CHURCH  BUILDINGS 

WE’VE  EXPERIENCED 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my thoughts for today - Morning Mass December 24^th -  is, “Church Buildings We’ve Experienced.”

DAVID’S PALACE - GOD’S TENT

Today’s first reading - 2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8-11, 16, is all about Nathan the Prophet nagging David for not building a house for God. “You David are living in a great house built with cedar and God is living in a tent.”

David, we have a problem here.

QUESTIONAIRRE: NAME 5 CHURCHES

We’ll human beings have certainly built great houses for God.

Here’s my questionnaire: Name 5 favorite or inspiriting church buildings you have  entered or been in and the story behind you getting there? 

Since we’re all so different, I thought it would be a great conversation.  Don’t tell all 5 at once.  Tell them around the table or the conversation one at a time - giving each person their choice - one by one.

Here are my 5.

FIRST: LOURDES

In the 3^rd year of high school, Father John Barry said, “If you ever get to France, get to Lourdes and make sure you go to the baths.” Well in 1993 my two sisters and my brother-in-law went to France and each of us got the choice of one place to visit. My sister Peggy picked Lourdes - so that was taken care of. It was well worth it. So if you haven’t been to Lourdes, put it on your list.

SECOND CHARTRES:

Second for me  would be Chartres Cathedral. It’s about an hour from Paris.

I once listened to a vinyl record by Charles Laughton and on that  record he talks about 2 significant times he went to Chartres Cathedral and how that impacted his life.

Well I got there - and I would recommend to everyone to get to Chartres  - the  Marian Shrine in Europe since the 11^th century.

THIRD: SAGRADA FAMILIA

Third for me was Sagrada Familia - in Barcelona.  I got there 2 times. It’s still being built. Right now the tallest church in the world is Ulm Cathedral.  By 2026 Sagrada Familia will be the tallest.  Check it out.

FOURTH: COLOGNE CATHEDRAL

Fourth would be Cologne Cathedral. Back in 1993 I was taking a train from Hamburg Germany to Paris. Well, my niece Claire’s husband told me to take the hour earlier train - get off in Cologne - walk up the street - and check out the Cologne Cathedral. Then  walk back to the train station and get on the train to Paris that you were ticketed for. Surprise, there was no seat for me - from Hamburg to Cologne  - but looking back it was all worthwhile.

LAST:  SAINT MARGARET OF CORTONA  CHURCH - COLUMBUS OHIO

Fifth - would be St. Margaret of Cortona, Church in Columbus Ohio. It’s a relatively small church - in an Italian Neighborhood settled by Italian stone workers brought to America to build the state buildings in Columbus. I was preaching a parish mission there in the late November of 1999.  The pastor told me that the church was built from stones from the nearby rock quarries. The church has won design awards and honors.

CONCLUSION

What are your 5?  I could  have picked St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City  or St. Peter’s in Rome or St. Paul's in London - and I’ll probably have 50 more - the more I think about this - but I thought these 5 would bring out the point I wanted to make.

Thanks for listening.