Here's the church
Here's the steeple.
Open the doors....
Well, the doors are closed, so you can't see all the people.
Bishop Leonidas Polk established St. John's Episcopal Church in Thibodaux, Louisiana, in 1843. In that same year he laid cornerstone for the building, and construction of the building was completed in 1844. What is now the narthex of the church was once an open porch with columns, but the porch was eventually closed in. It's one of the oldest Episcopal churches west of the Mississippi River.
Bishop Polk is also known as the fighting bishop. He was a graduate of West Point, and Jefferson Davis prevailed upon him to take a position as a commanding general in the Army of the Confederacy. He seemed not to have been a very good fighting general, but he cared for his troops well, and they grieved sorely when he was killed in Pine Mountain, Georgia, in 1864.
Above is a picture of the sanctuary, with the altar and the stained glass depicting St. John the Evangelist. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see that a snake is rising up out of the cup that John holds. According to legend, John was handed a cup of poisoned wine by the emperor Diocletian, and when he blessed it, the poison came out in the form of a snake.
The altar was originally attached to the wall, but in the 1970s, it was moved forward to permit the priest to face the congregation during the celebration of the Eucharist.
The kneelers are in a fixed position halfway between up and on the floor, so that when you're kneeling, or trying to, your bum rests on the pew. I have heard it said that they were done this way to accommodate the hoop skirts worn by the ladies at the time the church was built. I've thought myself that it may simply be the chosen Via Media between kneeling and sitting during the services.
A complete restoration of the building, which cost the earth, was completed in 2001. I think that it's a lovely gem of a small church. In another post, I'll show more pictures of the interior and of the wonderful old restored pipe organ which we installed a few years ago.
The altar was originally attached to the wall, but in the 1970s, it was moved forward to permit the priest to face the congregation during the celebration of the Eucharist.
ReplyDeleteTragic.
But thank you for sharing this lovely church with us. My first visit to an Episcopal Church was historic Christ Church in Alexandria Virginia. Had it been to one of the modern monstrosities we have these days I likely would have just remained an unaffiliated heathen instead of the proper Anglican you know and love. The historicity of our tradition is one of the things that helps me feel connected with the saints, it's big and strong, a shelter.
Deep down I love the church.
Lindy, do you like Eucharist with the priest with back to the congregation, then?
ReplyDeleteI swing both ways ... in our small churches here in this Benefice half are eastward-facing and half are westward-facing, so each Sunday I experience both as I take Common Worship Eucharists facing the people, and 1662 BCP Holy Communion with my back to them. Eastward I am their representative to God, and westward, more of a leader of their worship. I really have no personal preference. Each are wonderful in their own way.
ReplyDeleteYours looks a beautiful church. Looking forward to more images.
I, too, can swing both ways in terms of East/West facing, although, if you woke me up at 3 AM to preside at Eucharist, my natural default setting would be to face West. I tried liturgical East during Lent - most folks didn't like it - the strongest reaction from the former RC's and low Protestants.
ReplyDeleteLovely, lovely church, Mimi. Thanks for sending the snaps.
Lovely lesson, Mimi. If I am not mistaken, Bishop Polk helped found the The University of the South in Sewanee, TN, where a friend is.
ReplyDeleteI don't get much sense of strength, though strong reminders of our historical past, in our 1828 building; it is too connected to socioeconomic privilege to allow that. The church's strength is elsewhere.
Still, beloved and proper Lindy, your point is a good one. I live in the historic Northeast, where everything is Gilded Age mock Gothic Revival; I might worship in a building whose carvings are older than Abelard, and have a different experience of tradition.
I, too, love what you evoke: our connectedness to the whole communion of saints in physical space is important to me, which is not separate from the Liturgy; nonetheless, both Architecture and Liturgy are dynamic, and we as the current group manifest make our contributions well or badly.
Ex Oriente, lux. Still, who is facing East? The Gathered People of Godde or the Presider, who, if I am not mistaken, is said to "represent" the Whole People of Godde. Dramatically speaking, isn't the people representing themselves more direct and significant? Better yet, I think, is the Liturgical interplay between Gathered People and Presider (who, after all, is "people" and, one hopes, gathered), and I see this moving towards the recognition of the significance of the Whole Gathered People, who themselves, in their greater numbers, more fully represent all Godde's peoples.
Whew. I hope that makes some sense at points: Monday Morning Naked Theology. I may need to practice if I'm going to do that.
Ta.
It's ages since I celebrated Eastward-facing. I don't have a problem with it, and think that in the right setting it suggests great dignity and reverence.
ReplyDeleteI do remember one small country church to which I was invited to celebrate at the 8.00 a.m. eucharist one freezing cold winter Sunday. (If I say that the water on the credence table had frozen that will give you some idea of how cold it was!
There were three in the congregation. I finished the eucharistic prayer, turned round to introduce the Lord's Prayer - and saw that they had all gone home!
Lindy, proper Anglican whom I know and love, I love my church building far too much. I'm probably close to idolatrous about it.
ReplyDeleteI prefer West-facing, but Tobias Haller does a beautiful East-facing liturgy at his church, St. James in the Bronx.
Elizabeth, I'm not at all surprised that the former RCs dislike the East-facing liturgy the most.
Johnieb, Bishop Polk did found the University of the South, or Sewanee. In fact, the present Bishop Jenkins of Louisiana serves on the board of the university.
Early morning theology is hard.
My son is the Priest-in-charge in a small church in the diocese of Illinois. The church was built in 1878. The altar is against the East wall. Someone asked if he was comfortable facing East. He said, "I pray in the same direction as the congregation."
ReplyDeleteRR, I'll bet you felt lonely. That's one of the dangers of the East-facing liturgy. If you don't keep an eye on the congregation, they just might run away. However, in that situation, one could hardly lay blame on them.
ReplyDeleteSusan, East-facing has its merits, but I suspect that God doesn't care one way or another, just so our hearts are turned Godward during the liturgy. At St. James, I was surprised at how often Tobias turned to face the congregation while doing East-facing.
Yes, Mimi, I noticed that about Dave too. And because the wall is slightly curved, the sound was wonderfully projected into the church.
ReplyDeleteBishop Polk owned Leighton Plantation just up Bayou Lafourche, where he had slaves to work on the sugarcane. According to one story I've heard, he gave the slaves Sundays off during grinding, and as a result he got behind in harvesting the cane and fell into financial difficulties. He also baptized all his slaves, but I doubt that they remained Episcopalians after emancipation.
ReplyDeleteormonde,
ReplyDeletegood to hear from you with this resonant story; I had not remembered, though I seem to have known, perhaps while in Grad school,that Polk had a plantation in Louisiana.
If you would like the story of the dramatic events that took place at our church yesterday see OCICBW for the details.
ReplyDeleteI grew up and was married in this church - only the little altar in front was not there. Now I like places like this one where I worked for 3 years.
ReplyDeleteAnn, each church is beautiful in its own way, but the view in the second is breathtaking, spectacular evidence of the glory of God's creation.
ReplyDeleteOur family vacation in Grand Tetons National Park was one of our most memorable. Our close encounter with a moose on one of our hikes was a breathtaking moment, too. Nothing happened. We just stared for a few minutes, until either we or the moose moved on.
Here's the place I worshipped at during my Episcopalian days:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.diocesefl.org/rugehall/
On the gallery page there's another picture, smaller but taken further back in the chapel. There've been at least one major change I can see: when I was there, the entire wall was done in stone, but now only the portion directly behind the altar remains that way, apparently. If you look at the picture in the photo gallery of the pianist, you'll see how it looked. The altar remains in the same position, but back then everyone would come up and form a circle around the altar, and pass the elements neighbor to neighbor for communion.
It's been a long time since I've been there, so I don't know if that practice remains. The priest is obviously not the same one.
Kishnevi, FWIW, I like it better with part of the stone plastered over.
ReplyDeleteEast, West -- home is best.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion means squat but I'd sure resent looking at a priest's back every Sunday. Unless it was Maddie. I'd have fun making gestures that he couldn't see.
It's a beautiful church, Mimi.
Bishop Polk also held the first religious service in Shreveport in 1839. The town had been founded in 1835.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful in both instances, but very Western North America, Ann; I've lived "back East" so far: "cradle Episcopalian" by no means (1991).
ReplyDeleteThe first in Shreveport in 1839, huh; he's talking about my part of Louisiana now. (Further North, over into Arkansas, mostly, on Daddy's side)
I'd sure resent looking at a priest's back every Sunday.
ReplyDeletePJ, me, too, but if you'd see how Tobias does it, you might not mind too much.
Jim et al., the historians are coming out of the woodwork. Thanks all for the contributions.
Johnieb, since when is Arkansas in Louisiana?
Mimi - I'll answer for Johnieb - Shreveport is pretty much the hub for the southwestern counties of Arkansas and the far northeast counties of Texas.
ReplyDeleteThus, the Ark-La-Tex.
Jim, you're right. My mother lived in tiny Carthage, Texas, for about 8 years, and Shreveport was their big city place.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos, Mimi. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'll stay out of the directional discussion.
It is a lovely church. (Sorry to be so terse. It's been a long day.)
ReplyDeletePaul, Ruth, thanks for dropping in.
ReplyDeleteDear Jane R,
ReplyDeleteUh, yes. That is what I am saying.
Mimi,
I'll tell you another place that Arkansas is part of Louisiana and that is on the Louisiana state quarter. The ENTIRE Louisiana Purchase is outlined! I didn't really get that. Love you anyway.
Lindy