Rounding the corner from Western onto Summit Street, I realized that the streetside landscaping along the Sacred Heart grounds had been completed.
Furthermore, the site was graced with four new sculptures. New for me, at least -- I hadn't been on Summit since last fall.
I don't know which of the saints are depicted, though the Mary image is obvious. What a pleasure to find yet something else new whose price wasn't the replacement of something from the past!
Posts
5 comments:
I find this an important aspect, Granny J., that new buildings or sites should not be erected by sacrificing old ones.
Many stupidities have been built over here, for example a brand new "Hölderlinhaus" in Bad Homburg/Taunus after demolishing the old one, in which the poet had really lived and which could have been preserved by investing some extra money.
I think the first statue is probably St. Joseph as he is sheparding the child, and that's been the location of St. Joseph's Academy much longer than Sacred Heart Church has been at that site. The Church was originally on Marina St.... the brick building that now houses the center for Fine Arts.
Yes, St. Joseph is the first one, shepherding the child...
The sacred heart of Jesus is the second...
The third is St. Francis, in his Franciscan attire and with a bird at his feet (saint of the animals...)
And the last is the sacred heart of Mary...
My education in saints comes thanks to living on a site with sixty-some odd shrines, rather than the typical parochial school coursework....
I recognized the St. Francis. My knowledge of saints comes from a degree in art history!
What a variety of responses -- and information!
Olivia -- What you describe comes close to what I would call criminal...
Brain -- I guessed at that ID, tho I didn't know about the assorted buildings, etc. I was aware that the academy was the reason for those stairs going up the bluff at the end of Willis Street.
SBird -- Now we've got complete IDs. Thank you!
Julia -- Good to have you back & commenting! Having 1) been brought up in a more or less Protestant/ agnostic manner, 2) attending basically secular public schools, and 3) not having taken any art history courses, my ignorance of an important chunk of Western history is showing. Somehow, the historic importance of religious institutions on our culture needs to be returned to the curriculum!
Post a Comment