We were lucky to get in Old St. Mary's where my family went to church. It was built in 1842, is the oldest church still standing, and was built with the help of the parishioners. Some of them baked the bricks in their kitchen ovens. On Sundays, they not only have English masses, but also Latin and German. The neighborhood has deteriorated but is being rehabbed. There were some bad riots in 2001, where one young black man was killed, after being chased by the police. The church had been restored in 1996, and the priest stood on the front steps and prayed the rosary, to protect it from the throngs. They did 13.7 million dollars worth of damage, but they left the church alone.
Even the back is beautiful.
One of the many stained glass windows.
When I saw the baptismal font, and realized my great-grandfather was probably baptized in it, I had that same feeling as I did in the family churches in Europe. I'm sure glad we were able to get inside!
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