Status: Active, Roman Catholic

Founded: 1919
Construction: 1955

5600 Jackson Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124

http://archphila.org/parishes/7620.htm

http://www.stbartsparish.org/

The Project returns to the great (or not-so-great, depending on your point of view) Northeast to tackle Wissinoming's St. Bartholomew. I've heard a lot of chatter about St. Bart's. The largest church in Archdiocese, they say. The longest aisle in the Archdiocese. Blah, blah blah.

You'd think I'd learn by now to mostly ignore John Q. Churchgoer, but like a cat, our curiosity always get the better of us. When someone makes a claim about a church, we simply have to either prove or disprove it, no matter how ridiculous it seems.

So, let's set the record straight--with an extra special emphasis.

With all due respect to St. Bart's, there is no larger church--repeat after me: No. Larger. Church--than East Germantown's Immaculate Conception. Not the Basilica. Not St. Martin of Tours. And most certainly not this tweener concoction. If anyone tells you differently, kick them in the shins for us.

That isn't based on any scientific measurement, mind you. Just our own eyes and our own perception. But it's guaranteed 100% accurate, or your money back.

(Not that you want to necessarily be the largest. Immaculate's size poses a huge problem--pun intended--for its neighborhood. When the place inevitably goes under--and knowing the Archdiocese, it will sooner rather than later--that neighborhood is going to have planet-sized black hole that it may never recover from. Who's going to buy a church that size? Nobody, that's who.)

Anyway, I digress.

So what does St. Bartholomew bring to the table? Well, it may not be the biggest, but it's still a very large tweener that has the distinction of being the first Italian-Renaissance variation we've seen.

By that, I mean that most tweener churches tend to be vaguely Romanesque in character. Very large, lots of stone, not necessarily dripping with ornamentation. Perfect for keeping costs down in that nebulous1950s buffer zone.

Not here, though. St. Bart's is a tweener by way of Italian-Renaissance design. You can see it for yourself in the design, from the pediment-topped exterior face and pediment-shaped window and side-altar frames. Not to mention a surprisingly impressive red, white and gold baldachin. Add in some large and not-ugly profile stained glass windows, excellent woodwork and the aforementioned excellent size and scope, and you have a church that exceeds far more than it has any right to.

That's not to say it's perfect, of course. The plaster is largely unadorned, especially in the large transepts, so there's definitely a very spartan vibe. And the organ, if they have one, is unseen.

But for a church that dates to 1955, this is far nicer than any of its contemporaries. And as the latest tweener, date-wise, it's safe to say St. Bartholomew was the last respectable church built within the city of Philadelphia.

Not bad for a forgotten parish in the middle of a dying neighborhood, no?

LOOK FOR IT: The nave windows are perfectly rectangular. We've seen gothic pointed windows and circular windows, but never before a complete set of rectangular windows. A first for us.

Overall Size: 9 out of 10

Overall Design Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Overall Design Rating: 8 out of 10 crosses

At 5600 Jackson Street, the church is very close to the Bridge Street exit off I-95. That highway may have its faults, but it's always treated the Project well, so we won't complain too much about it. Things get more confusing when you get onto the neighborhood streets, although it's nothing too serious.

The area, as noted above, isn't too well-regarded these days. Despite its problems, though, it doesn't look to be too dangerous of an area, especially around the church itself. The Project parked on the street with no issues whatsoever, although there is a lot if you'd rather not risk it.

A little rundown, but we've seen far worse. Stick to the church and you needn't worry.

Safety Rating: 7 out of 10 tire irons

St. Bartholomew is one of the few churches to offer a Sunday evening mass. It's a great offering, especially if you're looking to attract a younger crowd. (And churches should. They really should.) Young people usually enjoy sleeping in, or going to brunch on Sunday morning.

But by offering a later option, you have a greater chance of reaching those people. Look, this generation's youth shouldn't have to choose between omelettes or mass. Omelettes will win nine times out of 10.

Oh, and the guitar / keyboard / vocal musical trio is pretty sweet, too.