Easter Sunday! Where would the Project go on this, the holiest day of the Christian calendar?
Church Alley: You bet! What better place than Church Alley, my favorite churching grounds? This time, Nativity BVM.
The occasion isn’t without some sadness, however. Nativity BVM is the third and, gulp, final piece of the Church Alley puzzle. That’s right, we’re done here. No more visits.
I certainly didn’t plan it this way, but unfortunately, I was a slave to one of our oldest conundrums…
Upper v. Lower Church: I’ve never been kind to lower churches, and I’ve been even less kind to parishes that use them for everything. I’ve given Nativity several potshots for being one of those parishes. They are so staunchly lower church that you can count on one hand the number of times a year they hold an upper church mass.
Not surprisingly, Easter is one of them. And the ultra-rare opportunity to attend an upper church mass forced me to insert Nativity into the Easter slot, spelling a premature end for our times in Church Alley. Sad, yes, but it beats having to wait nine months for another opportunity.
And let me tell you—I’m very glad I did. Nativity is a really fantastic church. It’s mostly Baroque, inside and out, although the brown stone exterior is largely unassuming, aside from an interesting bulbous steeple, gold doors, and oxidized-copper trim and pediments. It’s not bad, but I certainly didn’t expect the rather stunning surprise inside—a richly-decorated pink and white masterpiece, with gorgeous stained glass and some very nice mural work. I was so fooled by the exterior that I had no idea the interior would be this nice; certainly, the St. Athanasius Effect at work.
Special mention needs to go the sanctuary, which is truly stellar. It differs in that the central portion is shaped like a trapezoid, so the altar is framed by two outward-slanting walls, and the two side altars are set farther back. It’s really neat, dramatic effect, and one that sets Nativity apart from the other Baroque masterpieces we’ve seen, like St. Peter the Apostle and St. Thomas Aquinas.
DID YOU KNOW? This church was built entirely by the men of the parish. Yep, no outside help here. Now that’s dedication! (Oh, and they were pretty talented, too.)
Simply stellar.
Size Rating: 9 out of 10
Ornamentation Rating: 9 out of 10
Overall Design Rating: 9 out of 10 crosses
