The Project has been favoring the northern portions of the city for a quite a while now. It’s not just because I hail from there; it’s because there’s much more ground to cover and so many more churches to see. Little wonder, then, that South Philly has developed a complex, and I just can’t bear to see it like that. So we’re going back to give the area a little love, in the form of St. Edmond.
St. Edmond is notable because it is the first entirely brick church we’ve seen. By brick, I mean the classic red-brick-and-white-mortar type. You see buildings like that all the time. But a church? Now that’s something special. And St. Edmond is special, but not as much as I had hoped.
Let’s be clear. That brick is really something. It’s unique and catchy, and the sheer red hues of the place are pretty damn cool. The problem is that the inside doesn’t really match up. Sure, it’s pretty, with tan, gold and pink plaster, stout pillars and a uniquely crazy roof comprised of countless honeycomb patterns. Even the altar does something we’ve haven’t seen—it goes for a three dimensional effect by placing statues in front of a panoramic painting of Golgatha, the place of Jesus’ crucifixion. As far as effects go, it’s not Hollywood, but it’s a valiant attempt.
Still, I can’t shake the disappointment. There’s nothing here that’s really bad, but nothing that really stands out, either. I think the problem is that the interior in no way matches the exterior. With the awesome, creepy and mysterious red-brick exterior, I guess I was expecting something that kept the same vibe, the some motif.
Of course, you may feel differently. You may protest that I’m not an unbiased, impartial observer. You’re probably right. But you know what? This is my Project, not yours, so I’ll do the grading around here.
Size Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Ornamentation Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10 crosses
