Could this be a hat trick? The Project is truly feeling bold of late, as we’ve had three straight weeks of firsts. This week it’s Center City that, for the first time, receives the honor of our presence. The target is St. John the Evangelist, a church that stands toe-to-toe with the Philly skyline, offering salvation on a grand stage.
Ok, I might be exaggerating somewhat. When I say “stands toe-to-toe,” I really mean, “gets dwarfed by.” St. John the Evangelist is literally hemmed in on all sides by tall buildings. Just check out that picture; that’s the best I could do, given the lack of space to shoot. When the parish was founded in 1830, Center City was no doubt a quaint, picaresque little environment. Of course, we’ve had a little building spree since then, and the church finds itself hemmed in on all sides, stoutly holding its ground against what seems like a hoard of invading barbarians.
I bring this up because a church is almost always a product of its environment, but St. John the Evangelist seems to suffer little from being overwhelmed by its taller neighbors. Its columned, non-cruciform Gothic design is quite nice, with beautiful paintwork and an incredible marble altar that almost, but not quite, bests that one at St. John the Baptist. Perhaps the most remarkable feature, though, is that the apse of the church is done in a custom, intricate woodwork frame with gold outlines. Yes, woodwork. I haven’t seen anything like it, and I may not see the likes of it again.
LOOK FOR IT: The Miter of St. John Neumann, whose burial mass was held in this church.
One of the prettiest churches around.
Size Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Ornamentation Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Overall Design Rating: 8.5 out of 10 crosses
