St. Martin de Porres Procession
Monday, May 6th, 2013
Coming from the church of St. Brigid – St. Emeric this procession in honor of the Peruvian saint Martin de Porres took a glacial pace around the block. Men dressed in purple took turns lifting and swaying this apparently very heavy devotional object decorated in gold and silver. Martin was the illegitimate offspring of a nobleman and a former slave, born 1579. He was canonized on May 6, 1962, by Pope John XXIII. Sunday May 5 was the last day of his 50th anniversary year. He is the saint of interracial harmony. Amazing music from Banda Armonia del Peru, which seems peppered with some jazz hipster session players.
This woman carrying this cup of burning incense was the only woman I noticed in the ceremony.
Good Friday in the East Village
Friday, March 29th, 2013
Coming from the Church of St. Brigid – St. Emeric, just east of Tompkins Square Park, this procession of Roman soldiers beat Jesus as he made his way around the neighborhood and back to the church. The loud whip cracks were made by striking the cross not the actor.
Saint Thomas Church
Tuesday, March 5th, 2013
Saint Thomas Church at 53rd and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan is an Episcopal church in the Anglican tradition.
Inside St. Brigid’s Church
Sunday, February 3rd, 2013
I got to photograph the interior of the newly reopened St. Brigid’s Church on Avenue B.
The stained glass windows are especially striking. They all depict winged angels and saints.
These are the windows over the entrance on Avenue B.
The windows are beautifully done, and tasteful, there were no naked souls burning in purgatory like they had in my childhood church in Philadelphia. But the dull expression on their angel faces is a bit disturbing, they all looked bored, not even a sly smile on the musician angels.
Father Jomar Legaspi. I wish I hadn’t resorted to flash for the photo.
I didn’t notice them while I was there live, they are painted a color not to be obtrusive, but these cables stretching across the breadth of the church must be vital to keep the walls from going wide. The church was in danger of collapsing, before the renovation.
Shiny Bell – St. Brigid’s – 1858
Monday, January 28th, 2013
This appears to be the original tower bell for St. Brigid’s Church, made in Meneely’s Bell Foundry in Troy, NY. I wonder what it looked liked before it was polished. I whacked the bell with my hand and it rang nicely. Interesting that the name was spelled Bridget back then.
Renovated St. Brigid’s first Mass
Sunday, January 27th, 2013
St. Brigid’s Church on Avenue B at 8th Street. The church is open again and fully renovated after almost being condemned for being structurally unsound. Today was the first public mass being said in the renovated church.
This is the first time I’ve seen the stained glass windows with light behind them.
The line to get in went way down 8th Street.
The mass was scheduled for 5PM but it took about 50 minutes to get everyone inside. The Archbishop was there, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, though I didn’t see him.
A party was being prepared in the basement.
EV Grieve has been covering the story of St. Brigid’s for a while.
Xmas Tree Fire in front of Church
Wednesday, January 16th, 2013
A fire broke out in front of the Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church on East 3rd Street. When I first arrived I heard sirens nearby and assumed that help was on its way. But those trucks were arriving, responding to a call just one block south of the church.
The neighbors had it under control before the first truck arrived, and I don’t think the limestone church, built in 1851) was ever in any real danger.
This guys actions dragging one of the burning Xmas trees away from the base of the live deciduous street tree, with his bare hands, probably saved the tree’s life.
Shortly afterwards another guy dragged a garden hose from across the street, and that brought it under control. The tree in front of the church got scorched but it should survive.
St. Brigid’s Unveiled
Friday, May 18th, 2012
EV Grieve has some details.
I poked my camera through the shed door to get this pano of the doors.
St. Mark’s West Yard and Fence Restoration
Friday, April 20th, 2012
St. Mark’s Church, noted for its political activism and experimental theater has been undergoing restoration on its West Yard garden.
St. Mark’s Historic Landmark Fund
Patch testing to see which paint remover will do the best job of leaving the stone pristine. The areas on the right of the photo are the results of earlier tests.
