in town, he showed me around the inside and outside of the large, red brick building with its two crenellated bell towers. The most striking features of the church are the paintings on the ceiling and walls of the church, and most of all, the stained glass windows.
On May 28, 1935, a fire destroyed much of the old church. According to Fr. Michael, the firemen gave the priests a sad choice: save the roof or the windows. They chose the windows. Installed in the 1920’s, the church’s stained glass windows were created by a renowned German company, Franz Mayer of Munich, whose work was popular throughout Europe at the time. They are as beautiful and well-crafted works of art as much as any of the stained glass from that time period that you will find in Europe. The colors change as the daylight strengthens or dims through them, and then the glow of the outdoor lights, scattered around the church buildings for security, give life to the colors and pictures of the windows.
A cross made from blackened ceiling beams burned in the fire of 1935 hangs on the wall of the shrine to Blessed Margaret of Castello (‘blessed’ means she is one step away from full sainthood), set in an alcove of the large church. The cross hangs in the middle of an elaborate, modern tapestry depicting scenes of the her life. A statue of the almost saint stands in the middle of the shrine, with the requisite candles around the base of it, where there also stands a traditional reliquary with a piece of her ‘incorrupt’ heart.
Under the main altar of the church lies a fairly large glass bier containing numerous relics. There are more relics inside reliquaries displayed in a glass case at the back of the church, including one believed to be a piece of the wood of Christ’s cross. (How many pieces of that cross are in reliquaries across the world? There are many answers to that. Here are two: the Catholic one and the skeptical one [click on the highlighted words to see the links]).
The original parish school was opened in 1854, but closed in 1959 because of too low enrollments. A high school was founded in 1905, but closed in 1965. The church is considered a local historical site because it is the second oldest church in the city, and the original site of the high school became Aquinas College High School, which closed in 1965; an historical marker sign is located near the front entrance of the church, just a few yards from the new marble statue of St. Patrick.
The next day we drove around German Town, explored one of the most wonderful book stores I have ever been in, wandered around the James Thurber house, and sipped iced teas (okay, and an interesting drink called a sidecar) in the very old Westin hotel's lobby bar which displays on its walls many blown up copies of James Thurber's cartoons. More on all that later.
Built by poor Irish immigrants 162 years ago, St. Patrick’s Church sits in a small lot on 280 N. Grant St., surrounded by old warehouses and a local community college. Though there is no longer a local neighborhood – no houses, no communities – it is a growing, thriving parish because of its history and the dedication of its parishioners. My brother, Fr. Michael Dosch, O.P., is the pastor at St. Patrick’s. On my first night in town, he showed me around the inside and outside of the large, red brick building with its two crenellated bell towers. The most striking features of the church are the paintings on the ceiling and walls of the church, and most of all, the stained glass windows.
On May 28, 1935, a fire destroyed much of the old church. According to Fr. Michael, the firemen gave the priests a sad choice: save the roof or the windows. They chose the windows. Installed in the 1920’s, the church’s stained glass windows were created by a renowned German company, Franz Mayer of Munich, whose work was popular throughout Europe at the time. They are as beautiful and well-crafted works of art as much as any of the stained glass from that time period that you will find in Europe. The colors change as the daylight strengthens or dims through them, and then the glow of the outdoor lights, scattered around the church buildings for security, give life to the colors and pictures of the windows.
A cross made from blackened ceiling beams burned in the fire of 1935 hangs on the wall of the shrine to Blessed Margaret of Castello (‘blessed’ means she is one step away from full sainthood), set in an alcove of the large church. The cross hangs in the middle of an elaborate, modern tapestry depicting scenes of the her life. A statue of the almost saint stands in the middle of the shrine, with the requisite candles around the base of it, where there also stands a traditional reliquary with a piece of her ‘incorrupt’ heart.
Under the main altar of the church lies a fairly large glass bier containing numerous relics. There are more relics inside reliquaries displayed in a glass case at the back of the church, including one believed to be a piece of the wood of Christ’s cross. (How many pieces of that cross are in reliquaries across the world? There are many answers to that. Here are two: the Catholic one and the skeptical one [click on the highlighted words to see the links]).
The original parish school was opened in 1854, but closed in 1959 because of too low enrollments. A high school was founded in 1905, but closed in 1965. The church is considered a local historical site because it is the second oldest church in the city, and the original site of the high school became Aquinas College High School, which closed in 1965; an historical marker sign is located near the front entrance of the church, just a few yards from the new marble statue of St. Patrick.
The next day we drove around German Town, explored one of the most wonderful book stores I have ever been in, wandered around the James Thurber house, and sipped iced teas (okay, and an interesting drink called a sidecar) in the very old Westin hotel's lobby bar which displays on its walls many blown up copies of James Thurber's cartoons. More on all that later.